Skip to main content

[Eng] Zen and Mediation

Last week, I watched the TV program "Zen and the 21st Century" in the morning.

Various important words were spoken. In particular, I thought about how Zen and meditation are different.

Meditation has taken root in Western societies thanks to people from Western countries who have learned Zen. What is the purpose of meditation there? I often hear the word 'mindfulness', but it seems to be a way of life that values ​​this moment right now. It may be a story about how to live like yourself, in a sense, how to live your true self.

However, it might be different from Zen. Zen opens yourself, opens yourself in the relationship with the surrounding things, releases yourself into the environment, so the boundary between yourself and the surrounding environment disappears, it connects with nature and the environment. According to the TV program, that was the story of the basic idea of ​​Zen.

In other words, meditation and the mindfulness are considered to be what you do and how you strengthen yourself. It looks like far from a Zen perspective.

It is certain that we are asked how we live in the context of the new society affected by the new coronavirus. At that time, you feel that, including yourself, you often think of yourself as to what you should do, how to live, how to improve yourself, or how to change the world.

At the same time, the days when you don't physically contact with others remind you of the imagination of thinking about others and the feeling that you are not living alone but in relation to various things.

You are not the only one living. In relation to various things including humans and the environment, you are comfortable and healthy, and full of fun if the surroundings and environment are so too. 

You would open yourself to others and the environment. Rather than thinking about yourself.

There is no need to telling lies, to follow public opinion, or to consider win and defeat. Accept yourself as it is and open yourself to others and the environment, even though perhaps you won't gain wealth, honor, or fame, and living will not be easy.

However, when you realize that you are a member of various things in the world, and find that they are all in the relationship, you are different from the common sense and evaluation in the world so far. By living in such a way that someone thinks of someone, you can imagine other people and the environment. It might give a little hope to current somewhat pessimistic future to some extent.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Selamat Peluncuran JAIPONG, Tapi Belum Cukup untuk Menarik Investasi dari Jepang

Hari ini (14 Oktober 2020), setelah mengikuti rekaman WEBinar Indonesia-Japan Virtual Business Forum, situs JAIPONG juga diperkenalkan. Anda bisa mengikuti Indonesia-Japan Virtual Business Forum di dalam situs yang berikut: - Indonesia-Japan Virtual Business Forum  (YouTube) - JAIPONG (Bahasa Indonesia / Bahasa Jepang) Screen Shot dari Situs JAIPON Saat ini, Indonesia bekerja keras untuk menarik investasi dari luar negeri, terutama karena mendesak pemulihan perekonomian dari dampak Covid-19. Sebenarnya, upaya penarikan investasi PMA (Penanaman Modal Asing) terlihat serius setelah mengetahuinya banyak perusahaan Tiongkok relokasi ke Vietnam dan belum ada ke Indonesia. Indonesia tidak boleh kalah dari Vietnam dalam persaigan penarikan invesitasi PMA. Dalam rangka pembangunan jangka panjang sampai tahun 2045, Indonesia harus mengatasi middle income trap (kalah dari negara yang memiliki biaya tenaga kerjanya rendah, kalah juga dari negara yang memiliki teknologi dan produktivitas ting...
Post a Comment
Read more

[Eng] Higher "Cultural Standard" ?

Why are there fewer corona deaths in Japan than in Western countries? When asked so, Japan's deputy prime minister Mr. Taro Aso replied that it was because the "cultural standard" is different. "Cultural standard"? He said that the "cultural standard# of Japan is higher than other countries. This was the result of voluntary restraint of Japanese people, without the government taking any strong measures. As it say, Japanese people have higher "cultural standard" than other countries. It is true that the number of corona deaths in Japan is much lower than in the West. However, it is actually one of the highest compared to other Asian countries. If compared with other Asian countries, we can say that Japan has lower "cultural standard". I remember two things. First, the reason Japan started World War II was the idea of a superior Japan liberating a lagging Asia. It was said that civilized Japan had to teach and guide other Asia that had not...
Post a Comment
Read more

[Eng] O-bon Festival at Home in Tokyo

As an annual tradition, we had the O-bon festival at home in Tokyo this year, too. In my hometown, Fukushima, the O-bon  festival is in mid-August (called the  Kyuu-bon,  that is Old Obon, based on old lunar calendar), but in Tokyo, it's in mid-July, called the Shin-bon (New Obon based on new solar calendar) festival. . During the Obon season, our ancestors return to this world to spend time with us, and then return to the other world, once a year. We make cow and horse from eggplant and cucumber, and decorate them as a vehicle for the ancestors to ride back to this world. On July 13th, we make a "welcoming fire ( Mukae-bi )" to welcome our ancestors. First, open the gate of the house and prepare to welcome our ancestors. After the gate is opened, an ogara  wood is placed on a roasting pan (called houroku ) like a tower. The smoke from the roasting pan is used to mark the return of our ancestors. When the burnt-out ogara is finished, a flickering red color remai...
Post a Comment
Read more