[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.