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<\/a><\/p>\n<\/span>\n
I had hoped to provide context for our Empty Hand discussion with a different view on thinking\/not-thinking\/non-thinking but didn\u2019t find a way to work it in. That\u2019s what I want to present today. It goes to the essential art of zazen, as D-z puts it.<\/p>\n Zazenshin<\/span><\/span>, the lancet, acupuncture needle or precept (all of these work for <\/span>shin<\/span><\/span>) of zazen begins by focussing on the following koan:<\/span><\/p>\n Once, when the Great Master Hongdao of Yueshan was sitting zazen, a monk asked him, \u201cWhat are you thinking of so fixedly?\u201d A few points. First, Yueshan\u2019s full name could be rendered as Medicine Mountain Majestic Consideration \u2013 an important detail for what follows. It is significant too that Yueshan had a similar exchange with this teacher, Shitou (which I\u2019ll come back to in a future post) where he was sitting zazen and Shitou approached. Yueshan is still sitting zazen and a student approaches.<\/p>\n Second, the word that is translated as fixedly <\/span><\/span>or<\/span> <\/span><\/span>in other versions as <\/span>immobile, steadfast sitting<\/span><\/span>, or <\/span>still, still state<\/span><\/span>, is <\/span>kotsu kotsu chi<\/span><\/span>. <\/span>Kotsu <\/span><\/span>is something high and level; lofty, bald, dangerous. The word is used twice for emphasis.<\/span> Chi <\/span><\/span>is earth, land, ground, space, position or foundation. Nishijima and Cross note that it therefore \u201c\u2026suggests a table mountain, and hence something imposing and balanced.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s the view from the top of Table Mountian in South Africa:<\/p>\n
At the Empty Hand workshop on <\/span>Zazenshin<\/span><\/span><\/a> we worked with the third section \u2013 Hongzhi\u2019s poem, Dogen\u2019s comments and then his expression of the precept of zazen. This section is important because it clearly distinguishes shikantaza from silent illumination zazen. I\u2019ve written about that in this blog previously, though, so that\u2019s not the point of today\u2019s post.<\/span><\/p>\n
The master answered, \u201cI\u2019m thinking of not thinking.\u201d
The monk asked, \u201cHow do you think of not thinking?\u201d
The Master answered, \u201cNonthinking.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n