Shohaku Okumura

“Shikantaza is often used as an approach to meditation practice, meaning sitting without using kōans or other techniques. I don’t think that is what Dōgen meant when he used the expression. I think this word shikantaza is the final answer to his question: why do we have to practice if we are already in Dharma nature, if we are enlightened from the beginning? Why do we have to go through the long and hard study and practice? Originally this expression shikantaza was used not by Dōgen himself but by his teacher Rujing. We not only just sit — when we eat, we just eat; when we work in the kitchen, we just cook; when we clean, we just clean; when we chant, we just chant.“(The Mountains and Waters Sutra)