Tai Chi Alphabet - The letter Z: Zen
Zen – Is this oriental mumbo jumbo relevant in our modern day world?
So, who cares about this weird oriental religion/philosophy? Well, apart from the people living in countries where Zen is part of their culture and they are quite a few, there has been a growing number of people all over the rest of the world that find this oriental mumbo jumbo intriguing. Something about its rebellious, non-conforming attitude and the minimal stylistic approach seems to be resonating with many people from all over the world. But is that the only thing that we as outsiders can gain from this philosophy? Or can we really hear the sound of one hand clapping?
Zen, at least according to my understanding, is about gaining a moment-to-moment clear experience of the present. No doctrines, no inner dialogue, no preconceived ideas, not even teachers (hence kill the Buddha) should stand between you and what is now. It is not that studying, or following a teacher are to be avoided, it is just that all these things can only get you until one point. The last step, the moment of realization, that is something that can only happen when all discussions have ended, both inside and outside.
How does that help anyone though?
Well, to my experience, whenever I fall into a state where there is no past or future, but only present, my thoughts and actions are clearer, and I feel what people in sports refer to as being ‘in the zone’. I can move, talk, think and act in ways that feel instinctively right to me, and usually they are exactly what was required at that moment. I also do not feel stressed, or pressured to finish, to do the right thing, what others think about me, and generally just enjoy the hell out of whatever it is that I am doing at that time, no matter how mundane. The saying “Before enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” points in that direction. Not that I can possibly claim to be enlightened, but I can say that I have experienced some enlightened moments and that as the years of practice go by, those moments tend to come more often both during practice and everyday life.
Can everyone access this state of being, or do we all have to train and meditate our asses off? Well, everyone can have a momentary taste of the present, usually in times of great stress, or great beauty. But can this become a learned skill? Well, that is the tricky part, as whenever something is learned, then memory and repetition kick in, and we are not really experiencing reality in the present moment. We are rather trying to experience reality in the same way as we had when we had had that present moment realization.
The only thing that we can really do, is to try and create the proper circumstances for present moment realization to occur. And the first, and only step that everyone can take, is to be aware of who we are. That means looking inside. Simply observing our thoughts and feelings. No judgment, just observation. A teacher and books can help, but in the end, it is just us looking behind the curtain. And when you persevere and manage to go through all the mud that is your everyday mind chatter, then you can finally view again reality as clearly as an infant. But this time you will know not to eat the poop. With the amount of poop going around nowadays, I’d say this mumbo jumbo is pretty relevant.
Have a good one!
Patrick
