The Zazen gang is back, time for a reminder that Zen Masters didn't advocate for Zazen.

 

Foyan:

The light of mind is reflected in emptiness;

its substance is void of relative or absolute.

Golden waves all around,

Zen is constant, in action or stillness.

Thoughts arise, thoughts disappear;

don't try to shut them off.

Let them flow spontaneously –

what has ever arisen and vanished?

When arising and vanishing quiet down,

there appears the great Zen master;

sitting, reclining, walking around,

there's never an interruption.

When meditating, why not sit?

When sitting, why not meditate?

Only when you have understood this way

is it called sitting meditation.

Who is it that sits? What is meditation?

To try to seat it

is using Buddha to look for Buddha.

Buddha need not be sought;

seeking takes you further away.

In sitting, you do not look at yourself;

meditation is not an external art.

 

Here's a list of what people advocate for (when they advocate for Zazen) vs. what Foyan says in the above quote:

 

Zazen claim no. 1: "You have to sit in order to understand/attain."

Foyan: Zen is constant, in action or stillness. (...) sitting, reclining, walking around, there's never an interruption.

 

Zazen claim no. 2: "Silence your thoughts and concentrate."

Foyan: Thoughts arise, thoughts disappear; don't try to shut them off. Let them flow spontaneously –

 

Zazen claim no. 3: "You have to look inwards / at yourself"

Foyan: In sitting, you do not look at yourself; meditation is not an external art (either).

 

Submitted June 09, 2020 at 03:37PM by UExis https://ift.tt/3cPhjx4