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“Yes and” Zen: Say Yes. Better Yet, Say Less
Read time 3 minutes. ‘Yes and’ Zen is a stand alone article in our series regarding Acceptance. Joseph Campbell once asked Sri Krishnamenon, “Since in Hindu thinking all the universe is divine, is a manifestation of divinity itself, how can we say ‘no’ to anything in the world—how can we say ‘no’ to brutality, to stupidity, to…
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Absolute Freedom: The Endgame of Acceptance and Experience
Read time 4 minutes. Absolute Freedom is a stand alone article in our series regarding Acceptance. Our last lesson on radical acceptance turned toward the subject of authentic experience. With it comes a freedom that cannot be manufactured by the ego. This entire series has been pointing us toward that realization, and guiding us along the…
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Roses and Thorns: “Me,” The Great Troublemaker
Read time 3 minutes. A new perspective we can take when walking amidst the garden, roses and thorns. At first glance, this lesson may sound like it is about optimism over pessimism. There is some of that here, but let us take it a step deeper. When we walk into a garden, our attention naturally…
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Authentic Experience: Radical Acceptance and Absolute Freedom
Read time 4 minutes. Authentic Experience is a stand alone article in our series regarding Acceptance Today we return to the theme of radical acceptance. In doing so, several related ideas emerge: experience, purpose, freedom, and identity. A Zen mindset frames these differently than we are used to. Instead of “personal experience,” Zen speaks of authentic experience.…
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The Purpose-Driven Life of Zen: The Freedom of Allowing
Read time 3 minutes. Exploring the simplicity that accompanies the purpose-driven life. Arnold Schwarzenegger once described how his career began with a simple, uncompromising purpose: to win Mr. Universe, then build from there into celebrity. That clarity gave him parameters. He no longer had to question whether to get to the gym. He became, in…
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Nonacceptance: Acceptance’s Uneasy Bedfellow
Read time 4 minutes. Nonacceptance is a stand alone article in our series regarding Acceptance. Today we continue the discussion of radical acceptance, and what we find may be unsettling. Zen suggests that acceptance is the goal, but paradoxically, the entry point is nonacceptance. It is only by becoming intimate with our refusal to accept that…
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Radical Acceptance: Is It Just A Bit Too Radical For Me Right Now?
Read time 3 minutes. Radical Acceptance is a stand alone article in our series regarding Acceptance. When we talk about radical acceptance, it’s tempting to frame it as an all-or-nothing proposition. Zen teachings certainly suggest as much. Accept everything, without exception. But what if you’re not ready for that? What if the very idea feels…
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No-Mind, Consciousness, and the Limits of Knowledge
Today’s video lesson turns on a long quote from Ramesh S. Balsekar, pointing us toward the essence of Zen training. This ties directly into our earlier discussions on presence. When we are identified with the separate self, we assume consciousness emanates from the individual “I.” But Zen tells us awareness itself is a field, not…
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Neutral Observation Meditation in Review: Taking Back the Reins
Read time 3 minutes. Neutral Observation Meditation is a stand alone article in our series regarding mindfulness and meditation. In recent lessons we’ve explored what I’ve loosely called active meditations. One of the most accessible of these is neutral observation meditation—learning to step back and watch our thoughts and emotions even as we’re caught up in stories, games,…