Someone brought up this watcher thing a while ago, and I'd like to straighten some stuff out about this "Watcher".

Read these sentences very carefully (I know you've read them a thousand times. Read them again.)

To study the way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self and be enlightened by myriad things.

To be enlightened by myriad things means there is no "you". There is no "watcher". There is only "this". Activity presenting itself as this. The crickets make sounds. We don't say "That is a cricket making a sound and I hear it." No. The cricket just makes the sound and that's it. No watching going on. Just the sound. Then we get on with it.

The touch of a hand on hand. We don't say "this is what my hand touching my other hand feels like". No. There is only the feeling or "sensory stuff". We don't focus on it making it a big deal. So this can be said like: "What presents itself, presents itself as itself without commentary or a need to justify that this is whatever it is." Just moment to moment. You are the sounds or touch.

Myriad things present themselves (Not just one or two). There is so much stuff going on that if we try to notice (or focus) on everything, it would drive us bonkers. However, we can let the myriad things come forth. There is no separation.

This is what's meant by: goalless sitting, not trying, or Zazen is action/activity.


Gassho

W