Shikan-taza

is Dogen's Japanese translation of the Chinese phrase ''zhǐguǎn dǎzuò'' (只管打坐 / 祇管 打坐), "just sitting." The phrase was used by his teacher Rujing, a monk of the Caodong school of Zen Buddhism, to refer to the meditation-practice called "Silent Illumination" (), or "Serene Reflection," taught by the Caodong master Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091-1157). In Japan, it is associated with the Soto school. In shikantaza one does not focus attention on a specific object (such as the breath); instead, practitioners "just sit" in a state of conscious awareness.

Etymology

The term ''shikantaza'' is the Sino-Japanese reading of ''Zhǐguǎn dǎzuò'' (只管打坐 / 祇管 打坐) "just sitting," "nothing but sitting," "meditation of just sitting," “just mind ourselfsitting.” ''Zhǐguǎn dǎzuò'' (只管打坐 / 祇管打坐) translates as follows:
* ''zhǐguǎn'' (只管, J. ''shikan''; or 祇管, with 祇 hǐserving as a variant of 只 hǐref group=web name="Muller"/>), "by all means; merely, simply; only concerned with," "to focus exclusively on";
* ''dǎzuò'' 打坐, " uddhism/Daoismsit in meditation," "to squat, sit down cross-legged", which corresponds with Sanskrit ''utkuṭuka-stha'';

According to Buswell and Lopez, ''shikantaza'' may simply be used by Dogen as a synonym for “sitting in meditation” (zazen), sitting in '' dhyana'', which may also be practiced while walking, standing or lying down.

James Ishmael Ford states that "some trace the root of this word 'shikantaza''to the Japanese pronunciation of Sanskrit vipassana, though this is far from certain." This etymological eror about 只管 (''shikan'', "only," "just") is rooted in the fact that Japanese has many homophones pronounced ''shikan''. It stems from a more commonly used Japanese word, namely 止観 (''shikan'', "concentration and observation" (as practiced by the Tendai sect) that translates the Sanskrit "'' śamatha'' and '' vipaśyanā''," the two basic forms of Buddhist meditation.

The phrase ''zhǐguǎn dǎzuò'' ("just sitting") was used by Dōgen's teacher Tiantong Rujing (1162-1228) for silent illumination (Chinese ''mòzhào'' 默照; Japanese ''mokushō''). According to Koten Benson, in ''mochao''

Practice

"Silent illumination" or "silent reflection" was the hallmark of the Chinese Caodong school of Chan.Muller, A. Charles, ed.: The Digital Dictionary of Buddhism, ed. of 04/03/2008, Chinese Readings Index (Pinyin System

/ref> The first Chan teacher to articulate silent illumination was the Caodong master Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091—1157), who wrote an inscription entitled "silent illumination meditation" (''Mokushō zen'' 默照禅 or ''Mòzhào chán'' 默照禪).

With the phrase ''shikantaza'' Dōgen means "doing only zazen whole-heartedly" or "single-minded sitting." According to Merv Fowler, shikantaza is described best as "quiet sitting in open awareness, reflecting directly the reality of life." According to Austin, ''shikantaza'' is "an alert condition, performed erect, with no trace of sluggishness or drowsiness." Fred Reinhard Dallmayr writes,

See also

* Buddha-nature
* Abhāvanā
* Dzogchen
* Turiya

Notes

References

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Further reading

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{{Meditation

Buddhist meditation
Zen
Nondualism
Zazen
Silence