Zen is a kind of practice, a kind of wisdom, art and attitude in life.
Zen is life, and life is Zen.
The ancient monks liked to practice through life. The so-called "Walking, standing, sitting and lying down are all Zen.". The following introduces twenty kinds of Zen life:
01 Eat vegetarian food one day a week.
We all know that monks are vegetarians. They do not I think being a vegetarian means suffering.
In order to reduce the load on our intestines, please try to switch to a vegetable-based life. Start by eating vegetarian food one day a week to refresh your body and mind!
02 Forest Bathing
On your rest days, I suggest you go for a walk in the forest, breathe fresh air and talk to nature.
Forest bathing, is to give yourself a period of time to escape from real life, to feel the cycle of four seasons, flowers blooming and falling!
03 Spending ten minutes a day in zazen
zazen can make us "quiet the mind" and relax our body and mind, just like yoga meditation.
It is a daily routine for monks to meditate every day. Let us spend ten minutes in meditation every day Let’s get started!
04 Wipe the floor with a rag
In Zen Buddhism, walking, standing, sitting, lying down, carrying water and firewood are all Zen.
Wring out the water from the rag and wipe the floor under your feet with rag. Let’s get started. The process of wiping is also the process of wiping your heart!
05 Surround yourself with inconvenience
The monks in our hometown often practice on the hillside. They buy ingredients, never drive, and the ingredients they buy each time are not much.
Sometimes, it is recommended to expose yourself to inconveniences . Walking to work or walking up and down stairs will be more beneficial to your health!
06 Leave life blank
We have a vegetable shop downstairs. Every dish is packed in large baskets. The whole shop is packed to the brim, and customers have to measure their bodies to get in when choosing dishes.
One of the Zen lifestyles is to leave appropriate white space in life. Both the room and the heart should be cleaned regularly, and leaving white space appropriately!
07 Start with a good morning
The first step of the day is in the morning. Monks usually get up at 4:30!
We ordinary people might as well get up earlier, start by having a good morning, get up early for a run and breathe some fresh air!
08 Clear at night
We ancients always worked at sunrise and rested at sunset. We have a feeling that all kinds of troubles will come to our minds at night!
Meditate for ten minutes before going to bed and write a handwritten diary. These bedtime rituals will clear yourself and you will fall asleep soon!
09 Today’s things are done today
There is a Zen saying called "a day without doing anything, a day without eating"!
We are born as human beings, and each of us has our own life and work responsibilities. It is best to " finish today's work today " and start taking action today, not tomorrow!
10 Go out earlier
Recently, I plan to go out early every day, but I often get delayed and I am in a hurry every time!
Zenyong recommends that everyone go out early and spare a little more time, and you will appear more calm!
11 Do one thing at a time
Do two things at the same time, which seems efficient, but often neither can be done well.
Zen believes: Do only one thing at a time!
12 If nothing is done, nothing can be forgotten.
There is a Zen saying called "drink tea and eat", which means that we must focus on everything we do. When we drink tea, we drink tea, and when we eat, we eat.
Zen Buddhism believes: One thing cannot be accomplished, and one thought cannot be forgotten !
13 Pick up a pen and write
Many people in modern society are in a hurry and rarely calm down to read and write!
Zen Master suggested: pick up a pen and write when you have free time. Whether copying scriptures or writing, it will make you listen and be quiet!
14 There are green mountains everywhere in the world
There is a Zen saying " There are green mountains everywhere in the world ".The "green mountain" here refers to a place where people are satisfied!
Each of us needs to stay away from home for study, work, study, etc. No matter where we are, we must find the joy of life. The world is full of green hills!
15 Accept what cannot be changed
Your body, hair, and skin are inherited from your parents. Your height and facial features have a lot to do with your genetics and environment.
Zen advice: accept the unchangeable , and continue to improve yourself where you can improve. Accepting yourself is the prerequisite!
16 Go home often and take a look
Zen Buddhism believes that parents are the greatest living bodhisattvas, and filial piety is your greatest practice!
In normal times, you should take time to go home and look at often. Even just being with and chatting is a blessing!
17 You might as well shout out
Usually monks like to get up early and chant sutras loudly, which is also a way to reduce stress. Zen Master
suggested that when we feel depressed, we might as well find an open place or KTV and shout out!
18 Control your emotions
Each of us has troubles. When we are in a bad mood, we also like to take our anger out on others!
Zen Master suggested: learn to control your emotions . When you are angry, don't speak first, but recite "Thank you" silently three times in your heart. After saying this, the anger in your heart will disappear!
19 Cherish things
Monks have developed the habit of cherishing things since their cultivation days. Work clothes and other items that are worn every day are never thrown away casually. If the threads are frayed, they are mended!
Zen Master believes: Cherishing things means cherishing blessings!
20 Understand "contentment"
The famous word "contentment" comes from Buddhism. The so-called "contentment" means knowing contentment.
Zen Master suggested that we should know how to be content and have the mentality of "being satisfied with what you have and not wanting more", which can make life rich.
Author introduction: Gesang from Tibetan area, loves literature, records, and a Zen believer!
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