What is Zen?
The purpose of Zen practice is Enlightenment, self realization, awakening to the absolute truth of reality. It’s a path of transformation instead of salvation.
We have a constructed image in our minds of who we are and what the world is. Zen is about being in the moment without the constructs. Dropping ego. Dropping the past and our thoughts about the future and engaging with the present moment.
Easier said than done. Our minds want to do anything but stay in this moment. Zen involves learning to quiet our minds and penetrate through these layers of delusion. Zen is teaching our minds how to sit still.
We do this by following a set of principles: meditation, mindfulness, and morality.
Anyone can do it. The path to awakening isn’t restricted to some lucky or noble few. It’s for everyone.
Our true nature is one with everything and the only reason we don’t see that is because we are in layers of delusion. When we meditate we clear some of that delusion. We have to dig ourselves out.
We train to realize our true nature. We investigate ourselves.
We just have to be present to perceive our true nature.