Attention & Focus · “You Become What You Hold”
Shikantaza (Just Sitting)
To sit in open, objectless awareness, with nothing to attain, as awakening enacted rather than pursued.
What it is
Shikantaza, ‘just sitting,’ is the central practice of Soto Zen, named by the 13th-century master Eihei Dogen from his teacher Rujing’s phrase. There is no mantra, no visualization, no object of concentration, and no goal to reach.
One simply sits in full clarity and alertness, free of any specific content. Dogen regarded this not as preparation for awakening but as awakening itself in action.
The Method
Step 1 — Take the posture.
Sit upright on a cushion or chair, spine self-supporting, hands resting in the lap, eyes open and gaze lowered to the floor. Step 2 — Let the breath be. Allow the breath to move on its own. Do not count it or follow it; simply let it happen. Step 3 — Sit with everything. Be aware of whatever arises, sounds, sensations, thoughts, without grasping or pushing any of it away. Hold no object. Step 4 — Drop the doing. Resist the urge to manage, achieve, or improve the moment. Let body and mind settle and, as Dogen says, ‘drop off.’ Step 5 — Just sit. Remain present and awake, alert yet open. When you notice effort or drowsiness, gently re-establish the upright posture and continue.