The True Meaning of Zen
It’s not a habit. It’s not simplicity. It’s not a constant state of peace.
Every time I turn around there’s a new blog or business with “Zen” in its title or name. “Zen” has been linked to everything from copywriting, web design, and business strategy to personal development, food, fitness, clothing lines, and more.
Some people genuinely try to express what they believe to be the meaning of Zen via their work or blog. Others may simply be riding on the popularity of Zen Habits blog, with its more than two million readers.
And some credit for the fashionable use of the word should go to the icons who introduced Zen into mainstream consciousness starting in the ‘50’s: Jack Kerouac with the book The Dharma Bums, the philosopher and writer Alan Watts, the Trappist monk Thomas Merton, and Robert M. Pirsig known for Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
But, just to set the record straight, Zen is not…
- a habit
- simplicity
- a state of peace
- a state of mind, in the ordinary sense
- a minimalist aesthetic
- living simply
- a destination
- nor is it just being in the moment
