The most important principles of zen are:
- Non-attachment;
- Contentment;
- Acceptance;
Non-attachment:
This means that one should not be attached to anything. In fact, the Buddha taught his disciples to let go of everything.
Contentment:
This means that one should be satisfied with what they have in life. One should not desire for more, because it will only bring suffering.
Acceptance:
This means that one should accept what is. It also means that one must be satisfied with whatever has happened in the past, so as to not allow anger and hatred to cloud their judgment.
Why Did the Buddha Preach?
The Buddha preached his teachings to all beings in the world, regardless of their race or religion. He taught everyone for one main reason:
To free others from suffering.
The Buddha’s teachings are the most elegant and simple means to achieve this end.
How to practice the most important principles of Zen?
It depends on what you mean by ‘practice’.
If we are talking about a kind of actual practice, I think that is not at all possible.
This is because there are no certain fundamental rules or laws in life that one should follow.
No matter how much one may attempt to make them happen, unexpected circumstances will always occur and cause trouble anyway.
Tokyo National Museum.
For example,
One might think that it is a good idea to be patient and have self-control when faced with challenges in life.
Yet there are no guarantees that this will protect you from any misfortune; in fact, things may even turn out for the worse as a result of being too patient and controlled.
So what does this mean?
It means that you cannot practice the most important principles of Zen, because there are no certain fundamental rules or laws in life that one should follow.
The only thing to do is to be aware and observe events as they unfold.
On the other hand, if we are talking about a kind of theoretical practice (that is to say, the study of Zen principles), I think that it is indeed possible.
Although some rules or laws may not exist in reality, one can still make assumptions and create models for them.
Using these models as hypotheses one could then ‘prove’ these rules theoretically.
You will also be interested in mastering your presence and the practice of Zen:
________
Recommended for you: