When one possess Zen, the whole world looks very different.
This heightened awareness could mean enjoying at a deeper level, the innocent laughter of your child, the balmy, soft breeze at your porch or the park, being seduced by the exquisite beauty of a wild flower, as it's caressed by the wind and sun or pausing to marvel at the silent strength and majesty of an old oak tree on your way to the train station.
Whether your job is driving a truck, repairing cars, teaching school children, editing a newspaper, ministering to the medical needs of patients, prosecuting/defending legal cases, running an advertising/political campaign or operating a company, it means being fully involved and fully focused (mindfulness) on what you are supposed to be doing at the moment, to the extent that you and your work become one and indistinguishable.
If you are a sports buff, it could mean the joy over your triumph over fatigue and pain, as you fully involve your self at a higher and higher level. Doing things that are difficult strengthens your will power and self-control. It also strengthens your "mental muscles". And like any other muscles, the more you exercise them, the stronger they become.
It's all about achieving an ideal symmetry and unity of mind and body. The idea is to blur the distinction between object (your work or 'doing') and subject (you) so that thought and action blend into a unified, harmonic whole. By doing so, you become a more alert, resilient, motivated and superior person.
The high quality of your work is the product of that single minded engagement. In every human activity, at work or at play, a calm, clear, focused mind will always have an edge over one that is cluttered, tentative, and tense. That is quintessential Zen.
We are all familiar with stories about athletes being "in the zone" when they are so "locked-in" they can't seem to do anything wrong. The brilliant performances of great athletes like Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Kim Yu-Na, and Alex Rodriguez during memorable, high stakes games highlight an effortless combination of grace and power; the doer and the 'doing' being in flawless unison.
We see the same unison and blurring of the 'doer' and the 'doing' in the art of ballet, when the dancers and the dance become an indistinguishable flow and patterns of movement.
HUNTER AND PREY
Zen is also present in the test of wills between a good hunter and a worthy prey, whether the chase is in a jungle in Brazil, a Savannah in Africa, or deep waters in the Pacific, when the hunter must enter the mind of his prey, identify with it, and 'become' the very object of his hunt in order to track it down, catch or kill it. Such deep identification with an object leads invariably to a kindred respect and empathy with it. That's why hunters always pay tribute to their fallen prey, silently and overtly, after defeating it.
At an institutional (combat) level, what stands out are the Samurai swordsmen of 17th century Japan who embraced Zen to calm and strengthen their minds for lethal combat, to the extent that whether in training or actual combat, the Samurai's sword seemed to be a natural extension of their bodies as they moved with powerful yet effortless grace, as if in a perfectly-choreographed dance.
Zen, like all Buddhism, frowns on violence and war, except as a self-defensive measure. Some Samurai, it could be argued, exploited Zen's hidden power to wage clearly offensive battles for personal gain.
'doing nothing' but engaging life fully as it comes, making it one organic unity of experience. Nothing more, nothing less.
It applies to countless aspects of human experience. What's more, harnessing and partaking of these gifts from life and nature come, in many instances, virtually free of charge. Most of us have taken for granted these priceless bounties, most of which are available for the taking practically throughout the year.
Those of us who are aware of nature's bountiful gifts and have made them a nourishing, healing balm in their lives are inevitably more focused, energetic, happier and healthier.
This heightened awareness could mean enjoying at a deeper level, the innocent laughter of your child, the balmy, soft breeze at your porch or the park, being seduced by the exquisite beauty of a wild flower, as it's caressed by the wind and sun or pausing to marvel at the silent strength and majesty of an old oak tree on your way to the train station.
Whether your job is driving a truck, repairing cars, teaching school children, editing a newspaper, ministering to the medical needs of patients, prosecuting/defending legal cases, running an advertising/political campaign or operating a company, it means being fully involved and fully focused (mindfulness) on what you are supposed to be doing at the moment, to the extent that you and your work become one and indistinguishable.
If you are a sports buff, it could mean the joy over your triumph over fatigue and pain, as you fully involve your self at a higher and higher level. Doing things that are difficult strengthens your will power and self-control. It also strengthens your "mental muscles". And like any other muscles, the more you exercise them, the stronger they become.
It's all about achieving an ideal symmetry and unity of mind and body. The idea is to blur the distinction between object (your work or 'doing') and subject (you) so that thought and action blend into a unified, harmonic whole. By doing so, you become a more alert, resilient, motivated and superior person.
The high quality of your work is the product of that single minded engagement. In every human activity, at work or at play, a calm, clear, focused mind will always have an edge over one that is cluttered, tentative, and tense. That is quintessential Zen.
We are all familiar with stories about athletes being "in the zone" when they are so "locked-in" they can't seem to do anything wrong. The brilliant performances of great athletes like Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Kim Yu-Na, and Alex Rodriguez during memorable, high stakes games highlight an effortless combination of grace and power; the doer and the 'doing' being in flawless unison.
We see the same unison and blurring of the 'doer' and the 'doing' in the art of ballet, when the dancers and the dance become an indistinguishable flow and patterns of movement.
HUNTER AND PREY
Zen is also present in the test of wills between a good hunter and a worthy prey, whether the chase is in a jungle in Brazil, a Savannah in Africa, or deep waters in the Pacific, when the hunter must enter the mind of his prey, identify with it, and 'become' the very object of his hunt in order to track it down, catch or kill it. Such deep identification with an object leads invariably to a kindred respect and empathy with it. That's why hunters always pay tribute to their fallen prey, silently and overtly, after defeating it.
At an institutional (combat) level, what stands out are the Samurai swordsmen of 17th century Japan who embraced Zen to calm and strengthen their minds for lethal combat, to the extent that whether in training or actual combat, the Samurai's sword seemed to be a natural extension of their bodies as they moved with powerful yet effortless grace, as if in a perfectly-choreographed dance.
Zen, like all Buddhism, frowns on violence and war, except as a self-defensive measure. Some Samurai, it could be argued, exploited Zen's hidden power to wage clearly offensive battles for personal gain.
'doing nothing' but engaging life fully as it comes, making it one organic unity of experience. Nothing more, nothing less.
It applies to countless aspects of human experience. What's more, harnessing and partaking of these gifts from life and nature come, in many instances, virtually free of charge. Most of us have taken for granted these priceless bounties, most of which are available for the taking practically throughout the year.
Those of us who are aware of nature's bountiful gifts and have made them a nourishing, healing balm in their lives are inevitably more focused, energetic, happier and healthier.
| The author is a keen student of Zen Buddhism. A former journalist and diplomat, he lives in New York and travels to the Philippines where he is engaged in humanitarian work. He received an M.A. from Georgetown University, focusing in International and Strategic Affairs. His book, "The God in Einstein and Zen" is now available through Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Trafford.com, and in E-book. Article Source: |
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