Zen is usually looked at as a form of Buddhism. Zen emphasizes actual practice and mediation rather than theoretical knowledge. Zen however causes great confusion for the average person. A lot of the average person’s experience with Zen is in the form of Koans, which seem like paradoxical riddles to most.  Zen is not found in riddles. But these riddles can lead to Zen.

Osho once stated “Zen is not effort. Effort is tension, effort is work, effort is to achieve something. Zen is not something to achieve. You are already that. Just relax, relax so deeply that you become a revelation to yourself.”

Zen is the only living truth, but my truth is not yours. You must find your own. You cannot seek Zen, just as you cannot seek truth, it is and always has been right in front of you. There have been many enlightened being on earth over the course of history. Men like Krishna, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Mohammad and Jesus.  However the existence of these man has caused many problems in our world. They all discovered their own truth, but this is and cannot be your truth.

I have read many of the great scriptures of our world. From the bible, to the gita and things in between. None of these writings are truth, they are a vehicle to find truth.  Scripture is like a finger pointing to the stars. The problem is you focus on the finger and never see the stars.  When you look at any scripture as truth it becomes dogma, which destroys creativity, freedom and bliss. History has proven this time and time again. Yet we think we can continue doing the same things over and over again and get a different result. This is indeed insanity.

Now I have known many people from many different religions, who I call friend, who use their scriptures in the contexts of being a vehicle. They are becoming enlightened beings. There is no dogma in their lives.

What is Zen? You are Zen, Earth is Zen, the Universe is Zen. Zen is the quiet you discover when the mind becomes silent. In silence comes realization and truth. In silence comes enlightenment.

How do you get to Zen? As Osho states you cannot forcibly come to it. It comes from quiet meditation.  Zen Buddhist use the riddles and stories found in Koan’s to distract the mind and allow the silence to come.  Osho tells the story of a friend who could not sleep because the neighbors dog was barking at night. He would complain and tell the dog to shut up, the dog never listened after all dogs bark. Osho told his friend to simply listen to the dog. When he did sleep came, the dog continued to bark. This is Zen. The man’s only problem was his resistance to his circumstances, the way he was thinking about them.

All the misery and unhappiness in the world comes from bad thinking.  This is caused by allowing the mind to control your life rather then you controlling it.  Buddha said “We are what we think.” The world, your reality, is a mirror and YOU are reflected in it.  In Zen there is no reflection.

I have been asked if I am a Buddhist, the answer is simply that “I AM.”  I do not follow Buddha, Christ nor any other avatar.  I find great relevance in the teaching of the Buddha, and these teaching help me in the form of being a vehicle. But they are not my truth either. My truth lies within, and it is within all the answers to all the questions may be found.

“Zen is the only living truth” – Osho

5 Comments »

1. [...] What is Zen? To explain Zen means to lose the meaning of Zen. Most people will look at Zen as a form of Buddhism, which is true, but Zen is so much more that this. The practice of martial arts and Zen go hand in hand. Here is a quote from the article “Zen is the Only Living Truth” [...]

   Pingback by GrandMaster Art Mason's Martial Musing » Blog Archive » Zen in the Martial Arts — February 20, 2010 @ 7:44 am

2. 

   “The man’s only problem was his resistance to his circumstances, the way he was thinking about them.”
   I came to understand this intellectually, now the path to identify resistance and deal with it should be my quest….
   This is awesome!
   Thank you!

   Comment by Miyo — July 9, 2011 @ 7:24 am

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   Very nice read!! Changed my whole day! I tried to put my mother on to Zen but.. all I get is rejection and refusal… Life is what you make it!! Control the mind!

   Comment by Proffit — August 7, 2011 @ 2:12 pm

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   [...] There you will find more Infos: my-buddha-nature.info/?p=865 [...]…

   Trackback by Tickets-News.de — September 22, 2011 @ 10:05 am

5. 

   When you are capable to drop your mind and be “no-thing” created by conditionings and beliefs then you are Who You Really are.

   Comment by Mireya — January 13, 2012 @ 2:59 pm

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