You do not have to call yourself a Zenist or do anything out of the ordinary in order to enrich your life with the principles and practices of Zen. Its psychology and philosophy improve the human mind and are, therefore, of universal value.

Zenism, like the other two isms in this series – Taoism and Buddhism – is not only relevant, but also critically needed in the Western world. Every day, we grapple with problems such as those outlined in the Preface. Every day, we seem to make some progress, and then encounter disheartening retrogressions. At times, we seem to take one step forward, and one back. Perhaps it is time to take a different approach, and look East. As we proceed, we should remember this:

“Teachers open the door... You enter by yourself.” – Chinese proverb

Here are three (among many) dimensions of Zen that have the potential to significantly enhance your understanding, happiness, and success in life:

• The development of direct knowing, along with intuition, can empower you to slice through multiple layers of obfuscation, short-circuit inefficient learning processes, and quickly gain insights into the truth of reality.

• By practicing the essence of Zen – meditation – you can tame your monkey mind, help heal your body, discover hidden aspects of your self, create a protective psychic buffer, increase your awareness, find answers to your questions, and transform yourself to a much higher level of awareness and spirituality.

• By making wabi-sabi a part of your character, and practicing its style, financial worries dissolve, and financial independence becomes easier. Once again, less leads to more.

Of the three Eastern traditions in the trilogy, Zenism is the one that best integrates the other two – Taoism and Buddhism. Rid yourself of any stereotypes, open up to its wisdom, connect with its compassion, and in time you will…

• Discover and untangle your self-imposed chokepoints
• Escape from the prison house of your own thoughts
• Revitalize your senses and get your fire back
• Become more aware that your thinking creates your inner world, and affects your feelings and moods
• Realize that you are in control of your thinking and, therefore, you are in control of your feelings and moods
• Learn the seven ways that meditation can calm, protect, and program your mind for a great life
• Recover from, and transcend, the damage from psychological-emotional traumas
• Master those negative states of mind that cause stress, anxiety, fear, frustration, jealousy, depression, hatred, and anger
• Pierce the veil of illusion and see reality, instead of a deluded, hoped-for sense of reality
• Be aware of your mental, physical, and emotional states
• Control your temper in frustrating or provocative situations
• Learn to see people in an entirely different way, and, in so doing, develop a genuine sense of compassion for them
• Learn the dos and don’ts of Zen ethics, and become a more wise, kind, and happy human being, and
• Live a more simple, peaceful, and beautiful life without the continual need for point scoring in someone else’s game.

Let’s begin this adventure in discovery with the proper mindset. Let’s begin with the reminder contained in this Buddhist chant:

“Let me respectfully remind you, life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken! Take heed! Do not squander your life.”


WABI-SABI


DESCRIPTIONS:

“Water which is too pure has no fish.” – Ta’ai Ken T’an

INTRODUCTION:

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic and ethical philosophy that recognizes and values that which has retained its natural, often imperfect, evocative qualities over time.

Wabi-sabi has its own unique classicism – simplicity, restraint, and proportion – that is universal and enduring.

Wabi-sabi is a way of viewing the world and an approach to living that is a radical departure from the Western perspective that “aged” means unattractive or undesirable. Wabi-sabi recognizes and values people, places, and things that have retained their essence over the many years. Anyone can look good in youth. Anything can look good when new. The test of quality is time.

Understanding wabi-sabi is not an intellectual exercise. It is best achieved by seeing, feeling, and experiencing it. Words (such as these) can only hint at the inherent beauty it highlights, the deeply profound mood it creates, and the simple, unpretentious lifestyle it offers. Wabi-sabi can profoundly alter the way you look at the world.



PRESCRIPTIONS:

BECOME INDEPENDENT:

Break any dependencies you might have on false authorities. Become independent from the media mesmerists who dictate what you should think, eat, wear, feel, and do. Develop your own independent judgment about what you need and want. Recognize that much of advertising is based on the premise that the authority is a subject expert (argumentum ad verecundiam). This may or may not be true. And even if someone is an expert, remember that experts often disagree with one another. Also recognize that just because something is popular (argumentum ad populum) doesn’t mean it is right or right for you. Be the final arbiter of your taste.

DEVELOP a DEEP UNDERSTANDING of WABI-SABI:

Review the explanation in this section on wabi-sabi and seek out other books on the subject to develop a deep understanding and appreciation for its different dimensions. These include those previously mentioned: age, naturalness, imperfection, simplicity, and solitude. Begin to appreciate it as a necessary counterbalance to the Western obsession for the newest, shiniest, most complicated thing.

To begin to feel the wabi-sabi vibe, try this experiment: Set up two similar household objects – trays, tables, toys, etc. – next to each other. Juxtapose a new, geometrically perfect, plastic version next to a used, irregular one made of wood with a nice grain. Then ask which one gives you a better feeling; which one do you want to live with? See which one a child prefers after using both for a while. Next, try this specialized kinesiology experiment in cell memory: Hold the plastic version up to your heart. Then, do the same with the old, natural wood version. See which feels better.