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Sitting with a kōan is also a meditative approach but the The following phrases were attributed to
difference is that here the meditator or student sits with Bodhidharma: “Direct pointing to the human
the question, with the dilemma posed by the kōan, in heart; Seeing the nature and becoming Buddha; Not
an effort to see into it. In shikantaza there’s no focus to standing on letters; A separate transmission outside
zazen other than awareness itself. In kōan study the mind the scriptures.” Does this mean Zen does not rely on
is like a laser beam; in shikantaza it’s like a flood light. In study of scriptures like other Buddhist traditions
koan study the man driving force is doubt and the need and only has meditation as its practice?
to resolve it. In shikantaza it’s faith or trust that things
are exactly as they need to be. There’s nothing to fix, No. That’s the misconception that Zen teachers have
nothing to change, nothing to realize even. been trying to correct for centuries. Zen is rich with
poetry, the Mahāyāna Sūtras like the Diamond Sūtra,
In the Theravāda and Vipassanā movements, the Platform Sūtra, the Lotus Sūtra, etc., and of course,
their meditation practices are based on two early the koan literature. We do as much study as anyone
Buddhist discourses, ie Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and else. It’s just that we understand that intellectual
Ānāpānasati Sutta. Is Zen meditation also based on knowledge has to be complemented and strengthened
these two suttas or on other discourses or sūtras with experiential knowledge, which happens through
taught by the Buddha? meditation practice. But even the Buddha knew this—

intellectual and experiential knowledge are the two
I would say that their meditation practices are based divisions of right view, which he saw as the precursor
primarily but not exclusively on those two sutras. And of the eightfold path and the absolute requisite for
while we also study them in Zen, we don’t use them understanding and putting into practice what you
explicitly. It’s much more common for Zen teachers realize on the cushion.
to refer to Mahayana texts like Master Dogen’s
“Zazenshin,” Master Hongzhi’s “Cultivating the Empty Any final advice for someone who is interested to
Field,” or Master Dahui’s letters to his students. But study and practice Zen?
we of course also go back to the Pāli Canon, which
contains, as far as we know, the closest expression of Sure. Just do it. EH
the Buddha’s teachings. We study all of it: Theravāda,
Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna, and anything else that will help
our understanding of the Way.