Zen
Zen Buddhism:
If Buddhism is beautiful and Zen is exquisite. Zen Buddhism is based on technique of meditation or ’Dhyan’. Dhyan meaning is to be so into your own being, that not even a single thought exists. Mind becomes like a clear sky. This technique was taken to China by one Indian monk Bodhi-Dharma from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. In China the Sanskrit term Dhyan became Chan. Later when this school of Buddhism reached Japan, the term Chan became Zen.
Zen meditation is called Zazen. One sits in Padmasana or Vajrasana or Siddhasana introspects on Zen Koans which are like small riddles.
Some well know Koans are, hearing the sound of one hand, passing through the gateless gate, what was the face of your father before you were born and so on.
In Zen there are no traditions or rituals that are present in other branches of Buddhism. Zen is simply to be completely alive. It is sometimes called a religion and sometimes called a philosophy. Zen in its essence is the art of seeing into the nature of one's own being, and it leads to complete freedom. Zen helps you to see through darkness, and sorrow and acts as a soothing balm to heal the wounds of the body and mind.
Zen, like other Buddhists, don't believe in Gods or anything requiring Belief or Faith. You are to experience the reality as it is – not as it is written in books or spoken about, not as it is theorized, philosophized or speculated upon. Zen belives that you control your own life. Buddhism’s core belief is that "all beings are born enlightened in a state of perfection that gradually recedes as one journeys through life of stress, pain, failure and hurdles". Over time, Zen practitioners learn how to keep mind from wandering and may become capable to tap into their own subconscious mind. The goal of Zen is to reject preconceived notions and gain insight into oneself. As Zen monks rise in hierarchy they become Zen Masters. Osho was one such Indian ZenMaster.
Zen accounts for approximately 20 percent of the Buddhist temples in Japan.
Many modern Zen Buddhists now reject the concept of rebirths.
Ensō (circle):
These are four intrinsic concepts in Zen teachings. Satori, Mu-shin, Jiyu and Shokokakkya
Satori:
Satori is likened to a brilliant flash, a moment of tremendous clarity revealing the Eternal Truth – that we are one with the all creation.
Mu-shin :
(Mu is emptiness, void)
The way to satori lies through Mu-shin. In Zen stories lot of importance is given to emptying the mind. That is the state of Mu. For Mu one must curtail the ego,
Jiyu:
Jiyu is the sense of freedom that pervades your being when the ego is curtailed.
Shokokakkya:
Shokokakkya means shine the light, into the ground under your feet, wherein the truth about you lies.That ends the sorrow(shoka).
The Zen lifestyle is one of clarity. It involves looking beyond our materialism and learning to value our individual selves.
Zen masters for hundreds of years have devoted their lives to being present in everything they do, to being dedicated and to serving others.
Zen way of living is considered ideal way of living
for
- the simplicity of their lives,
- the concentration and mindfulness of their every activity,
- the calm and peace they find in their days.
Zen is concentration on our usual everyday routine.” – Shunryu Suzuki
1. Do one thing at a time.
Zen proverb: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”
Do single-task, don’t multi-task. When you’re pouring water, just pour water. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re bathing, just bathe.
2. Do it slowly and deliberately.
Take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.
3. Put your mind completely on the task.
Don’t move on to the next task until you’re finished. If you prepare a food, don’t start eating it until you’ve put away the stuff you used to prepare it, wiped down the counter, and washed the dishes used for preparation. Then you’re done with that task, and can focus more completely on the eating.
4. Do less.
A Zen monk doesn’t lead a busy or a lazy life: he wakes early and has a day filled with work. He doesn’t have an unending task list. If you do less, you can do those things more slowly, more completely and with more concentration.
Put space between tasks. That gives you a more relaxed schedule, and leaves space in case one task takes longer than you planned.
5. Develop rituals.
Zen monks have rituals for many things they do daily, from eating to cleaning to meditation. Ritual gives a sense of importance to tasks — to give entire attention, and to do slowly and correctly. Devlop rituals in day to day works like preparation of food, for eating, for cleaning, for starting work, after waking up and before going to bed, just before exercise.
6. Designate time for certain things. There are certain times in the day of a Zen monk designated for certain activities. A time for bathing, a time for work, a time for cleaning, a time for eating.
This ensures that those things get done regularly.
7. Devote time to sitting meditation. Zazan
In the life of a Zen monk, sitting meditation (zazen) is one of the most important parts of his day. Each day, there is time designated just for sitting. This meditation is really a practice for learning to be present.
8. Smile and serve others.
Zen monks spend part of their day in service to others, whether that be to other monks in the monastery or people on the outside world. It teaches them humility and ensures that their lives are devoted to others. If you are a householder it could be spending time with your spouse, parents or children.
Smiling and being kind to others can be a great way to improve the lives of those around you. Also consider volunteering for charity work.
9. Make cleaning and cooking become the meditation. Like zazan cooking and cleaning are also the most exalted parts of a Zen monk’s day. They are both great ways to practice mindfulness, and can be great rituals performed each day. If cooking and cleaning seem like boring chores to you, try doing them as a form of meditation. Put your entire mind into those tasks, Concentrate, and do them slowly and completely. It could change your entire day and as well as leave you with a cleaner house.
10. Think about what is necessary and what is unnecessary in your life.
There is little in a Zen monk’s life that isn’t necessary. He doesn’t have a closet full of shoes, or the latest in trendy clothes. He doesn’t have a refrigerator and cabinets full of junk food. He doesn’t have the latest gadgets, cars, televisions, or iPod. He has basic clothing, basic shelter, basic utensils, basic tools, and the most basic food .They eat simple, vegetarian meals consisting usually of rice, miso soup, vegetables, and pickled vegetables.
This type of simple life may not suit all , but it is a reminder that there is much in our lives that are not necessary. And it can be useful to give some thought about what we really need. And whether it is important to have all the stuff we have that’s not necessary.
11. Live simply.
The corollary of Rule this rule is that if something isn’t necessary, you can probably live without it. And so to live simply is to rid your life of as many of the unnecessary and unessential things as you can, and to make room for the essential things. Now, what is essential is different to different persons. It could be family, job, profession, exercises, sports, reading, yoga, spending time with close friends or social work. There is no rule to say what should be essential for you — but you should consider what is most important to your life, and make room for that by eliminating the other less essential things in your life.
- Rise Early.
- Exercise.
- Declutter mind and surroundings.
- Take a Breather.
- Meditate.
- Treat Yourself. ...
- Don't Neglect Shut-Eye (Sleep, Rest)
“Before enlightenment chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.” – Wu Li
There is no change in the work after enlightenment but how we do the same work changes.
- ✍️Dr Prema Pangi
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