https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/1h4lmix/is_anapanasatti_and_zazen_the_same_practice/
created by StriderLF on 02/12/2024 at 03:26 UTC
12 upvotes, 4 top-level comments (showing 4)
Sorry for the ignorant question, but I wonder what are the differences between Anapanasatti common in the Theravada tradition and Zazen? Is Zazen a form of Samata meditation?
Comment by JhannySamadhi at 02/12/2024 at 04:11 UTC
4 upvotes, 0 direct replies
No. Anapanasati means mindfulness of breathing. In Zen mindfulness of breathing along with susokukan (breath counting) are often used as preliminaries to establish stability before moving onto more advanced practices such as shikantaza and koans.
The original name for shikantaza that is still used in Chan is silent illumination. The silent here means shamatha, illumination means vipashyana. So after the mind is highly stabilized by anapanasati (which itself is a form of samatha) one can learn to rest in open awareness. Ultimately this leads to samatha (the state, a highly refined form of samadhi) from which one can cut through to the one mind (kensho/satori/rigpa/streamentry).
After this initial awakening, deeper states of samadhi are used to complete the path.
Comment by ThalesCupofWater at 02/12/2024 at 03:38 UTC
3 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Shamatha, is a class of practices. The term "calm abiding," is a foundational Buddhist practice focused on concentration, often using a specific object like the breath to anchor the mind but there are other ways to do do it. For example, in Chan/Zen/Thien you can do silent illumination meditations. Below is a peer reviewed encyclopedia entry on it. Shamatha serves as a preparatory step for deeper insight practices across various Buddhist traditions, including the various Mahayana traditions. Zazen is closer to a meta practice in some Zen traditions. It is an orientation that emphasizes direct realization of reality. Unlike Shamatha, Zazen is less structured, focusing on open awareness or the transcendence of conceptual thinking to embody awakening. Zazen is connected non-dual awareness and integrating meditation into everyday life. Below are some peer reviewed encyclopedia entries on it.
śamatha (P. samatha; T. zhi gnas; C. zhi; J. shi; K. chi 止).
from The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism
In Sanskrit, variously translated as “calmness,” “serenity,” “quiescence,” or “tranquillity” (and sometimes as “stopping,” following the Chinese rendering of the term); one of the two major branches of Buddhist meditative cultivation (bhāvanā), along with insight (vipaśyanā). Calmness is the mental peace and stability that is generated through the cultivation of concentration (samādhi). Śamatha is defined technically as the specific degree of concentration necessary to generate insight (vipaśyanā) into reality and thus lead to the destruction of the afflictions (kleśa). Śamatha is a more advanced degree of concentration than what is ordinarily associated with the sensuous realm (kāmadhātu) but not fully that of the first meditative absorption (dhyāna), viz., the first absorption associated with the subtle-materiality realm (rūpāvacaradhyāna). According to the Yogācārabhūmi and the Abhidharmasamuccaya, śamatha is the fundamental state (maula) of each of the four concentrations (dhyāna) and attainments (samāpatti), in distinction to a neighboring part that is preparatory to that fundamental state (see sāmantaka), which is vipaśyanā. The process of meditative cultivation that culminates in calmness is described in one account as having nine stages. In the account found in the Madhyāntavibhāga, for example, there are eight forces that operate during these stages to eliminate five hindrances: viz., laziness, forgetting the object of concentration, restlessness and worry, insufficient application of antidotes (anabhisaṃskāra), and over-application of the antidotes (abhisaṃskāra). During the initial stage, when first placing the mind on its object, the first hindrance, laziness, is counteracted by a complex of four motivational mental factors: chanda (desire-to-do), vyāyāma (resolve), śraddhā (faith), and Praśrabdhi (pliancy or readiness for the task). When the cultivation of calmness has reached a slightly more advanced stage, mindfulness (smṛti) counteracts the forgetfulness that occurs when concentration wanders away from the meditation object. When a stream of concentration is first achieved, a meta-awareness called introspection or clear comprehension (saṃprajanya) operates to counteract dullness and restlessness. Finally, in the last stages of the process, there is an application (abhisaṃskāra) in order to heighten the intensity of the concentration to the requisite level, and to avoid the subtle overexcitement that comes with feelings of great ease; and just prior to the attainment of śamatha, there is the setting aside of any application of conscious effort. At that point, calmness continues on its own as a natural stream of tranquillity, bringing great physical rapture (prīti) and mental ease (sukha) that settles into the advanced state of serenity called śamatha. ¶ In the context of monastic discipline, śamatha, in its denotation as calming, is also used technically to refer to the formal settlement of monastic disputes. See adhikaraṇaśamatha; Saptādhikaraṇaśamatha.
Comment by Agnostic_optomist at 02/12/2024 at 03:42 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I think it depends on what is meant by zazen. If you mean zazen to include any and all meditation techniques in zen, then the answer is maybe. By that I mean there may be breath focused meditations practiced within zen.
If by zazen you mean shikantaza, then no they aren’t the same.
Comment by ClioMusa at 02/12/2024 at 04:00 UTC*
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Zazen is just sitting meditation, and can be *any one of a variety of practices*.
Breath counting or susokukan is a really common starting practice, and does in the traditional methods lead into mindfullness of breath. Whether that's through Zhihi and the Chinese sources, or even Theravada a la Buddhaghosa who teaches *the same method*.
Traditionally in Zen, that's just a starting method to help you solidify your samadhi enough to move on to shikantaza or koans using the wato method, though.
Which are the main ones we're known for. Shinkataza is most common in Soto and wato/koans are best known for their use in Rinzai, though there are Soto lineages that use koans too.
EDIT: Gave wrong translation.