Zen - Lessons for Life
abracad, · Categories: buddhism, self help, spiritualityRecently I was out on a dark, windy, rainy day, feeling pretty down and noticing the misery on the faces of those around. I happened to see a cat crossing the street and reflected that the cat didn't waste its energy on depression, nor for that matter elation. It just got on with its job of the moment, ie being a cat.
I was reminded of the merits of Zen, an ancient Spiritual philosophy, still much studied and valued today. Zen decries excessive theorization in favor of direct experience. DT Suzuki's "Zen and Japanese Culture" describes two key ways in which Zen influenced the Japanese Samurai warriors. Firstly, it "teaches us not to look back once a course has been decided on", and secondly "it treats life anddeath indifferenly".
Doesn't Zen, along with this paradoxically brutal but honorable warrior class, have much to teach us today?
Find out more about Zen
Books
An Introduction to Zen Buddhism, D.T. Suzuki
Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, Thich Nhat Hanh
The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki
Zen And the Art of Happiness, Chris Prentiss
The Way of Zen, Alan W. Watts
Not strictly about Zen, but undoubtedly a modern classic
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, Robert M. Pirsig
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Filed in: buddhism, self help, spirituality
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