1. What is the relationship between shikantaza and the four noble truths? Is this form of meditation to help give us insight into our suffering and its causes, or is it something else?

2. While meditating I keep catching my mind sticking to certain thoughts and I "use" the blue sky / clouds metaphor that Jundo describes. But as the thought passes a second thought keeps coming up, asking "what am I returning to"? I don't have an answer for that thought, and I sit with not having that answer and let that cloud pass too. Shikantaza is a mystery to me, and I am not sure if I am doing it right.

3. I start out mediation with a decent posture, but often catch my upper body leaning back (beats me why I do that) and adjust my posture. Then a distracting thought comes up saying that I should not be paying attention to my posture, etc. etc. Does this happen to you?

I hope you are having a nice day. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Madrone.