Hello friends,

As you may recall, I'm digging through the Pali Canon, trying to find "proto-Zen," trying to trace the development of Zen from Siddhartha Gotoma on. While I agree with Jundo that it's "all there" when you read the Canon, I think that it's interesting to see how all of the explicit statments, implications, and sidelong glances at Shikantaza fit into the greater history of Buddhism. One of the more promising leads I've found is in the Maha-Rahulovada Sutta. Among other techniques that the Buddha teaches Rahula is this:


"Rahula, develop the meditation in tune with earth. For when you are developing the meditation in tune with earth, agreeable & disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind. Just as when people throw what is clean or unclean on the earth — feces, urine, saliva, pus, or blood — the earth is not horrified, humiliated, or disgusted by it; in the same way, when you are developing the meditation in tune with earth, agreeable & disagreeable sensory impressions that have arisen will not stay in charge of your mind.

Bhikkhu, Thanissaro. "Maha-Rahulovada Sutta." Access to Insight. N.p., 2006. Web. 9 Dec 2010. .
I'd love to hear your thoughts and commentary!

Metta,

Perry