About The Zen State
Letting go of the self-reflexive aspect of the mind seems to be the goal of the zen state.
Experiencing the world directly is zen yet is not necessarily all of zen. Yet zen is all about a philosophy of experiencing the now. It ignores metaphysical questions as it doesn't apply to the state of zen awareness. Thus zen is a philosophy of no beliefs to experience oneself and/or the world directly.
The problem with defining zen is that we have to use categories and images to come up with a description of any mental state. Zen is about dissolving categories. Even if you say "zen is about dissolving categories" you have put zen in a category and missed the experience of zen. Or so it goes.
Yet it is how we learn. By conceptions, by images and by stories.
Here are three meditation techniques to give you an idea of what the zen state is supposed to be like (but there is more)
Zen Method #1: Walking Meditation
This is a great meditation to 'get out of your head' and expand your awareness of your surroundings.
While walking start becoming aware of your breath. Expand this awareness to include the feel of the clothes on your body and the feel of your feet on the ground. While continuing your awareness of your breath and body, become aware of the place you are walking and the scenery around you. Finally, being aware of breath, body and surroundings add the huge dome of the sky above you and the earth below you. Breathe deeply and relish this expanded sense of awareness.
Zen Method # 2 Eating Meditation
Being aware and present while you eat helps you relax and can help you control your eating habits. It also helps to be grateful before you eat as this prepares your mind to enjoy the meal. Take each bite consciously and enjoy the taste and texture. Chew slowly and take your time.
Zen Method # 3: Breathing In A Smell
Smell is very important to us and easily alters our internal states.
Pick a flower or food that smells extremely good to you (in reality or in your imagination). Breath in this smell deeply and slowly. Take your time enjoying the feeling of the smell "fill" your body. You will feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
Another Technique For Zen: Learn how to observe yourself. When you are angry, happy, sad or silent. Learning to oberve yourself will help you create distance from yourself. Then all you have to do i slet go of all obervation and just experience.
Doing all of these techniques together is zen and it's not zen. But it will help you understand zen better!
Some of the following may help in understanding the philosophy of zen.
The Concept Of Self in Buddhism
A lesson in history on the origins of zen buddhism
Since the world is considered impermanent and constantly changing - and you can interpret it in many ways with your mind - it is considered to be an illusion (i.e. if you hold on to it, you are holding on to something that will dissolve away - eventually - so you are holding on to something which is inherently unstable).
Siddhartha (Buddha) agreed with the basic premise of ancient Indian philosophy that the world is an illusion but he took it one step further claiming that not only is the world an illusion, so is the 'self'.
To put it in other words; you are not the person you were a year ago. You know this. You can probably see the ways in which you've changed and grown over the last year. You probably see the world in a different way then you did a year ago (or ten years ago). Since you see the world differently, you have a different image of yourself as well. You define yourself differently than you did 10 years ago. What you are capable of, what you can do, who you are, all these definitions tend to change for every person - given enough time.
The ancient philosophers noticed that as soon as you imagine a event happening to you - or your role in any situation - you first have to place yourself in it (i.e. you have to imagine your role or character) then you decide what to do or how to feel (this all tends to happen very fast for most events). In other words, every time you imagine yourself or a situation that you are in you are, in a sense, recreating yourself.
Scientific American Mind magazine in an interview with the Nobel laureate Neuroscientist Eric Kandel (click here to read article)
Mind: We tend to think of memory as a kind of library that holds a record of events and facts that can be retrieved as needed. Is this an accurate metaphor?
Kandel: No, memory is not like that at all. Human memory reinvents itself all the time. Every time you remember something, you modify it a little bit, in part dependent on the context in which you recall it. That is because the brain's storage is not as exact as written text. It is always a mixture of many facades of the past event: images, pictures, feelings, words, facts and fiction-a "re-collection" in the true sense.
Modern science agrees with the Buddhist idea of an impermanent self. As Eric Kandel points out that, "Every time you remember something, you modify it a little bit, in part dependent on the context in which you recall it." In other words you recreate your image of yourself to fit the new situation. If the self was something permanent and real, then your image of yourself would always remain the same.
The fact that you can consciously or unconsciously change your image of yourself and react to situations in a new way - or just create a new you - proves that the self is something you make up as part of living in society.
What does this mean?
This means that from this perspective you are not limited to being any particular 'self' or person. If you feel like you have low self-esteem you can change that self. If you feel like you are not comfortable is social situations, you can change that image too. Any limiting image you have of yourself can be changed as you create your self.
More History of Zen Buddhism
Zen Buddhism: A History, India & China
Amazon Price: $18.44 (as of 12/26/2009) 
Lessons From The Founder Of Zen - Bodhidharma
"What Is Mind?"
The act of perceiving anything, be it a question, or a thought, an image - anything - is an act of the mind.
When you ask for a definition of the mind, it is the mind that asks about itself.
"But the mind has no form and its awareness no limit."
By this perspective any form or image you imagine is a creation/metaphor of your mind.
"All appearances are illusions. They have no fixed existence, no constant form. They're impermanent."
People grow and idle. Mountains erode over the millennia by the wind and rain. Given a large enough perspective on time, everything is impermanent. Everything is a 'flow' of the energy. As quantum mechanics describe it, the material world (matter) is like foam on the patterns of vibration which pervades the universe.
As long as you re attached to appearances, your unaware that your mind is empty. By clinging to appearances you lose your connection with pure awareness.
Since any conception is a creation of your mind, then it follows that your mind is basically empty.
Your mind creates your thoughts. If you wonder what your mind is then that thought itself is a creation of your mind and this can go on adinfinitum (i.e. this is the same as saying 'there are turtles all the way down'). Since we can't conceive of a source Bodhidharma is saying we shouldn't bother and increase our awareness instead.
"The mind's capacity is limitless, and its manifestations are inexhaustible. Seeing forms with your eyes, hearing sounds with your ears, smelling odors with your nose, tasting flavors with your tongue, every movement or state is all your mind. At every moment, where language can't go, that's your mind."
Every time you try to imagine something outside of your mind you can't, because it is your mind that is doing the perceiving. To know that the object you see is a tree, is a conception you have that you have imposed on it. To see an object with out defining it, is still your mind but in a state of direct experience - with out any conception.
Lessons From The Founder Of Zen - Bodhidharma
"What Is Zen Awareness?"
Buddha here means complete awareness. So this is saying to reach complete awareness (enlightenment) all you have to do is realize your nature. Since all enlightenment exists as your mind then if you truly understand and are one with your mind in a state of complete awareness then you have attained 'buddhahood'.
"And the Buddha is the person who's free; free of plans, free of cares."
Translation: When you are fully aware you find freedom from irrelevant thoughts and you are truly open to the world around you.
If you are thinking of the past of the future or even of yourself (seeking to imagine of define who you are) then you are drifting in the thoughts of your mind. If you let go of thoughts about yourself, past and future, good and bad, then you are free from 'plans and care'. When your mind flows with you, with no conceptual state whatsoever, you are in a zen state of awareness.
"A Buddha is free of karma, free of cause and effect".
A person of complete awareness simply exists. Life itself is the meaning of life. He/she doesn't try to do good or bad deeds. They simply do what needs to done when it needs to be done.
This is done without thought of reward or punishment. If you take action without desiring good or avoiding the bad you do not create 'karma' for yourself.
"A Buddha doesn't do good or evil. A Buddha isn't energetic or lazy. A Buddha is someone who does nothing, someone who can't even focus his mind on a Buddha. A Buddha isn't a Buddha. Don't think of Buddhas."
The above states plainly that ANY conception immediately takes you away from direct experience (thinking of the image of a Buddha takes you away from direct experience).
This means that rather than just walking down a beach ...you are thinking of yourself walking down a beach while you are actually doing that very thing it's unnecessary thought.
In short: What Boddhidharma is saying is to forget all preconception you may have, don't think just be. The self-reflexive aspect of the mind is turned off in favor of direct experience.
The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma
The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma: A Bilingual Edition
Amazon Price: $10.40 (as of 12/26/2009)
Being Silent
You can also be aware of all sounds and movements around you.
You can do both.
You can even learn patience. To sit silent for 10 minutes and let go of the feeling of urgency or that you must do something and just experience for the sake of experience. Keeping a steady breathing pattern which will relax you deeper and help you let go even more.
A Silent Meditation
Excellent Zen Material
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Shambhala Library) by Shunryu Suzuki
"In the beginner's mind there are many possib more...0 points
An Introduction to Zen Buddhism by D.T. Suzuki
One of the world's leading authorities on Zen Budd more...0 points
Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen by Shunryu Suzuki, Edward Espe Brown, Zen Center San Francisco
Practising the true spirit of Zen. Not Always So more...0 points
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