The Way Of Zen

The Way Of Zen is the ultimate guide to understanding the history, principles, and benefits of Zen and how it can help us experience mental stillness and enjoy life even in uncertain times.

You want to be happy, of course, and it’s likely your ultimate goal in life. But have you ever thought about what you would do if you ever got it?

For subscribers to the Zen way, pursuing happiness is foolish. That’s because it comes from the false idea that we can have only the good in life without any of the bad.

Think of it this way. Do you remember the last time you felt uncomfortable while laying in bed on your side? You likely switched to the other side, right? At first, you feel better, but eventually, you’re in the same exact place as you were before.

This is where the paradox comes in. You can only feel the comfort of switching sides because you knew the discomfort of being on one side for too long. In other words, pain isn’t avoidable and it’s also just another aspect of pleasure.

Zen also teaches that you can’t be a victim of circumstances but that you are part of them. In the case of a hot summer day, you don’t sweat from the heat, the sweat is the heat.

Another way to understand it is to look at the connection between your mind and body. You don’t get into certain circumstances, they only exist because your mind and body are there to observe them.

According to this ancient philosophy, we needn’t try to become anything specific. In other words, it’s all about letting yourself be aimless. Doing nothing is encouraged, for example. For those of us in the west, this sounds like a waste of time. But if you look at the natural world, it’s the normal state for almost everything. Your cat doesn’t attempt to become anything except a cat, for instance. Zen teaches us to think similarly, that we should let our thoughts go to move naturally, however they want. It’s important to see emotions in this way too. Whatever you’re feeling after an event is natural, and thus valuable. One Zen monk began to cry after learning about the death of a close relative. This prompted his student to suggest that it wasn’t right for someone of his status to act like that. The monk’s response that he was weeping because he wanted to can teach us a lot about the importance of letting ourselves feel whatever we do. To Zen believers, anything we do and anything that happens is right in a way because it is instinctive. The words we say are another important…