SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

134 Appendix I: The Gist of Sōtō ZenIn Buddhism we call such a realization Òthe originalaffirmationÓ (honsh‡). ÒIt is heretical to believe that trainingand enlightenment are separate for, in Buddhism, the two areone and the same. Since training embraces enlightenment, thevery beginning of training contains the whole of originalenlightenmentÓ [Zen is Eternal Life, ÒBendowa,Ó 1999, p. 186],i.e., the affirmation that we are enlightened from the outset.Therefore, we may regard serene reflection meditation as apractice which is identical with being Buddha and not simply ameans to reach the stage of Buddhahood. Enlightenment isfound in religious observance, and religious observances inenlightenment. The two are known as honsh‡ my‡sh‰, i.e.,original enlightenment is simultaneously wondrous training.The practice mentioned here is unending; therefore, althoughone realizes enlightenment, one continues religious training asbefore. Even if one should become Buddha, no interruption inreligious endeavors may take place. If enlightenment is to beconsidered only as a goal, then meditation can be regarded asnothing more than a means to reach that goal. This would indicatethat once the goal is reached, the means will be cast aside.But to D‡gen meditation is not merely a means to an end, it isthe end itself. This attitude toward meditation, which we callshikan taza or Òwholehearted Zazen,Ó transcends the distinctionbetween religious striving and enlightenment itself. Whenone is firmly in a state of enlightenment, everyday life itselfbecomes a religious exercise in expressing our gratitude to the