0 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: Conflicted about Zen Buddhism in general
Zen is not Jhana or a "cognate" of Jhana, in Soto understanding. So, whatever lovely practice you are doing, it is not Shikantaza in any form. You don't say where you developed this, so I will understand it as your personal interpretation. Master Dogen wrote: "*When Bodhidharma stayed at Shao-Lin ssu in Sung-shan, gazing at the wall for nine years, the priests and laymen did not understand the true law of the Buddha; they called him a Brahmana who emphasized sitting cross-legged. Afterward every patriarch devoted himself to sitting cross-legged. Unenlightened laymen who saw them carelessly referred to them as the zazen sect without understanding the truth. Today the "Za" has been dropped, and the followers of this practice are known as members of the Zen sect. This is clear in the manuscripts of the patriarchs. You must not equate zazen with the meditation in the six means and the three training [traditional ways meditation is conducted in India]. The spirit of transmission in Buddhism is clear in the career of the Buddha. To Mahakasyapa alone on Grdhrakuta Mountain the Buddha transmitted the eye and treasury of the true law, the superior mind of enlightenment and supreme doctrine, and some gods in heaven saw it. Don't doubt this. The gods of heaven protect Buddhism eternally. This is still a living fact. You must understand that zazen is the full way of Buddhism. It is incomparable."*
http://www.zenki.com/index.php?lang=en&page=bendo01[1][2]
1: http://www.zenki.com/index.php?lang=en&page=bendo01
2: http://www.zenki.com/index.php?lang=en&page=bendo01
Comment by Most-Entertainer-182 at 17/02/2025 at 09:53 UTC*
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Have you directly experienced, got a personal insight into what you are talking about yourself? Or do you feel like you are interpreting your scriptures faithfully? as there is a world of difference.
lf you feel like your shikantaza is giving you insight into reality and releasing your sankharas to reveal a pure mind that’s all that matters.
If you feel like you are stuck, consider what I’m taking about.
I think that there has been an error somewhere in the transmission if the role of vivekajam Piti sukham is being misunderstood