Shikantaza is the Japanese translation of a Chinese colloquialism for zazen, which in English means “single-minded sitting.” In shikantaza, you forget even that you are sitting, and your mind enters a state of nothingness. You are not seeking enlightenment, you are not strengthening your will, you are not doing this for good health—you aren’t actively thinking of anything. In Soto Zen, you simply sit, without striving.
