My old buddy from Florida, Sid, sent me the following ... so much of the same cut as Shikantaza, ... so beautifully stated ...
A few of the subtle points of Buddhist philosophy and Master Dogen aside, it is a lovely description of basic "Just Sitting".
A few of the subtle points of Buddhist philosophy and Master Dogen aside, it is a lovely description of basic "Just Sitting".
It would be good to read it a few times and take it to heart. Here is the main part ...
Sitting With The World
Take a seat ...and just sit. .... Relax. Don't try to do anything at all. Don't try to make anything
come, don't try to make anything go leave. Let everything do its own
work, chart its own course.
As you sit, just sit with the world, with whatever is there, all of the
arisings and passings away in your mind, body, and environment. As you
notice sights and sounds, thoughts and feelings, memories and
anticipations, relax into them. Relax your mind and body. Actively do
nothing. Make no efforts. Just sit, just be, at least for now.
Let go of all of the things that frantically direct your day-to-day
existence: me, him, her, past, future, plans, desires, aversions, hopes,
goals, concerns, anticipations, fears, everything. Don't grasp at
any of these things, don't resist any of them. Just sit with
whatever is there. Things naturally settle this way, and the mind comes
to peace.
The mentality is this. There is nowhere that you need to go, nothing
that you need to achieve, no one that you need to be. Those ideas are
illusions, fabrications of the mind. You are complete and whole where
you are, just sitting with the world. ...
Take a seat ...and just sit. .... Relax. Don't try to do anything at all. Don't try to make anything
come, don't try to make anything go leave. Let everything do its own
work, chart its own course.
As you sit, just sit with the world, with whatever is there, all of the
arisings and passings away in your mind, body, and environment. As you
notice sights and sounds, thoughts and feelings, memories and
anticipations, relax into them. Relax your mind and body. Actively do
nothing. Make no efforts. Just sit, just be, at least for now.
Let go of all of the things that frantically direct your day-to-day
existence: me, him, her, past, future, plans, desires, aversions, hopes,
goals, concerns, anticipations, fears, everything. Don't grasp at
any of these things, don't resist any of them. Just sit with
whatever is there. Things naturally settle this way, and the mind comes
to peace.
The mentality is this. There is nowhere that you need to go, nothing
that you need to achieve, no one that you need to be. Those ideas are
illusions, fabrications of the mind. You are complete and whole where
you are, just sitting with the world. ...
____________________________________
(remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells;
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Nice poem. I'm tempted to get into those subtle points. I see 3 or 4, two being pretty much the same thing... Anyway, I think this is a good read to consider when things get unnecessarily complicated.
Thanks,
Cam
Perfect!
Every time I stray from center, I am fascinated at the power of meditation to return me, however far I stray.
Thank you for sharing "Sitting With The World." The gentle reminder of being present in this moment... in stillness, letting go, and simply resting in awareness without doing anything.
Beautiful passage, so true, so solid, ever flowing... something everyone needs to experience for themselves... can't be taught.. and even tho this is eastern in principle this is universal wisdom... something Jesus, Paul, and Jacob illustrated in their teachings... Rumi as well would have embraced these words... so lucky to be reminded again, thank you Tree Leaf...
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