Love & Non-Attachment: Is there a Zen paradox ?  How to practice non-attachment in loving relationships. Zen is teaching to practice loving kindness and non-attachment to whomever/whatever since attachment is the main culprit of our “suffering” which includes our negative feelings. Can we love and be non-attached at the same time? Is there incompatibility? Paradoxally, […]

Mindset can be a mind trap  In Zen, having your mindset mostly made up of conceptual thinking is seen as the main obstacle to true understanding of concrete reality, genuine self and awakening. Zen places an immense value on flexibility, openness, and seeing reality exactly as it is in the present moment,  not filtered through […]

Effects of mindfulness-based meditation on the brain structures and functions.which have been proven scientifically over the last few years, Scientific research into meditation has shifted from observing "feel-good" anecdotes to documenting structural changes in the brain. Using neuroimaging techniques like fMRI, PET, and intracranial EEG, scientists have identified several key areas where meditation consistently alters […]

Demystifying  Awakening Important clarification  Awakening in Zen is not: A permanent divine, and mystic bliss during which one becomes supernatural, problem free, and enjoying permanent stress-free life full of joy, pleasure, control, and power.  In fact, it is simply waking up away from our mind-made fictional worlds. The opposite of being Awakened is what Zen […]

The importance of listening to silence in Zen practice. In Zen practice, listening to silence is not “ listening to “nothing.” It is considered a fundamental gateway to experience our genuine self,, and concrete reality both of them exempt  from our ongoing noisy mind.  Here is why cultivating an ear for silence is central to […]

THINKING THOUGHTLESSLY : WHAT DOES THAT MEAN & HOW TO APPLY IT?  In Zen, "thinking thoughtlessly" (often associated with the Japanese term Mushin, or ("no-mind" / Don’t know mind / Beginning mind) isn't about becoming brainless.  It’s a state of spontaneous, non analytic , non judgmemtal unattached awareness about x, y ,z Example: Imagine you […]

Being in the moment: a key foundation in Zen philosophy, teaching and practice. Why?  In  Zen, reality is only found in this immediate moment since the  past is dead, and the future not yet born. Experiencing genuine, concrete reality of the moment - good or bad- is the only way to approach truthful reality as […]

What is a "don't know" mind in Zen In Zen, “don’t know mind” is the clear, open awareness that appears when we drop all our mindset thoughts , ideas, judgment, about  ourselves, about others, and meet the reality of the current moment directly, as it is. It is not stupidity or vagueness, or cowardise, but […]

Compulsive thinking : a Zen perspective. What is it ? It is our  mind’s unchosen and unstoppable  activity that modern psychology calls default-mode rumination or automatic unwanted thought. How Zen sees thoughts:  1- Zen sees thinking as a natural ongoing function, like digestion. It  cannot be stopped. The problems with our thoughts are the following: […]

The parable of the 2 arrows: How the Buddha is using this metaphor  to explain the difference between pain and suffering.  Meaning of the parable: The first arrow is the unavoidable pain caused by ongoing external factors. The following second arrow is the self- induced suffering triggered by our reactive emotional mind. If the initial […]