Through the years I’ve been interested and influenced by Eastern philosophies and Zen is at the foundation of mostly all of them. Zen is a conscious happening and an experience of enlightenment at a moment in time. There’s no thought or philosophy attached to it.
There’s a delightful quote from Osho That describes the Zen experience:
“Zen is not a philosophy, it is poetry. It does not propose, it simply persuades. It does not argue, it simply sings its own song.“
There are several truths connected with the Zen experience that I have discovered. What we believe or what we think has no meaning. In that moment, when we’re thinking, we’re not present. A Zen moment can’t be described, because while we talk about it we’re already in the next moment.
Zen is the moment we experience unconditional love. Some call it joy, bliss, nirvana, harmony or God. It’s the moment of spiritual enlightenment, the moment we’re home to our authentic Selves. Everything we experience in the physical universe is irrelevant in a Zen moment. What we think has no meaning. What we see, hear, taste, touch and smell is only relevant to that particular moment.
There were so many issues I had to work through before I could even fathom what a Zen experience was. I became willing to choose to accept real responsibility without credit or blame. I stopped resisting all the truths about my issues and viewed it as important life changing information. I learned how to deal with my fears, upsets and my ego’s needs so I could resolve conflicts and forgive myself and others. I let go of my attachments to people and things. I allow my imagination to balance my knowledge, creating a separate reality from that of the physical universe. I learned the power of unconditional love and I discovered my Self worth through my acceptance of Self love without reasons or excuses and only because I choose to deserve it. I learned the value of silence and being alone without distractions or feelings of loneliness. I know how to change my behavior when I act inappropriately. I know the meaning of joy, peace, harmony and gratitude. When I remember all these accomplishments I’m free to live each moment in the present, each moment in joy and what I refer to as the Zen of anything.
Fear is the one thing that will keep you from experiencing a Zen moment. One of my greatest fears was the fear of death. It grabbed my mind, especially as I aged and became more vulnerable. To better understand my fear of death I decided to jump out of an airplane. At that time we jumped alone, not tandem.
As the plane rose into the air, I was in a state of panic. I was terrified I was going to die. In those moments of fear and panic I was forced to look inward where my true knowledge lies. I had the option not to jump but Instead of giving in to my fear, I surrendered and let go and chose to jump, and in the few minutes it took from the time my parachute opened to the time my feet hit the ground, I had one of the most profound experiences of my life. I remember screaming into the universe, “oh my God,” and it was a defining moment I’ll never forget! It was then I remembered to let go of the fear and love myself unconditionally. That was three minutes of Zen Zen Zen.
When I follow the process of letting go of the fear that attracts critical thinking, I experience the freedom that goes along with it. The more I practice Zen, the more I’m in the zone. No matter what the task, I become one with whatever it is I’m doing. When I practice the Zen of Anything, I’m living the magic of an unconditional life.
