Zen is NOT about Mindfulness, Meditation, or Tea Ceremony
Many mistakenly believe that Chan (禪. Zen in Japanese) is about achieving a state of serenity through practices like sitting meditation, floral arrangements, tea ceremonies, or sand gardening, which is a huge misconception.
Mainstream mindfulness and Buddhist meditation aim to help us be mindful of our thoughts and emotions. These practices build awareness, which is an important step in healing. We recognize our inner feelings, pay close attention to bodily sensations, and learn about the “self.”
Those practices often focus on calming the mind, being in the present moment, non-attachment, ceasing the wandering mind, and gratitude—all of which have healing effects and can benefit mental well-being. However, they do not lead to awakening. If they did, Japan and China would have mass-produced enlightened beings every year.
Chan is about awakening and returning to the "natural state." Inner peace, calmness, compassion, and equanimity are byproducts of being in the natural state. Just as the nature of water is clean and pure, the nature of the self is peace and calm.
A chaotic mind is like muddy water. Mindfulness lets the mud and residue settle so you can see through the water and what it contains. However, rather than filtering out the mud, mindfulness’s intention is not to disturb the water.
A natural state is effortless and requires no action or practice. Practices like mindfulness, making tea, or arranging flowers calm the mind and encourage us to perceive and observe subtle details of things. However, if it requires effort, then it is not natural. Those are focus-oriented tasks that capture your attention to stay calm instead of, well, just being calm without effort.
As humans, we cannot and do not need to cut off thoughts or emotions. Thoughts, feelings, and emotions come and go naturally. They are products of the mind. Be mindful but not mindless or thoughtless. Inner peace is not something to be found externally, nor is it achieved by temporarily suppressing thoughts and feelings.
If you remove impurities from water, you purify it. Similarly, if you remove false assumptions and beliefs from your mind, you attain the state of Chan and return to the natural state, and a serene mind as a result.
In contrast, mindfulness meditation is being aware of impurities but waiting for them to settle. The dirt remain in the water, just not disturbed. Although able to achieve temporary calmness by relaxing the brain, but it is not the natural state since it still requires significant effort.
Chan is about removing all impurities that obscure your true nature. But how do you identify impurities? It is not always straightforward, but simply find out what impedes your calmness and restrains your happiness. Don’t just watch thoughts and feelings come and go—ask why. Why are you angry? What makes you depressed or anxious? Continue digging, you can write it down or listen to your body while you’re in the meditative state.
Chan is about dismantling the self-framework, a construct of beliefs, assumptions, habits, norms, common sense, and behavioral patterns. Dismantling this framework is like emptying a basket and discarding the bad apples. By closely examining all assumptions and beliefs, you can identify and discard the self-deceptive notions that confine you. This process of self-analysis allows you to break free from falsities and constraints, eventually returning to your natural state and restoring the inner peace that has always been within you. That is the essence of true Chan.