Shikantaza
Just Sitting · Silent Illumination
A Zen Buddhist practice of "just sitting" — sitting without technique, goal, or object of concentration. Not meditation in the usual sense, but a complete presence without striving.
Origin
The practice traces to Chinese Chan master Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091–1157), who articulated "silent illumination" (mozhao) meditation within the Caodong lineage. Japanese master Dōgen (1200–1253) encountered the term through his teacher Rujing at Tiantong monastery and brought it to Japan, where it became the cornerstone of Sōtō Zen. The Japanese word shikantaza (只管打坐) translates roughly as "nothing but precisely sitting."
Everyday Use
In a world that insists you optimize every minute, shikantaza is the radical act of doing absolutely nothing on purpose — no guided app, no mantra, no breathing exercise. Just sitting. It's the antidote to the belief that stillness needs a productivity justification.