The problem.
I live in a "success matters" world. I see people living in luxury, I see people's ideas and talents beloved by millions, I see people get what they want. I want to be like them. I want to be known. I want to live it easy. I want to be rich and famous.
The Zen understanding.
This won't come as a surprise, but material gain matters very little to a Zen Buddhist. In fact, it is more often a hindrance to what really matters: the practice of compassion, the practice of calm abiding.
Rich people aren't any happier than normal people, most studies show. While living in poverty in an aggressively capitalist society is definitely a cause for despair among many, the answer is not the other extreme.
A Zen Buddhist wants a life with space. Where there is space, there is time to breathe and consider what really matters in life. Many people get rich by working extremely hard. Yet one day, they will fall over dead. They will be a corpse and their money and fame will have mattered not at all. Not even generational wealth matters. One day, even Shakespeare will be forgotten. This isn't a cause of despair for a Zen Buddhist. It is a bell of reminder, and a call to action.
The Zen application.
A Zen Buddhist works but not too hard. A Zen Buddhist meditates and reads, and follows the Bodhisattva's Path to Enlightenment. What is that, you ask?
In short, the Bodhisattva's Path to Enlightenment is living without a self. Using logic, a Zen Buddhist realizes that there is no permanent self, no truly existent soul. So instead of living for the self and worldly gains, a Zen Buddhist works for the benefit of everything co-being.
A bodhisattva is compassionate, and fosters togetherness with others. Living by example, a bodhisattva gives everyone around them an opportunity to be happier. But how really? How does one live without a self?
A Zen Buddhist allows their ego to deflate. A Zen Buddhist is compassionate by example, so others will follow. A Zen Buddhist does't defend childish matters of honor. A Zen Buddhist is not concerned with blame. A Zen Buddhist never fights. A Zen Buddhist is calm.
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𝘾 𝙖 𝙡 𝙢 🌼 A Pocket Guide To Breathe Easy
RandomName a negative emotion. This guide discusses the Zen Buddhist method to calm it. Each chapter focuses on a negative feeling, a hurtful action, or a cause for despondency. I hope this guide helps you to breathe a little easier!
