A ligkaribe Article - Loving Zen

How do you communicate nothingness, how do you speak of nothing? Zen Koans are meaningless; literally they are without meaning, because they are about nothing.
A communication from a teacher to his student about nothing, that tries to aid the student in achieving more nothingness.

The idea of Zen is really about achieving nothingness, about reaching enlightenment through emptying ones mind. We all have the Buddha nature. We however are unable to connect with our Buddha nature because of all the noise all the distractions that are the circumstances of our existence. Yet we already have this thing inside of us, it is the burning spirit that we have always felt inside without knowing what it is, it is the instinct to survive and not just exist but to demand happiness in our existence. It is the inner strength, the life force that makes this whole machine to go on, the will that makes the babies fingers cling on to the rod and never let go. The well of love and compassion, that bubbles within us all.

Yet how to attain the Buddha nature, how to reach out to it, when there is all the rest of it, when we are so busy being, so busy experiencing pain, feeling anger, shedding tears, and suffering disappointment. It is so hard to talk of Buddha nature in those circumstances is it not? When we are overly exited or anxious or just preoccupied with life.

Because the Buddha nature has always been inside us one must empty themselves of all else, remove themselves of all external distractions. By emptying oneself one hopes to then be able to reach that part inside of them, to commune with it, to become it. Yet how to achieve this – this emptiness of oneness. well one can do this by sitting quietly and doing nothing. That is in ecense and true practice of Zazen.

But you see there in lies the trick, because physically just sitting is the easiest thing in the world to do, anyone can do that. But how do you still your mind, how to get the brain to sit still as well is another matter altogether. How to forget all things and stop wondering through imagination, daydreams, concerns etc.

For only when one is empty can one hope to reach out further, only when one is not currently experiencing something can one hope to experience something different. Only when one is not worrying about this and the other can they be receptive to what is inside them.

The teacher at times may need to communicate with the student, maybe they see something that is an obstacle to them achieving this stillness, this nothingness, but how to do this in a way that the student is not cluttered with other thoughts, how to encourage the student to more nothingness. Zen koans to a certain extent are situational and they cannot be interpreted through the meaning of the words. To interpret them one must understand that they are a communication about nothing that seeks to further help them on the path to emptiness.

Some people have not understood the power of Zen; the martial arts are what they are to day because of Zen, an art not just a fighting form. The art of zen teaches non-violence, it teaches strength in spirit that does not allow for violence, that does not leave room for hatred, jealousy, evil intent or pettiness. It teaches only a striving for the highest ideals for the highest morals for the highest honour. That is why if it is necessary a person may kill an opponent, but still remain spiritual afterwards, still remain calm and untroubled by anger or hatred, a person will do this in the most honourable manner possible, and only as a last resort. Talk about a living philosophy, one that does not remove the suffering, that does not take the suffering away but equips one to live with the suffering and yet not suffer.

I love Zen because it is a true challenge to mankind, to say you have divinity inside of you, you are capable of being eternally good, eternally loving, and eternally happy. After all did he not say I have created you in my own image, whatever I have done I promise you can do more,

Another aspect I love about Zen is the respect for nature and all its beauty. If one sees the gardens that are inspired by Zen one cannot help but be moved, transported beyond here to another place. Zen is the quiet philosophy, in a noisy and busy world it is my oasis of silence and contemplation, my rock of stability my pillar of strength my fountain of joy.