Defend Soto Zen? No
Latch on to Soto Zen? No
Use Soto Zen? No.
Give Soto Zen a name? No.

Forget about Soto Zen? Yes.

A simple and straight forward experience of one's true nature with nothing to add or take away? Yes.

Give up Soto Zen. Then "that" is Soto Zen (or "not").

Sitting has no name. It is an action. Just like every moment is the same.

Until you realize forgetting Zazen, you will be relying on faith and trust. Faith in the teacher and teachings. Not proclamations, exclamations and differences: "This is the one true way. Do this. Do that. Learn this. Learn that.", but instead encouragement "You must find your way. I can not give it to you, but I know it's there" Nothing speaks more about this then the simple act of sitting and forgetting Zazen.

A Zen teacher is not a Guru, a Sensei, or a Roshi, but just another guy/gal. Like you. A friend. Someone who knows that you are not what you think you are.

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There is no end. If there was an end, then ego would use this to try to achieve something. So it is said "There is no end to practice." There is only this act of forgetting Zazen. What do you want to achieve anyway? Calm? Equanimity? Wisdom? Anything, but what you are right now? You can't. You can't do it. Every achievement is delusion. Trying is delusion. Not trying to try the same. Don't fool yourself.

So there must be faith. Letting go. Trust.

If you must take things on trust and faith, then trust in the practice. The act. The forgetting. The experience. No matter what you think it is, that's not it.

There is lots of talk. Many teachings. But nothing as simple as sitting. Nothing as simple as direct experience. For really, we can only experience it and many paths lead to it.

When we forget, that is the point. When I forget you and you forget me, what arises? Experience? Love? Intimacy? Joy? Well, it doesn't do anything to talk about it.

Gassho

Will