Question
Nishijima Sensei:
Shikantaza: shikan means “just, only,” ta means “to do.”
Za can be either a verb or a noun. Thus taza means “to sit.” There is no particular intention other than “just sitting.” The energy involved in this action of “just sitting” is very natural; nothing is forced, nothing slack. In any case, we should not concern ourselves with (worry about, think about) how much energy to put into an action. We should simply do it, simply sit. It is about just sitting while simply keeping the spine straight.
Thus, if we catch ourselves thinking, or even dreaming or sleeping during zazen, we simply return to the action of straightening the spine, without worrying about how we return to it, how much energy we should use, or even the result. Only one thing matters: acting. It is important not to “manage” our zazen, because as soon as we manage it, at the very moment we assess the effort to apply, we are already no longer engaged in just sitting.
Zazen is a natural state. So everything we do during zazen must be natural. In particular, breathing must be natural. Nothing is controlled; there is no particular will, no intention. We do not seek anything special. We do not seek to enter a particular state. We do not seek satori. We do not seek to prolong breathing consciously. It is true that through continued zazen practice, breathing becomes slower, but this process happens naturally, without thinking about it or forcing the breath to be as our mind would like—namely, slow. We should not have this prior intellectual knowledge and try at all costs to make our breathing slow because we know intellectually that it is “better.” One day the breath will be slow and deep; it will come by itself…
Anonymous
Answer from Master Kosen
Yes, that is the description of a guy trying not to try.
Kosen