A TRIP TO A ZEN GARDEN
I recently went to a zen garden which was an amazing experiance , I truly appreciate the outdoors , the fresh air , the breeze , nature is a sight to behold ! , living in the city as I do is at times testing just due to the noise and pollution but to be able go to a place of serenity is something really inspiring , not only that it is the definition of pleasent
WHAT IS A ZEN GARDEN ?
A Zen garden is a place Japanese rock garden or “dry landscape” garden, the residence of the chief monk of the temple or monastery. Classical zen gardens were created at temples of Zen Buddhism in Kyoto during the Muromachi period. They were intended to imitate the essence of nature, and to serve as an aid to meditation about the true meaning of existence , It is within these gardens that the atmosphere is created that makes it easier to be able to have a high level of tranquility in the mind hence whilst in this state it is easier to mediate on the zen philosophy
PRINCIPLES OF ZEN ?
- Living in the moment , being not concerning about the past neither the future but being interested in the present solely just the here and now , the past is only achievable through our memories, the future is just our imagination working.
- Pay attention to everything you do , concentrate on whatever you are doing at that specific time , if you’re listening to a song , if you’re painting , lock your mind on that activity , it is important to focus on that activity and to make sure the mind does not wander
- Be true to your feelings , Listen to your heart, it will guide you, when your feelings are bitter ,make the change’s that need to be made to reverse this so that your feeling are instead at ease . the way we feel is often a sign of a deeper issue & also an indicator of how aligned we are with our purposes, so be careful to be true to how we feel as it will reveal alot
- Love yourself , Love yourself is the most important thing you can feel , once we accept ourself’s as we are then we will realise that we are a perfect being as we are and that we are all on a journey of self discovery , not being to harsh on ourself but instead being kind to ourselves is key
- Learn to let go , Letting go is one of the basic premises not only in Zen philosophy, but for anyone who wants to live a full life , if we tie something or someone down , what we do is make it difficult for us or them to grow , there is a season for everything and sometimes things naturally grow distant & also change is natural , we shouldn’t tie people down or either accept being tied down … let’s give everyone space to live new experiences , also take care of learning experiances but let go of what hurt’s you or thought’s that overwhelm you , accept this and let go of them , it will be like a breathe of fresh air
- Be honest with yourself and with others , Being honest with ourself’s first and foremost is very important , this will allow us to recognize are own limitations, your mistakes, your strengths and weaknesses also it will allow us to build stronger relationships with people who are likely to have honesty as one the core values
- Consider your desires , We should never overlook our desires as they are a priority when making decision’s, think about your desires and work to materialize what you desire , as long as it is a good desire than it can do no harm also if we can achieve this it will boost our self-esteem & also it will give us a sense of purpose
- Be responsible for yourself and the world , You are the most important person you have in charge, take care of yourself and be watchful as your world is your space, we are all living on planet earth hence we all being to a unit, we come from the same and are connected … watch your space & watch your surroundings, take responsibility for your piece , there is a level of accountability involved
- Do not oppose the stream of life, flow with it Do not resist , the flow of life is natural and we should be able and are able to greater adaptability the less resistance you have to change, it will be easier to enjoy a full life realising that things do happen for a reason and being not only mindful of this but flexiable to change is important
- Find inner peace This is the ultimate goal , finding your peace is never an easy assignment but a task that we must be willing to achieve success in , your peace shall not depend on any case of a situation or a second person but depends on you, your connection with your essence, it is a state that if you succeed, always you will try to achieve this constantly as it is a great feeling & also a goal that all should try & achieve
