The art of Zen meditation is a simple one. You don't need
any prior experience. The meditation is the experience. You don't need to have
read any books about it. The wisdom you receive from a Zen practice is
original. It comes from the quiet space in your soul.
You don't even need to know what Zen means. It's not
mystical or rare or even necessarily spiritual. It's the simplest and most
natural thing in the world.
Zen meditation is not a religious thing. Atheists practice
and benefit from it in the same way Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims do.
Zen meditation has nothing to do with where you live or
where you're from. You can be anywhere in the world and benefit from it. Peace
of mind is not geographically specific.
I believe even animals practice Zen. I have seen cats,
monkeys, lizards, dogs, and many other animals behaving as though they were
meditating. Not just staring intently at food bowls, but genuinely looking like
they were actively seeking the quiet spaces within themselves.
I urge you to give it a try. Sit comfortably in a chair.
Gently close your eyes. Bring your attention to the breath moving effortlessly
in and out of your body. Feel how it ebbs and flows, like water lapping at the
shore of the ocean.
If other thoughts come into your mind, simply acknowledge
them and bring your attention back to your breath and how your body feels.
Pain, pleasure, comfort, discomfort; just feel them. Experience these sensations
without judgement about whether the sensations are good or bad.
Zen allows you to be aware of how your actions affect the
world around you. This allows you to be more productive. A cluttered mind is
like a cluttered desk. Makes it hard to be fully productive. Meditation clears
clutter from your mind.
