I can already hear everyone's responses to the title as I'm writing this:
"Oh my god, did he just say I should study Buddhism and give up my beliefs in God? That's BS. I'll never visit this site again!"
Okay, maybe that is slightly exaggerated, but anybody that sticks around long enough to read this will realize that is not what I'm trying to say at all. I just want to explain to you how my knowledge of Zen* increased my productivity, my freedom, my self-confidence, my happiness, and overall wellbeing.
I believe that everybody can benefit by knowing (at least a little) about Zen, regardless of one's religious faith (I'm not a Buddhist, and I don't necessarily think you should become one either).
To emphasize:
This is not an informational guide about Zen Buddhism, rather an explanation of how I implemented some zen practices and principles and improved my life.
While there are 16 precepts of Zen Buddhism, Zen--as it relates to Life With No Borders--is much simpler.
The Life With No Borders Zen Precepts are:
- Embrace simplicity
- Maintain consciousness
- Take action
The important thing the remember in implementing the three precepts above is that they are not mutually exclusive--You will not be able to effectively embrace simplicity if you cannot maintain consciousness and take action. You will not be able to maintain consciousness if you don't take action to do so, and your actions will likely not follow the correct course if you don't maintain consciousness and embrace simplicity. Please keep that in mind as you continue reading.
Life With No Borders Zen Precept Number 1: Embrace Simplicity
Simplicity is the highest form of sophistication
--Leonardo da Vinci
In the hustle and bustle of the world today, the general tendency is for almost everything to seem (and be) complicated. Most people have just accepted that life is complicated and nothing they can do (short of moving to a cabin in the woods) will make it any less so--(It may have something to do with the Law of Entropy that we all learned in school). However, after taking various actions (outlined below) to embrace simplicity, things "magically" began to calm down in my life.
There are two sides to implementing simplicity as a rule to live by: the physical side and the mental side.
The physical (and actionable) application of this precept is found in my rule of limiting physical baggage. However, I don't see it as an "end goal" of having fewer physical possessions; simplicity is not a goal to be reached à la cabin in the woods example above, but rather a rule to live by (which just happens to result in the ownership of fewer possessions). Another physical application of embracing simplicity is to reduce the amount of clutter in one's environment. Princeton published a study in the Journal of Neuroscience (the link broke, but I believe it was in January of 2011) which demonstrated that reducing physical clutter (easily actionable--maybe it could be a starting place for you to take action on implementing these precepts in your life!) will greatly improve one's ability to concentrate, focus, and be productive.
On the mental side, it is important to maintain consciousness which will allow you to ignore the noise and stay focused on any one task. Don't over-complicate by attempting multiple things at once. When you have something that you need to get done, I find it simplifies my life to get it down on paper (or into a task management system) RIGHT AWAY. Don't tell yourself that you will put it into your system later, because then you are adding to your mental complexity by telling yourself to remember something. By putting it on paper, you are reducing the hodgepodge (yes, I did just use that word) of things that may be going through your mind by at least one. Turn this into a habit, and eventually you wont have the "hodgepodge" anymore. Of course, the paper/task management system is only necessary if you can't just do the task right away. If that is an option, I recommend that you just finish the task now and be done with it. There is no room for procrastination in the LWNB Zen Precepts.
Some potential criticism:
"But Kyle, I know you have a smart phone. Don't you think that is more complex than a regular phone, and therefore adds complexity to your life and breaks your first precept?"
Of course a smartphone is more complex than a regular phone, but I don't care about the complexity of the device, it's whether or not complexity is added to my life that is important. I have a smart phone because it decreases the complexity in my life. Rather than having a digital camera, an mp3 player, a video camera, and a net-book computer to carry around with me everywhere, I can carry one thing that is barely larger than a deck of cards and replaces all the aforementioned items and then some. Now instead of having 4 things that I need to worry about breaking/getting stolen/carrying around, I can have just one. Plus, it increases my PNP by enough that it would be worth a little added complexity anyway.
"But do you really need all those things? Isn't that adding unnecessary complexity to your life?"
No, I don't NEED them in the sense that I could survive without them. But it sure is convenient to have them when I do want them, rather than needing to search out an internet cafe, or miss taking a cool picture/video to show you guys. It all comes down to whether or not it increases my PNP (Positive Net Pleasure), which brings us to number two.
Life With No Borders Zen Precept Number 2: Maintain Consciousness
You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.
--Brian Tracy
Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.
--Seneca
This is the part that will have the most obvious influence on Zen Buddhism, and I will start with a little explanation of what Zen is. The word Zen is derived from a word which means "meditation," and the path (towards enlightenment) of Zen is through meditation. One of the main characteristics that separates Zen from other sects of Buddhism is its belief that enlightenment can be attained without relying on the "words and letters" of scripture, but rather by becoming conscious of one's own mind and awakening to one's own true nature. The most common form of Zen meditation focuses on controlling one's thoughts in order to empty one's mind, allowing one to live completely in the present, not the past or future. By doing so, one becomes conscious of the enlightened nature inside us all and the oneness of everything, therefore attaining nirvana.
While that may seem heavy to you (in the '80s sense of the word), its application as a LWNB Zen Precept is simple: Become conscious of your thoughts, and realize that you can control them, they don't need to control you. This isn't something that can happen passively, you will need to take action to maintain a conscious state of mind. By controlling your thoughts, you will be able to greatly improve your concentration and focus, resulting in vastly improved productivity. Multitasking is more often than not the result of "lazy thinking". By not being conscious (and controlling) one's thoughts, one loses focus and concentration which greatly reduces productivity (according to many sites). Taking action to maintain consciousness is essential.
Next time you are about to get mad about something, just stop yourself--You do have the power. Think about what you have to gain (if anything) by getting mad, and your likelihood of achieving it. If you think (and be honest with yourself) that your (measured!) anger will result in a positive outcome, then BY-ALL-MEANS let yourself get reasonably angry! However, if you don't expect any positive outcome from your anger, then just don't get angry. Nobody nor anything can make you get angry--you just allow yourself to become angry about certain things. This applies to all emotions, not just anger. Wake up, and then maintain your consciousness. Only then can you take control.
Life With No Borders Zen Precept Number 3: Take Action
We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.
--Calvin Coolidge
An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.
--Arnold Glasow
Many a false step was made by standing still.
--Unknown
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
--George Bernard Shaw
Last, and certainly not least of the LWNB Zen Precepts is to actually do something! All the thoughts and plans in the world will never amount to anything if no action is taken to realize them. Procrastination, and putting things off until a "better time" are the enemies here. If you are putting something off until a "better time" then you are most likely just kidding yourself (don't forget LWNB Zen Precept Number 2) that there will be a better time. Unless you can state a specific date and/or very specific rational (again, don't kid yourself) reasons why another time will be a better time to take that action, if you are able to take it now, then do it. Don't waste your time, focus, and energy wishing for something without making any attempt to make it happen. Some common examples:
"I've always wanted to travel through south east Asia, but I can't right now. I'm just too busy."
- Stop kidding yourself. If you are "too busy" now, then can you clearly state when you will no longer be "too busy"? If so, then take action and buy your ticket for that time! If not, then, stop kidding yourself and either:
1) give up your dream, (not recommended) or
2) Take action to MAKE IT HAPPEN! (schedule a vacation from work at a time that works for you, or re-arrange your commitments to no longer be "too busy"). If you actually care about it, then stop waiting and DO SOMETHING.
"I'm already in my late thirties and married. We both want a child but we are too busy with work right now, so we are waiting until the timing is better."
- Can you tell yourself when you will be ready? What will change between now and then? If you think you just don't know enough, then take action by buying an informational book! Though I have no parenting experience, my guess is that almost NO parents can feel completely ready before they have their first child (and those that feel they are probably find out quite soon that they in fact weren't). Of course I can't say with certainty, but maybe now is as good a time as any.
"I really want to quit my job that I've been working at for 10 years because it makes me hate my life. But the timing just isn't right."
- What is stopping you from doing it now? What makes you think the timing will be any better "someday in the future"? Probably nothing. Just figure out what you want to do, and then DO IT.
In summary, I'll leave you with a quote by Tim Ferriss that hits the nail on the head:
For all of the most important things, the timing always sucks. Waiting for a good time to quit your job? The stars will never align and the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. The universe doesn't conspire against you, but it doesn't go out of its way to line up the pins either. Conditions are never perfect. 'Someday' is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. Pro and con lists are just as bad. If it's important to you and you want to do it 'eventually,' just do it and correct course along the way.
If I have at all piqued your interest in Zen, here are some sources for you to get more information: