The Secret Teachings of Zen
A Zen mindset can be characterized as perceiving all things with the wonder of a newborn, exploring the world through untainted lenses untouched by language, emotions, or labels. Scientific studies in neuroscience indicate that cultivating a Zen mindset can actually bring tranquility to the mind, enhance clarity, and enable us to exhibit greater kindness.
With a Zen mindset, we can embrace our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions without passing judgment. Circumstances and events are simply occurrences devoid of meaning until we overlay our own subjective ideas and emotions onto them.
The manner in which we direct our attention influences our experience of any given situation. It is crucial to invite our thoughts and emotions to the forefront, allowing us to learn from their inherent wisdom.
Zen is sometimes said to be “the face-to-face transmission of the dharma outside the sutras.” Dharma refers to the teachings, and sutras, in a Buddhist context, are sacred texts or scriptures, many of which are considered to be transcriptions of the oral teachings of the Buddha. Throughout the history of Zen, teachers have transmitted their realization of dharma to students by working with them face-to-face.