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Over the last few years, I've come across a number of folks who recommend Byron Katie's psychological program, 'The Work,' often drawing parallels to Soto Zen practice and Shikantaza. For that reason, I have looked into several of Ms. Katie's books and writings, as well as those of her critics and supporters. My tentative conclusion (I say "tentative," as I am willing and requesting to be corrected if mistaken) is that, while there are many parallels, there are also very significant differences, important aspects of Shikantaza practice which are neglected in 'The Work.' The latter cannot be compared to Soto Zen approaches in key respects (and should not be compared, although some try to do so.) Furthermore, in my reading, I have discovered that Ms. Katie's approach is frequently criticized as sometimes cruel and potentially very dangerous in the case of especially vulnerable persons, such as victims of trauma or other harmful and unjust situations which they are working to overcome. Soto Zen approaches should avoid the same traps.
What are the key similarities and differences?
Both Shikantaza and 'The Work' teach and encourage practitioners not to be bound by their thoughts, and to see beyond them. Ms. Katie encourages her followers to ask themselves four questions with regard to a thought in their mind, for example, in the case of someone who is a victim of physical or verbal spousal abuse who is feeling victimized and resentful of the harm and its doer:
Is it true?
Are you absolutely sure it is true?
How do you react when you think this thought?
Who would you be without this thought?
In Ms. Katie's approach, the victim might be taught that her thoughts of being a victim and victimized are ultimately her own creation, and that if she simply halts such thoughts, the victimization will disappear, and the effect that the harm and harm doer have upon the victim will disappear.
Superficially, a very similar approach is taken in Zen practice, whereby Zazen practitioners are shown the extent to which thoughts do form our experience of reality, that many of our interpretations are not necessary, especially excess fears, extreme wallowing in the past, obsessing about situations, and misdirected blame. A past abuse is alive within the victim now only as a memory, and how that memory is encountered determines how the victim interprets the past experience and relives it when reliving the memory. Future situations can only be known now in our imagined vision of how they may be.
Furthermore, and most powerfully, we are taught through Zazen practice to see through ALL thoughts, all harms, all separation of harm doer and victim and all the separate people and things of the world, into a view of wholeness and peace in which no harm can be done, there is no one to do harm, no separate individual to undergo harm. In this view of "emptiness" of separate self, which is a flowing wholeness, no harm, no loss, no broken heart can shatter this unbroken nature.
However, we do not stop there, and this is a crucial difference from 'The Work.'
Zen folks do not see thoughts only one way. While we avoid certain harmful thoughts which are extreme or unjustified (e.g., fear or grief which turn to extreme panic or suicidal depression) and seek to escape our becoming trapped in thoughts which are not needed or have little relationship to actual situations (e.g., fears of imagined "worst case" situations that are highly unlikely to transpire, excess criticism of one's self worth or regret that have little connection to one's actual faults), we still believe that some fear, some grieving, some concern and planning for the future, some reflection and learning from the past, appropriate remorse, and some personal criticism with a vow to improve, are all natural and healthy. There is nothing wrong, and everything right, about grieving intensely when a dear loved one dies, or feeling afraid for a time when pursued by a hungry tiger. Self criticism, learning from one's mistakes, feeling appropriate remorse at harms done (and making effort to correct them) is vital to life. It is only when that grief will not relent, and becomes so intense that it results in true harm to the person experiencing it, or when the experience of the tiger is constantly relived years after as PTSD or the like, or when personal self criticism becomes unjustified and undeserved self attack, that sadness and fear and self-criticism become counter-productive.
Further, Zen folks see past all thoughts, to a vision of wholeness, peace, non-violence and timelessness in which no harm can be done, and all is flowing effortlessly, beyond all pain and scars.
However, we also recognize that some scars from the past are real and painful too when seen from another angle, that some fears and worries are justified, that some abuses need to be combatted or escaped, some pain needs to be faced or treated. We see beyond thoughts, but also know thoughts as real too. For this reason, there is absolutely nothing wrong, and so much right, about someone experiencing the after effects of trauma thereby seeking psychological and medical intervention from trained mental health specialists and physicians expert in dealing with the pain being experienced. In many situations, Zazen and other Buddhist practice can go hand in hand with psychological or medical treatment and counseling, all under a doctor's care. It is not a matter of simply pretending that the pain is not there, repressing the same, sweeping it under a rug or ignoring it, any more than one can pretend that a broken leg or cancer is not there simply because we choose to ignore it.
If Zen practice has one approach to offer, it is that we can PROFOUNDLY ACCEPT our broken bone or cancer or grieving heart, LETTING the pain and sadness be the pain and sadness, ALLOWING any natural sadness or fear about a life situation to happen too, all while seeking NOT TO WALLOW in EXCESS or OBSESSIVE regrets and fears or despair about the situation, learning to keep BALANCE in our sometimes broken hearts about those regrets and fears which may naturally and humanly arise ...
... all while, from another view encountered in Zazen, SEEING THROUGH and FULLY RELEASING all thoughts and emotions TOTALLY and ULTIMATELY, thus to encounter another face, beyond all sickness and health, all coming and going, gain and loss, love and loss, birth and death whatsoever ... where there is no disease, no doctors, no patient ... all like a dream ...
... all while nonetheless recognizing that our broken bone or cancer or depression is real as real can be, such that we had better head for the hospital, call the police, see our doctor, wear a cast or take our chemotherapy or anti-depressants as the situation demands.
There is a time to balance our thoughts, a way and to see through all thoughts to something wiser and complete. Yet, rejecting or changing thoughts only goes so far.
There is no bone to break, no cancer, no broken heart ... and yet there is, so best to treat and mend it.
(If there are those here very familiar with Ms. Katie's approach, who believe that my understanding is incomplete or mistaken, please do correct me. I am here to learn).
Gassho, Jundo
STLah
A typical criticism of 'The Work':
https://gurumag.com/a-critique-of-by...ties-the-work/
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