No Mind: Buddha, Buddhism, and Zen Explained

In all its complication, Buddhism is really a very simple religious concept. The main idea is that all life is suffering. This isn't as bad as it sounds though. The reasoning behind this statement is fairly simple; life is desire, and desire leads to suffering, therefore life is suffering. It is possible, however, to break out of this cycle; simply decide not to desire. If one longs for nothing, then it goes without saying that one will no longer suffer from this longing.

Ego and Desire:

So how does one not desire? Well, desire stems from something called the Ego. The Ego is the "I". For example, I want to win a million dollars, or I want to be a famous writer. So who is this "I"? "I" separates us from everything else; it is the part of you that wants. It wants you to be separate and above all that you survey, it is the part of you that desires something more, and is never satisfied. So why is Ego so bad? Ego is bad because without that desire for something else one becomes satisfied. It is this desire for more that keeps us from appreciating what it is that we already have. It is that desire to be elsewhere that doesn't allow us to enjoy where we are. It is that desire for something in the future, or that desire for something lost in the past, that keeps us from enjoying the here and now.

The Goal of Buddhism:

The goal of Buddhism is actually quite simple. First Buddhism teaches us the truths expressed above. Second it teaches us how to avoid suffering by eliminating desire. Desire is eliminated by removing the Ego. This is accomplished by learning that all things are connected, and teaches us to live in and enjoy the moment. When one truly learns to live in the moment, and to not desire those things that aren't available to us now then one can be truly happy. At least that is the basic theory. This actually has a twofold, and possibly exponential, effect because one begins to realize that we are all connected and therefore they begin to see everyone as being people like themselves, simply struggling to serve their Egos. When one realizes this, it becomes easy for them to see, and treat, people with compassion. It also helps us to realize that all living things are feeling creatures that should be treated with the same respect with which we would like to be treated.

Meditation:

There are many methods used by Buddhists to achieve this Egoless state of mind, the most common being meditation. Meditation is the practice of sitting still and being mindful of nothing. That is not to say that one must not think this is for very advanced practitioners. The idea is to calm oneself down as much as possible, and try to become more of an observer of one's life. Most of the time we are concerned with what comes next, or what we need to do tomorrow, or what would be different if we had done something different in the past. This way of being actually robs us of what is going on at the moment and keeps us from being content.

Meditation works by first teaching us how to slow down and stop thinking too much, thus allowing us to see life in the here and now. As one gets better and more practiced, we learn to recognize the many thoughts that are usually running through our brain, which helps us realize how much time and energy we waste trying to please this Ego. It also serves to teach us more about who we are as a person. Meditation also helps us learn how to keep our thoughts from rambling on. With more practice one can eventually learn to shut off these thoughts, and therefore free ourselves to live in the here and now, and enjoy life for the ongoing miracle that it really is. This is the state of no mind, a state that when achieved can change your whole perspective for the better.

Zen Buddhism:

Zen Buddhism could be looked at as an even more advanced and strict form of Buddhism. The main idea is still to achieve a state in which you are completely mindful of what is happening in the moment. However, Zen takes it one step further by adding a concept known as Satori. Satori happens much like an epiphany and is usually achieved through the study of riddles called Koans. These are actually unsolvable riddles which are designed to teach one the futility of trying to figure everything out, as opposed to just accepting things for what they are. A well know Koan is the age old riddle, "If a tree falls in the wood, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" The idea isn't to solve the riddle, but to realize that the answer isn't important.

Karma:

Karma is a fairly common concept that is echoed in many great religions. The basic idea is that the universe is one of balance, and that the basic law states that whatever energy is put out, will come back. Therefore if one puts out negative energy, then respectively one will receive negative energy in return. Likewise if one puts out positive energy, then they will receive positive in return. This idea is also expressed in Christianity as well. When we are told to do unto others, as we would have them do unto us, the same principal is in effect. Karma doesn't always work right away, however. It is believed that one may carry his or her karmic balance into the next life, creating the situation that they are born into. It is also believed that it can take several life times to work out ones karmic balance, however, once it is worked out, one is no longer trapped by the rebirth scenario, and can thus move onto to the spiritual realm, where a material body is no longer required.

Conclusion:

Buddhism isn't just a religion or a set of beliefs; it truly is a way of life, or rather a way of experiencing life. Buddhism aims to take us out of the rat race and experience life moment by moment and miracle by miracle. Buddhism also tries to eliminate that part of us that always wants more, for to want more is to be unsatisfied, and to be unsatisfied is to be unhappy. Although Buddhism is a religion in itself, many people of other religions are beginning to see the benefits, and are even attempting to bring some of its practices into their own religions, hoping to reap the benefits within their accepted religious frame work.