Within the Sōtō Zen tradition, shikantaza is regarded as a complete and self-sufficient form of practice, characterized by “just sitting” in open, non-manipulative awareness. When a period of sitting is explicitly dedicated to shikantaza, the usual understanding is that nothing else is added: no counting of the breath, no visualization, no mantra, and no deliberate analytical or goal-oriented strategies. Introducing such techniques within the same sitting period changes the nature of the practice, shifting it from simple presence to doing something in order to get somewhere. From this perspective, mixing methods inside a single session that is meant to be shikantaza is generally discouraged, because it undermines the very spirit of objectless, goalless sitting.

At the same time, actual practice in many Sōtō contexts shows a more nuanced picture. While shikantaza itself is kept “pure” during its formal periods, other forms of meditation may be used at different times or as preliminary supports. Some practitioners engage in breath awareness or simple concentration practices to help settle the mind before transitioning into shikantaza, especially in the early stages of training. Others incorporate walking meditation alongside sitting, allowing the same open, non-grasping awareness to extend into movement. In such cases, the key is that each mode of practice is clearly defined and not unconsciously blended into shikantaza itself.

This raises an important guiding principle: the integrity of shikantaza lies less in rigid exclusion of all other practices and more in preserving its distinctive quality of non-doing whenever it is undertaken. Techniques that rely on strong objects of focus, visualization, mantra, or conceptual analysis tend to pull the mind toward attainment and manipulation, and thus stand in tension with shikantaza’s emphasis on simply embodying Buddha-nature rather than striving for it. For this reason, many teachers recommend first developing a stable grounding in shikantaza as a stand-alone practice before experimenting with any integration. When other methods are used, they are best kept in separate, clearly marked periods, so that shikantaza remains what it is: just sitting, with nothing extra added.