Seeing your nature is Zen. Unless you see your nature, it's not Zen
--Bodhidharma
I have started up a blog about living simply, and parenting a child with a minimum of Stuff and a maximum of Heart.
It is called Nothing Extra, and I invite you to look around, comment, and generally let me know what you think. Although inspired by Zen (inevitably, since it's written by a practitioner), it's not actually a "Zen" blog. Meaning it does not explicitly address life from the point of view of practice, as "Shugetsu" aims to.
So I was looking around the Internet the other day, searching for blogs about frugality and contemplating overlaps and distinctions between Frugality and Simplicity, when I came across a blog that seemed worthy of further exploration. Lots of information there about living the simple life, and saving money, and taking time to smell the flowers.
But then there was the title of this blog, ZenHabits.
Sigh.
I could spend my days and night whining about "Zen" cereal and "Zen" spa treatments and "Zen" couture and Ananda-Knows-What-Else. In fact there could be a whole blog there for Dharma curmudgeons: we submit truly egregious examples of "Zen" crapola and make fun of them amongst ourselves.
In common parlance, this is called "Discussing the Faults of Others." Something to be avoided. Recognizing this as an ethical matter provides a cue that this is a fraught topic.
What is the appropriate response, here in the crowded cacophony of the internet? Dismay? Or beyond that, recognition that humans have a deep-seated desire for simplicity, for meaning, for sacredness--and that the "Zen" label attempts to market to that impulse.
Desiring simplicity, we are sold more Stuff. How utterly--predictably, endearingly, dangerously--human.
And what is Zen, this thing we are all yearning to have?
I won't claim to know. If you go to the current Wikipedia entry:
Zen emphasizes dharma practice and experiential wisdom—particularly as realized in the form of meditation known as zazen—in the attainment of awakening. As such, it de-emphasizes both theoretical knowledge and the study of religious texts in favor of direct, experiential realization.
I suspect a few of the Zen priests I know would have something to say about this definition. Carpe Lector Wikipediam! You'd never know that Zen existed prior to DT Suzuki's rather iconoclastic take on the topic. Or that it has a rich textual history, within the context of an ancient and formal religious tradition.
The internet in general is full of vague circular discussions along the lines of, "Zen is beyond ideas, therefore how can you presume to discuss it?" This makes me sad. Which is not to say these people are wrong; they just don't know what they're talking about. Their spiritual energy is being directed away from practice and direct experience, and toward debate, or posturing.
But I digress from my original complaint. Assuming for a moment that the Wikipedia entry is an approximate starting point for the definition of Zen, is there anything about it that suggests a connection to the otherwise very nice ZenHabits blog, which is all about simplifying your life, getting organized, getting motivated, being a nice person, staying healthy, and so forth?
No. At least I don't see it. Maybe it's buried in "16 Tips to Triple Your Workout Effectiveness" It's certainly not to be found in the spirituality forum section, where someone asks, "Is anyone on this site into Zen?" To me, this sounds so plaintive; it is the voice of a searcher.
The answers are typically, "Not really. But the popular literature on the topic made Zen sound pretty much in accord with my preexisting beliefs about reality." Except for the few responses which are more along the lines of, "I am so Zen. That which you seek is causing you to seek. Be at peace. And check out my website, which also has a Zen name, and little to do with Zen."
Alas.
Sometimes at the beginning, reading is all we have. If you want to know more about Zen, please eschew vague new-age spiritual mishmash. See the poseurs for what they are. Read instead Joko Beck, Shunryu Suzuki, Taizan Maezumi, or (my secret favorites of late) Kyogen Carlson's lovely "Zen in the American Grain" and Robert Kennedy's "Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit."
And know that one's initial ideas about Zen, or any romanticized spiritual practice, are extremely useful because they provide material for disillusionment.
In order to actually practice , you should find a reputable teacher in an established lineage. This in contrast to self-appointed Zen teachers (the ones without a lineage of teachers going back in time), who are usually individuals who had a blaze of insight one day, realized it sounded like "Zen," and proceeded accordingly. They are not bad per se, but they are potentially very dangerous. Nobody sees their own weaknesses as a spiritual guide, least of all a self-styled spiritual teacher!
You don't want to entrust your deepest self to someone who's self-educated. And that someone includes yourself. Practice on one's own can be dangerous. You don't hear much about this, but I've personally known too many people who "meditated" their way to madness. All of us--certainly all of us drawn to spirituality--have within ourselves an tiny "self-appointed teacher." We tend to think that our profound early insights mean something about our spiritual greatness. And we may be spooked, or fascinated, by the hallucinations and odd physical sensations that are common in beginning meditators.
Look for a teacher who has through the years overcome any tendency to grandiosity, and whose students are people you would wish to be. Coming from a reputable lineage helps assure this; it's like a Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for the most precious home there is.
But rather than continue to cast aspersions on the widespread co-option of the term "Zen," I will tell a story.
One morning over breakfast at Great Vow Monastery, Chozen Bays Roshi told the story of going to Japan and meeting the abbot of a prominent temple. Faced with this slight Western woman, he posed a question, "What is Zen?"
At that time, the answer that came to her was, "Zen is about having a calm mind and an open heart." You could argue that this is another way of saying "dharma practice and experiential wisdom." And you could argue that what she said at that moment was a minor matter compared to her own evident calm mind, and her own blazing heart.
Having told that story, here is what I know: In the living of our daily life, a clear and uncluttered space reflects and reinforces a calm mind. In the living of our daily life, certain activities deepen the spirit, salve the heart, and promote true peace. I am not above publishing lists of exercise tips; I am not even above reviewing products in Nothing Extra. But I want my heart to be in every post. I want to build a community with others who are making simplicity happen in their inner and outer lives.
Unlike "Shugetsu," Nothing Extra is not a blog about the Dharma in/as Life. The title is intended to be oblique, a signal to those in the know--if you get it, you get it. If you don't get it--well, you're probably also very content being hit over the head with considerably less-Zen blogs (and god-knows-what-else) bearing labels like ZenThis and ZenThat. I guess that's the wonder of the internet. We all find our way to the material that suits us. I don't know if we are challenged, or if our understanding progresses, but we do band together with like minds out there. What we discover together, or deny, or mindlessly reinforce in one another, is up to each of us.
☯
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