♠️Zen♠️
Written by- ProlificScribbler
"Those who do not pay attention to their foot- steps cannot know themselves, and cannot know where their life is going.” - Shunmyō Masuno
The word Zen has it's etymological roots in the sanskrit word dhyāna which literally translates to mediation. The essence of zen is to live simply without immersing thyself in the extravaganza futility of life. Buddhism originated from the land of Bharat in the sixth century BC. Ever since its origin, Buddhism has travelled thousands of miles to reach China, Japan and other ASEAN countries [ASEAN : Association of Southeast Asian Nations] thanks to eminent proponents like Ashoka the Great and Bodhidharma.
Zen Buddhism is a conduit to tranquil and happy life, a life stripped of unnecessary, self inflicted mental hardships. Zen speaks about the absolute obvious oblivious to our agitated psyche. Zen transforms the soul from a believer to seeker; seeker of sheer profundity , seeker of simplicity in this complex world, seeker of mind devoid of reckless frays.. Speaking of mind, Buddhism rejects the notion of disturbed mind as a hindrance to peaceful life. Buddhism isn't a rigid religion, rather it is a way of life.
"As long as you're enthralled by lifeless forms, you're not free."
When Huike approached the latter to help him find a placid solace for his troubled mind. Bodhidharma replied,"Bring your mind to me. Then I will make it peaceful.” Given the absence of the mind's physical identity, Huike responds," “I have sought it within, but I can find no mind.” Bodhidharma clarifies,"There you go, I have set your mind to rest."
Essentially, Bodhidharma is preaching the necessity for control over one's disdainful emotions. However, one shouldn't confuse this principle with bottling up emotions, rather one should focus on changing their reaction and stance towards difficulties in life. As easy as it sounds, attaining the state of perpetual harmony with thyself is gruelling, and demands years of practice. Such emotional inertia is achieved through Zazen, which is the core of zen buddhism. During a zazen session, the person is required to sit erect in a half lotus formation with their hands forming a mudra, posture is a very important aspect of zazen as it instils total awareness of the human body. Breath watching, also known as Anapanasati, is another aspect of zazen wherein the person is required to each inhalation and exhalation. This practice is known to increase concentration and decrease restlessness of the human brain. During zazen, one can let thoughts slide in their mind, but without interacting with the latter. To sum up everything, think about not thinking.
"We are what we think. All that we are arises from our thoughts. With thoughts, you make the world."
Gautama Buddha stipulates life as it is through "Four Truths of life". Life is all about suffering, every creature is enduring an ordeal of its own. The three greatest causes of suffering are greed, anger and ignorance, also known as "Three poisons of life" for obvious reasons and they are symbolised as hen, pig and snake respectively. He further focuses on the origin of suffering, our inherent desires as he quotes, "He has the most, who is content with the least''. You lose only what you cling to. However, lack of desires shouldn't be confused with lack of ambition, rather Buddha is laying down his emphasis on indulging in necessary and not falling prey to greed. "Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it." The third preaching talks about escape from suffering through enlightenment. The last preaching is about the path to enlightenment, cessation of suffering. Widening of perspective eases withdrawal from the three poisons, to clarify things as good and bad is only an invitation to stress and anxiety. Abstaining from indulgence in desire, aggression and carelessness invites damage to thyself. White and black perspectives in life pollutes our mind leading to birthing of unrequired thoughts and actions which in turn destabilize the inner you. Have you ever felt good after an argument? All know the way, only a few walk it.
Love and hugs
⚫⚜️⚫⚜️⚫⚜️⚫⚜️⚫⚜️⚫
May 11, 2021 (Tuesday)
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