Shikantaza (只管打坐) is a Japanese term for zazen introduced by Dogen Zenji and associated most with the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, but which also is "the base of all Zen disciplines." The term is believed to have been first used by Dogen's teacher Tiantong Rujing, and it literally means, "nothing but (shikan) precisely (da) sitting (za)." In other words Dogen means by this, "doing only zazen whole-heartedly" or "single-minded sitting." Shikantaza...
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Shikantaza (只管打坐) is a Japanese term for zazen introduced by Dogen Zenji and associated most with the Soto school of Zen Buddhism, but which also is "the base of all Zen disciplines." The term is believed to have been first used by Dogen's teacher Tiantong Rujing, and it literally means, "nothing but (shikan) precisely (da) sitting (za)." In other words Dogen means by this, "doing only zazen whole-heartedly" or "single-minded sitting." Shikantaza implies "just sitting", and according to author James Ishmael Ford, "Some trace the root of this word to the pronunciation of the Pāli vipassana, though this is far from certain."
Shikantaza's origins can be traced to early Daoist meditations known as "sitting forgetfulness" which was mentioned in the Zhuang Zi. In the book, it was stated that a man named Yan Hui described to Confucius how he forgot and cast aside knowledge. The concept of meditating on everyday chores to attain the Dao is also described in the story of the butcher in Zhuang...
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