Oakville Zen Meditation
JUST BEING: What does it mean in Zen philosophy & practice.?
Student: What is the core of Zen philosophy and practice in a few words?
“ Just being,” I replyed.
But I am thinking, doing stuff, I am being”.....as Descartes wrote replies the student.
YES : you are a non-stop 24/7 thinking / feeling / doing machine, but , in Zen, “Just being” has nothing to do with this” I replied.
“ Just being" is:
1-Experiencing and engaging fully in your current activity, and the immediate reality of the present moment, whether and whatever you are doing, reflecting things as if they are like a miror, free from our permanent, overwhelming mental small talk .
2- free from the compulsory need to accomplish multitasking all the time, and finally,
3- free from our ego- driven Default Mode Neural Network or automatic thinking.
Here is how in details:
1 Engaging fully in your immediate reality of the current moment whatever you do.
It is direct non-analytic awareness like a mirror does, reflecting things as they are.
a-Zen honors direct experience, moment by moment, without any mental interferences,
b- Acceptance of things, events and people being what they are is also a key attribute of “just being” that is w/o your useless commentaries, and resistance.
c- Just being" is training your mind to reflect reality clearly, without the gluts of our dualistic, judgmental inner chatting.
A central metaphor in Zen is the mirror. A mirror reflects whatever comes before it
a flower, a bird, a cloud without being changed by the reflection . The mind of “just being”
is like a mirror reflecting things, events and people as they are with pure non-thinking awareness.
>>>>>>Use your mind only when you need it rather than being used by it all the time.
2 Doing one task at a time in a mindful way that is bringing your mind where your body
is , and what it is doing.
If you are washing dishes, wash dishes not only with your hands but also with your mind full.
Do not listen to your favorite podcast, text, pictures, and drink your coffee all at the same time.
Engage your 5 senses: When you shower , focus entirely on the warmth of the water, the aroma of the soap, and the sound of the water. Leave your thoughts outside your bathroom.
>>>>>>Do not use the “Now of the current moment” as a means to achieve your next task.
3 Dropping your ego-driven inner chatting Much of our daily stress comes from a self-centered narrative that constantly evaluates, compares, and judges in a dualistic way." Just being" means focusing entirely, stepping back from our inner Default Mode Neural Network dialogue.
Engaging fully in an activity x, y, or z without a separate, narrative self . Just be aware of the present moment thoughtlessly.
Your take home:
“Just being is one, meaning bringing your mind to where your body is, in the current moment, whatever it is doing, wherever it is, away from your constant automatic fictional daydreaming.
