Zen Buddhism is not a product of New Age teachings, not a component of Feng Shui, and not a product or a substance related to any advertised product. Zen Buddhism is a religion, a state of mind, a right path to follow, a concept, and a wet pile of dung on your kitchen floor.

Of the many forms (e.g., traditions, sects, denominations) of Buddhism, Zen was one of the last introduced to the west. You may now ask why, but the reasons given may differ greatly. My personal opinion relates to my "dung" statement above. Zen appears to share little relationship to western thinking. Zen Buddhism expresses thoughts which may appear contradictory, completely opposite to the Aristotelian and Cartesian philosophy of western thinking. But it does not differ as much as assumed. It tips the floor of western philosophy, making standing upright difficult but not impossible. The way of getting upright presents the real problem.

Adherents of any school of Zen agree on many concepts, but any one school has many interpretations — just like all forms of Buddhism. Some adhere strictly to some "magical" Zen dictionary, others to regular clockwork form of practice, still others read the words of "Zen Masters" (whoever they are, whether they mastered anything, or however ignorant they may be). I, personally, see the trees, flowers, and the weeds: I say okay and continue on my way.

To be more literal for you, Buddha means enlightened one. No, not a god, but something we can all become. Zen means meditation, which all Zen adherents practice sometimes or all the time. Karma, reincarnation, and the other junk could be guides written by others as I tend to forget the inessentials.

But, for the buyer, there are no Zen Runes, no Zen Tarot, and no Zen Feng Shui. These are marketing plans to get into your wallet. Zen Buddhism is not a mystical religion — you won't finds treasures at your doorstep or unicorns. If you would like to learn more about Zen, look for books by Alan Watts (not the UFO chaser Alan Watts) and D. T. Suzuki.

Don't call me, I'll be cleaning the kitchen.

1357soto

See Zen Rules and Regulations for more information