Jazz on the Cushion: Is Zazen Not Thinking?

This essay challenges the popular belief that meditation involves the elimination of thought. Examining the classic koan of Master Yueh Shan and the writings of Dōgen, the author presents the triad of shiryo, fu shiryo, and hishiryo as a path beyond dualism. The essay criticizes the contemporary tendency to optimize Zen as a tool for corporate efficiency, pointing to the dangers of 'spiritual bypassing.' Integrating the Zen tradition with Wilfred Bion's psychoanalysis, the article presents zazen as a dynamic practice of mindfulness, not a process of self-punishment for wandering thoughts. This is a profound look at the principle of mushotoku in a profit-driven world.