The practice of Soto Zen Buddhism is "just sitting" (shikantaza in Japanese). This means to just sit quietly in upright posture without expectation of enlightenment or any other results. In this practice of sitting meditation (zazen in Japanese), we awaken to life as it is in each moment. Zazen is not practiced as a means to become enlightened; sitting in this posture is enlightenment.

It is said that after sitting under the Bodhi tree for several days with the commitment to not get up until he awakened, Buddha Shakyamuni realized oneness with the morning star. This means he experienced the mutual giving and receiving which is life. This is the experience of Reality. Nothing exists in isolation. Everything in life is working together. Everything we need is here. When we are fully aware of this, we no longer yearn for things to be other than they are. We do not grasp for what we believe we need in order to be real. There is no reason to break precepts because breaking precepts is simply a means of getting something we believe we don't have.

Awakening is the awareness that everything we need is here. Awakening is acting and speaking from that awareness rather that from a belief system we have created in our minds, which is called delusion.

Delusion is ignoring what is really happening, what is right before our eyes, because we are too busy believing in our personal perception of reality.

Awakening is to experience life as it is, recognizing that we are confused and limited by our perceptions.

To rest, to restore, to settle in. When we do this, we remember our relationship with life. This is Shikantaza.