Zen Habits For A Successful Life

We remain so entangled in our personal and professional lives, that we lose the very essence of being alive. Caught in the webs of unwanted emotions and attachments, we usually let the external factors determine our happiness scale. Learning to cultivate and sustain inner peace, as well as a sense of fulfilment in the competitive, stressful physical life calls for strong willpower and genuine effort. Zen teachings bring out the philosophy of a happy life in a brilliantly easy yet practical way, that one can immediately apply in life.

Zen, a school of Mahayana Buddhism, basically deals with meditation, apart from teaching the values and techniques of a peaceful life. You need not become Buddhist, nor become spiritual to practice Zen. Zen is a way of life, and Zen habits are the foundation. It is all about living a disciplined life with simplicity.

Four noble truths on which Zen is centred

There are 4 noble truths on which Zen is centred. They are:

Suffering is a part of life and living. There are sufferings of all forms – physical, mental and emotional. In our course of life, we are ought to suffer all of these sufferings, either one by one, or all at the same time. No one can escape suffering. It is the basic truth of life.
The main causes of earthly sufferings are due to our unending cravings, desires, and ignorance. We suffer because of growing desires and needs, much beyond our basic requirements. More materialistic we become; more is the suffering.
Cessation or lessening of our suffering is possible by abandoning the growth of desires. Too much attachment to earthly pleasures and luxuries overburdens the mind with sufferings. When we stop attaching our happiness with materialistic and superficial requirements, our suffering lessens.
Buddhism puts forwards eight rules (noble eightfold path) to be followed in order to release ourselves from sufferings. They are:
Right View: It guides us to improve our perception of things. It indicates to refine our view of things and search for truth in things.
Right Intention: It guides us to always bear good intentions in mind towards others and treat others with compassion.
Right Speech: It guides us to speak good, truthfully and positively. No negativity should be delivered in speech either for others or self.
Right Action: It guides us towards good actions and deeds. In no way, should our actions cause harm to others either physically or mentally.
Right Livelihood: It guides us to pursue good and positive deeds for livelihood, and to desist in engaging in unwanted means.
Right Effort: It guides us to channelize our activities in productive, uplifting and healthy means.
Right Mindfulness: It guides us to be aware of our self as well as our surroundings. It is to be present at the moment and practice mindfulness.
Right Concentration: It guides us to focus our concentration on the right things at the right time for the right purpose.

Three basic principles of Zen teachings

Clean and condition your mind: Simplify your mind and life by focussing on only those things that carry value to your life. Recognize the unwanted negativity in your mind and thereby condition your mind of those thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. Keep your mind clean with healthy and meaningful thoughts. Expose your mind only to things that rejuvenate it for the better.
Reduce materialistic inclination: Shift your focus from materialistic clutter and avoid associating your happiness and peace of mind with it. Instead, work for your real dreams and goals. Evaluate and impoverish the right goals, in the right way.
Give self-attention and meditate more: Meditation is the basic and most important of Zen teachings. Purify your mind and thoughts, by giving the right kind of anecdote. Meditate more, choose the right kind of meditation, choose your place and time, and even a perfect pose. Sit down daily to calm down your inner turmoil. It is essential for an effective and happy life. Know yourself and your mind. Practice mindfulness in activities of daily life, because the meaning of life is just to be alive in moments.

Dr. Darshana Sarmah Member since May 17, 2020

Dr. Darshana Sarmah, a Ph.D. degree holder in Geography, hails from Guwahati, Assam, India. Apart from having an interest and experience in teaching , blogging is an important part of her life. Mental health is her niche in blogging. She chooses to create awareness about different aspects of mental health and motivates to grow, develop and nurture a healthy mindset. She has been listed among top 9 women mental health bloggers of India, 2019, by Womensweb. Her work can be found at lovehealthfamily.com. One can also find her on the Facebook page and Instagram as Love Health Family, and as @darshanasbh on twitter. Put your best foot forward, is her first e-book.