Originally Posted by
disastermouse
Originally Posted by
Jundo
..."Just Sit" is a Total, Complete and Thorough Answer to All Things, Leaving No Doubt Unresolved...
I'm not saying it's a bad answer - not at all - I'm saying that without a more thorough understanding of Shikantaza and our Treeleaf practice, a relative newcomer may hear the admonition without really hearing it and also without examining the motivation for the question.
As I have seen it, and sometimes felt, a lot of aspects of Buddhist practice produce this effect on the newcomer. It is all fine and good until the student comes across some aspect they don't agree with-- or think they don't agree with-- or don't understand. The language of Buddhism is a little hard for Westerners sometimes. For example, they hear that "there is no abiding soul" and immediately jump to the conclusion that all Buddhists are Atheists, or something to that effect. Only with time and their own continued exploration, do they come to realize the finer aspect of the meaning behind "no abiding soul", which I, personally, have not quite unwrapped the meaning of, but I keep studying. Some will simply lose interest and abandon study, and that is their karma.
It is not up to us to make sure that the newcomer continues study when they misunderstand something. It is up to them. There is a point that must be crossed that is the difference between making assumptions about Buddhist practice based on superficial study, and actually studying and applying the teachings to life.