Zen Balance

Zen Balance


The sense of achievement can feel great, but that feeling is transient. Or... You may convince yourself that it will always feel great. If that's what you do,  you are living from the energy of past achievements and you are not getting very much done in the present moment of now.  If you live your life in a constant state of achieving, you experience 'aliveness'. You become dynamic living in a state of achieving and not so much achievement.  Zen is the journey (achieving) and not the destination as achievement which is past.

However, there's a catch. A typical Zen paradox. If you never 'celebrate' your successes, you may, one day in the future, wake up one morning and find your achievements don't mean very much. In this scenario you are getting too close to 'cosmic truth' for comfort.  For example, what does it really mean to you that Man has walked on the moon?  Do you really feel you want to rush out and dance in the streets?  No? Why ever not? The effects of achievement are transient - have a beginning and an end. Been there, done that, so what? Again, this is typically Zen.  Therefore, to achieve, it is necessary for us to get a sense that we are living fulfilling lives - to create balance. Or as a Zen master would say, walk the middle path. Get the balance.

Why?

It's the nature of growth and development of all life.

Why?

You can find a myriad reasons for this if you want to, but there's only one true answer...   Because it is so.


Living a Zen life:


If you want to feel fulfilled in your life, you need to play the game of staying committed to the process of growth and development and live in harmony with life itself. Keep promises, agreements and appointments you make with yourself and others and never changing your mind once committed. Flexibility, can be a beneficial trait, but it is wise that they be employed before you commit yourself. Then...  keep your promises as if your very life depends on it.

In Zen, it is said that all is one. What that also means is that nothing is more important than anything else. Whilst a commitment, once made may seem to lessen in importance, the Zen truth of all being one, means that the commitment you've made is no more or less important now than when you made it. It is what it is, and living by commitment, means living a Zen life of truth.

If you really want to transform the quality of your life, take these ideas and use them like a sledge hammer to demolish all those aliveness-destroying habits that you are aware you have.  If you are not interested in personal transformation and growth, amuse yourself with something else, because this sort of work is not for you.  Zen is not for everyone, but a good game!



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