GhettoZen Overview
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is GhettoZen?
A: GhettoZen re-imagines concepts of Zen and ZaZen (sitting meditation) for today’s breathless, modern society. GhettoZen strives to avoid two thousand years of spiritual, philosophical and dogmatic baggage and traditions that might scare some people away. GhettoZen delivers an alternative path to a relaxed and delightful experience in the here and now. Instead of focusing on sitting meditation and breathing (good), GhettoZen delivers a number of “GhettoZen Hacks”, ideas of actions, routines and techniques to zen up your life without the need for 7 week training classes, shaved heads, monasteries or masters.
Q: Why should I learn about GhettoZen?
A: We live in a breathless world. We are constantly bombarded with information. Our minds are constantly engaged and working overtime. People are finding it harder to relax, to sleep, to switch off and have focus. GhettoZen can help. Take a look at a list of 31 GhettoZen hacks to get an idea.
Q: Is GhettoZen a religion like Zen Buddhism?
A: No. Not at all. There is no dogma. GhettoZen is inspired by the benefits of Zen practice (relaxation, mind management, focus, inspired insights, .. ) but strives to be completely independent of any other spiritual practice or belief system.
Q: Why is it called GhettoZen?
A: The term combines 2 concepts. The focus on mindfulness and “now”, is borrowed from Zen, while the purposeful lack of dogma, absence of pre-requisites, uniforms, rules or hierarchies is borrowed from the Ghetto concept, with an approach of “whatever works, works” and “use what you have on hand”.
Q: Does one need a master to learn GhettoZen?
A: No. Everyone is a learner, everyone is a teacher.
Q: Where do the ideas of GhettoZen come from?
A: There are three main sources. (A) A “best-of” selection of Zen and ZaZen stories and practices, readily available in the public domain. (B) Mining the progress in cognitive science, neurology, psychology and philosophy for good ideas and insights. (C) Leveraging the tools and techniques of structured communication and group dynamics to add focus and clarity to our thinking
Q: Is there like a GhettoZen manifesto or mission statement?
A: GhettoZen does not strive to provide a generally applicable philosophy or ethical/moral framework. It has been helpful for me however, to lay down a “thinking frame” for myself. It allows me to tackle mind overload, choose the “right” action or develop new GhettoZen hacks to simplify my life. Here are some axioms, tenets, statements, borrowed from various disciplines, that lie underneath GhettoZen. Maybe some of these will work for you as well.
(1) Being “present” in the “now” is the currency of life: I bring presence / presents
(2) My mind is my body is my mind: I am not my thoughts: I run my mind
(3) I am a human “being”, not a human having: Enlightenment = losing ballast
(4) The progress of thinking is in doing: I do one thing at a time with 100% focus
(5) Everything connects to something: Separation is an illusion, I connect the dots
(6) Trust and respect in relationships are everything: My community defines me.
(7) I treat myself well: I treat others as if they were a part of me
(8) I listen and learn and improve all the time: Everything is in flux
(9) The meaning of communication is the response I get: Feedback is everything
(10) I share my knowledge freely: I teach as often as I can
Q: How do I get started with GhettoZen?
A: You are already doing GhettoZen every time you take a conscious, deep breath to calm down. If you want to learn more, follow the link below. Below — as well as in the in the “about” tab of the Facebook page — you will also find a link to a free PDF with 31 ideas on how to insert GhettoZen into your life.
