Becoming Buddha through Zazen

Roshi says,

The way to realize Buddha mind is zazen practice. Through 

zazen practice you will intuitively know what Buddha mind 

is, because your selfish ideas or your small self will become

smaller. By continuing zazen practice, you will get more and

more accustomed to this intuitive knowledge of Buddha mind.

The more you continue to practice, the smaller your small 

self becomes. Big self will take over your small self. (p. 88)

Roshi elaborates on what it means when Big self takes over small self. He says, “Sometimes a Zen master may say, ‘No Buddha; kill Buddha.’ What does that mean? It means to be completely one with Buddha. You don’t need Buddha anymore. You yourself are Buddha.” (p. 89)

Continued zazen brings Buddhahood or enlightened mind. Roshi says nothing about pushing or striving for this end. It is continuing the practice, not remarkable in itself, that brings the state about. As Dogen says in Fukanzazengi, “Going forward in practice is a matter of everydayness.” When enlightened mind occurs, one may not even notice it. To quote Dogen again, he says in Genjo Koan, “When buddhas are truly buddhas they do not necessarily notice that they are buddhas.”

You could say that with continued practice, flowing into enlightened mind simply happens of itself. You do not do it. The practice does it.