In this extemporaneous question-and-answer episode I address a listener’s comment on my answer in a recent Q&A episode about the relationship between Buddhism and being vegan. Then I respond to two different questions about the practice of shikantaza, or just sitting.
I’m doing one question-and-answer episode each month, where I take questions submitted by listeners and answer them extemporaneously – that is, without a lot of preparation. I only manage to answer 3-4 questions each month, but I’m keeping track of all of them and more or less answering them in order, so please feel free to submit a question through the podcast website. Also, because I’m answering questions extemporaneously, I may miss an important aspect of a topic. If you have any information, comments, or follow up questions related to anything I say, feel free to submit those as well.
For example, I will start off today with a response to a listener who wrote with a reaction to what I said in Q&A episode 293, about the relationship between Zen and being vegetarian. I had mentioned in an episode on the precepts that refraining from eating meat is a choice we leave up to individuals, even though the first precept is not killing. The listener said, “Being vegan is an ethical, moral and environmental imperative… This moral and ethical ambiguity leads me to question the whole tradition of Zen.” I perhaps ought to have saved addressing this charged topic for a prepared episode, but I did my best to respond, speaking about the necessity of being able to tolerate moral ambiguity as part of our practice. This is part of a response from another listener:
“I understood that the bottom-line message was, ‘Being vegan is correct, but it’s asking too much of people to consider this.’ My question is, ‘Why?’ Why do you apply it to dietary choices and not instead for environmentally sustainable types of choices? I felt fear in your choice, argument and approach. But I may be wrong. …I am not a full vegan but at least I try to promote it as important for both the planet’s future (one third of gas emissions comes from the wrong food systems) and the public health…
“I felt betrayed [by your answer]. Why did [the] difficult task [of addressing the relationship between Buddhist and veganism] not trigger in you the willingness to try to learn from the issue? Why did it not trigger the sense of opportunity to go beyond? Is that ok in a Zen teacher?
“I felt sad. Why have I not realized earlier that you were actually applying arbitrary prioritizations to topics and areas for potential improvement? Why have you not even considered opening a discussion in your digital or dirt sanghas on it, [and thought about] how dismissive [this absence of conversation] can be for people who consider this topic important?
“I felt upset. Why did you not consider how other Vegan listeners would have felt hearing what you said? Where is the empathy with them? Where is even a little encouragement to continue?”
[Please listen to audio for my response]
Leo: “I have become rather muddled about zazen. When approaching a state of quiet mind, I sometimes find my mind drifting between ‘thinking the thought of non-thinking’, ‘continually aiming for the correct posture’, ‘opening the hand of thought’, or ‘resting in the body’. All are profound, but they sometimes feel like a big cloud of concepts! Do the posture itself, or non-thinking, constitute meditative objects? It sometimes feels so, and that has started to worry me, although I can’t say why!”
[Please listen to audio for my response]
Andrew: “Hello. I am a spiritual practitioner who uses a variety of techniques I’ve learned for a host of reasons. For example, I find it intuitive to use breath focus meditation before I do something focus-intensive because I’ve connected the intention of the activity, the activity itself, and the results in my mind, so I know why I’m doing it, and what it’s for. This connection gives me great resolve to do what I need to do.
“However, I don’t have as tight a connection between the intention of shikantaza zazen and the activity and results. I have some sense that when I sit in non-striving, I am practicing the release of goal-oriented activity, and perhaps this will help me with mental restlessness. After dabbling with similar styles, I sat with an intention of non-striving while practicing letting go of thought, and my mind became mostly silent (a common feature of my related practices) and my experience became like sitting in the majestic ambience of a national park, and my sparse thoughts were like gentle bird calls, with a feeling of spacious peace and ease. I thought this would calm me down for the night, but it actually rejuvenated me, and I felt invigorated to live life.
“All this may sound nice, but I’ve had a variety of nice feelings from meditation styles. However, I’m a bit indifferent to the pains and pleasures of these experiences and more motivated by the intention for why I’d pursue a practice. I don’t know if my understanding of the intent of shikantaza zazen is highly motivating. The non-striving intention was just something ChatGPT told me. I kind of get it, but it doesn’t guide insight into the practice. If you may, could you give expert human insight as to why I would sit with this “returning home and sitting in peace”? I generally prefer walking and sitting around mind wandering, which is like ambling in my own cultivated garden, in the company of my dearest friend, myself. Maybe I feel like shikantaza zazen takes away my friend.”
[Please listen to audio for my response]
