About Zen Meditation
What is Zen?
Zen is a Way of harmonious life with ourselves and the world around us.
Meditation known in the West as Mindfulness comes from 2 500 years old ancient Buddhist tradition. This wisdom has travelled to Japan and became a Zen Buddhism.
In these stressful times, this ancient tradition helps us to recenter and realise what is important in life which flies quickly like an arrow.
Zen suggests “Observe and investigate carefully, who is the one who sees, listens, feels, thinks and experiences life here and now. Explore that and go to the source of your being, your awareness. That will lead you to true understanding of yourself and others”. Therefore Zen promotes study of self.
Buddha encapsulated teachings of inner work in three lines
Commit no evil
Do good
Purify you mind
From purified mind we experience our True nature called Awakening, Enlightement, or Satori in Japanese. Embodying this state of mind brings virtues spontaneously which infuse our life with fulfillment and meaning. Zen training is guiding us to directly experience our Awakened state of mind.
Jin (仁) Benevolence, Kindness, Humanity
Gi (義) Morality, Justice, Integrity
Rei (礼) Gratitude, Courtesy
Chi (智) Wisdom, Knowledge
Shin (信) Faithfulness, Trust (to be a trustworthy person)
Chu (忠) Loyalty, Devotion
Yuki (勇気) Courage, Bravery
Makoto (誠) Sincerety, Honesty
Kou (孝) Filial Piety (support and respect towards elderly)
To be a human being is to become Awakened and embody these qualities which arise from pure mind and loving heart. This is when the quality of one’s life improves markedly. As we become completely authentic we naturally want to serve to humanity. This is when the world can experience a true change. Therefore a peaceful and loving world comes from peaceful and loving mind
Zazen meditation help us to turn within and realize this. It helps us to cultivate our spirit and evolve as human beings. If we fail to recenter and realise this, we get pulled by outer circumstances and our own ideas. Our minds become clouded and this is a recipe for inner disharmony and conflicts
