583 What is contentment? A Zen perspective Sat. Jan 31 26

What is contentment?  A Zen perspective 

Contentment in Zen is a quiet, unconditional “acceptance" with things , events, and people whatever good or bad they are.Contentment arises when judgment, comparison, clinging , resistance , aversion drop away and life is allowed to be just as it is in the current moment.

 It has nothing to do with  cowardice, apathy or resignation when reaction is needed,  but a lucid, responsive ease rooted from proper insight into suffering, impermanence, non‑self, and the futility of craving,  aversion, judgment and expectation. 

The essence of contentment has 2 roots:

• In Buddhist teaching, contentment appears by practicing “  Having enough is the ultimate wealth”   as the Bhuddha said. At this point, the mind is no longer craving for “more of this, less of that”, or driven by comparison, expectations, judgment, Etc,”. The mind rests naturally satisfied, in peace.​ with what it is, and what she/ he has. 
• Zen expresses it further by linking contentment to the Middle Way: neither by suppressing desire / aversion nor being possessed by them, but by accepting them through mindful non-judgmental  active  awareness. This ongoing conscious balancing act between our  positive and negative emotions allows them to settle naturally  by mutual neutralization . 

           So, a spacious sufficiency is felt in any  circumstance. of life. This is an emotional equilibrium 

           similar to the tightrope walker having her/his balance maintained by the pole with  extremities

           called positive and negative emotions and situations.

Relationship between equanimity and contentment:

• Buddhism describes equanimity (upekkha) as an “unshakable balanced emotional mind, rooted by proper insight,” and this equal balance between + and - feelings is the ground in which genuine contentment flowers.​ 
• In deeper meditative absorption, equanimity becomes more stable giving way to serenity, a sort  of  still and permanent emotional peace that is more satisfying than transient pleasures / suffering opening the door to contentment. So: equanimity > serenity > contentment. 

How does Zen train our mind and behavior to achieve contentment:

Meditation  trains the mind to sit right in the middle of many oposite feeling poles: pleasure vs  pain, good vs.bad, gain vs  loss, praise vs blame, etc, until  “great contentment” of the Middle Way appears.​

How to practice contentment in our daily life:?

In Zen terms, contentment is not a special state but the natural flavour of suchness when there is no ongoing judgment, no argument, no overthinking, IT addiction, info overloading, no resistance, no unrealistic expectations, no over consumerism,  no regretting the past, nor expecting too much of the future. Just pay attention in a mindful way to simple things regarding  genuine, concrete reality whatever boring and mundane it is: drinking tea, hearing a car horn, feeling fatigue or pain ,etc…..each of them is complete, nothing lacking.​

 What can we achieve from being content? 

Our resentment, and other negativities are phasing out.

Compassion, loving kindness, stress reduction,  and appropriate action arise more freely, because one is not acting out of inner poverty or grasping or aversion, but from a settled, generous heart being  at ease with the  flux of the ten thousand positive and negative things happening such as events, situations, and behavior of others.  Thanks