orientation talk on the first day of our july 2018 sesshin in sierra de monchique, algarve, portugal.
a presentation of the practice of shikantaza, just sitting: to be simply aware of what arises and bringing one's full attention to it during meditation without seeking any reward as a result of it.
zen meditation is about what manifests itself right in this moment, right in each moment, without trying to direct what is unfolding from moment to moment to some future goal.
we sit not to become anything other than who we already are. although we often come to the practice aspiring for a transformative expereince, the actual practice of just sitting keeps bringing us back the the understanding that to engage wholeheartedly with what manifests iteslf right here and now is actually what the sitting is about.
the gift of zazen is simply to allow us to embrace the being that we are without feeling the need to change it in any way. this is about a practice of deep acceptance without expecting any reward as a result.
in buddhism, if practice does bring us any merits we offer those merits to all beings.
