Redmayne

As an introduction to a discussion on the radio of the history, development and philosophy of Zen Buddhism, I heard the following Zen 'koan' or riddle of which there are many.

Question - 'What is it you cannot see, cannot hide or cannot deny?'

Answer - 'Your true self, who will still stand when the world around you is destroyed.'

Reflecting on my inherent alcoholism and evens in my life, naturally including my 30 years drinking history together with my time spent in recovery.

For all my life's events, which I assure you, drunk or sober are neither to be recommended nor are they for the faint hearted, many thinking I should've 'folded my tent and and slipped away' from my life in this world, years ago.

The truth and accuracy of this made, a life affirming impact, not just, I hope, for me but for many on here and elsewhere in recovery.

Not least because it allows, in our own individual manner, the potential for us to release our own potential to become our true selves, just as we are, leading lives no longer hindered by the delusional, self destructive demands of alcohol or our former addiction to it!

It also enhances mine and others philosophy that all that we really need to know is already inside us, all it needs is to be brought forth...

Which is similar to the the paradox of Zen philosophy, which suggests that to find enlightenment, it's better not to seek it in the first place! Which is one reason they encourage a lot of sitting meditation.

Mind you, in recovery I've often found that the best way to deal with any disturbance in my life is just to sit still, as opposed to, in my drinking days, running around like the proverbial chicken with its head chopped off.

Boleo

Zen meditation uses two separate tacks. The first is the direct plunge into awareness by sheer force of will. You sit down and you just sit, meaning that you toss out of your mind everything except pure awareness of sitting. This sounds very simple. It is not. A brief trial will demonstrate just how difficult it really is.

The second Zen approach used in the Rinzai school is that of tricking the mind out of conscious thought and into pure awareness. This is done by giving the student an unsolvable riddle which he must solve anyway, and by placing him in a horrendous training situation. Since he cannot flee from the pain of the situation, he must flee into a pure experience of the moment. There is nowhere else to go. Zen is tough. It is effective for many people, but it is really tough."

This "unsolved riddle" match's my experience with my attempt to "learn how to keep myself sober". I struggled and struggled for years to "learn it", only to find that I "cannot flee from the pain of the situation" (admitted I was powerless). I ended up having to "flee into a pure experience of the moment" (sought through prayer and meditation).

silentrun

I came up with one Redmayne. How about your FICO score.

Redmayne

You got me there, what's a FICO score?

silentrun

It is a number that used to be secret that finance companies would have to determine what interest rate they could give you.

Redmayne

I see ... you mean, similar to what is known in the UK as a credit score rating, which, at least here doesn't exactly fit into the Zen 'koan' as you can, if you pay for it, see it and if you disagree with it, you can deny it and there's a process for having it changed, but I take your point, lol.

Caitlin5

Thank you for "A little bit of Zen." This is how I am now trying to live my life, i.e., stay in my own business (with a lot of help from God ). Caitlin5