Enlightenment may not be the heavy, complicated thing we’ve been led to believe it is. And while it can take some time and commitment to change the way we think about things, we just might discover it’s not so terribly serious, sober and humorless… once we really get into the swing of seeing things with a different mind.

In fact, if you have a taste for humor and jokes and fun, you may already have a head start on this “change your thinking about everything” thing. Naturally, we can always find those of the opposite persuasion – the Puritan-minded folks – posing as leaders in every pathway. They’re the ones who tell us that having any kind of joy except the joy of merging into oneness with the Universe (Maker, God, the All) is treading the path to spiritual ruin.

Today, guest writer Wayne C. Allen suggests that enjoying our lives and growing spiritually are not mutually exclusive, as he introduces us to…

The Path of Zorba the Buddha
By Wayne C. Allen

Use your mind, for a change

Some of you might know that we sell several things at CafePress, a site for tee shirts and the like. I got an e-mail from them the other day, letting me know they now have a Canadian site. More on this soon. Anyway, I did some updating, and then searched “Zen.” One tee shirt that came up had a slogan I loved:

Don’t Believe Everything You Think

Then, I received the following question from Karen, one of our readers:

I enjoy receiving your blog and articles. I would be interested to get your perspective on “Law of Attraction” philosophy that some life coaches use.

I wrote back:

Thanks for your note and question. Being a quasi-Zen-guy, I believe in Karma, which is actually a pretty neat cause-and-effect philosophy. Simply, what I put out there (how I think, to some extent, but crucially, what I DO) enters a Karmic feedback loop.

In other words, where I am right now (to paraphrase the Buddha) … is a result of what I have thought [and done.])

If I do not like my reality [my present moment] the only thing I can do is change what I can change — the way I act (which includes how I respond to my habitual patterns of thought — the actual thought patterns do not change!)

Rather than thinking, “I am a failure,” and acting as a failure, a Zen approach would be: “Here I am, as usual, thinking I am a failure. I will ‘feel’ the emotion that arises, fully, and then I will act in such a way as to bring about a different experience.”

I kind of amuse myself over the Power of Attraction stuff. While there is some truth to all of it, most of the ‘biggies’ seem to use it to pile on money and possessions. This seems to work [typically they make money selling Power of Attraction stuff...] but seems to me a poor marker of deep and meaningful living. Nonetheless, we all attract exactly what we believe we will attract.

I didn’t want to get into a “Power of Attraction” (POA) bashing thing, as this seems counter productive. The irony here is that POA and Karma pretty much say the same thing. In other words, Karma is all about reaping what you sow — If you “put out” fear and insecurity, you’ll get more of it from others, and the world. If you act as Zorba the Buddha, (an OSHO idea – that one could be both fully engaged in the world, and fully spiritual) then the world is both a playground and a classroom.

The problem I see with people getting hooked on POA is that it tends to use “stuff” as a marker – get your thinking straight, and you’ll make money, attract houses and cars, and you’ll be happy.”

As we endlessly say, having such markers is actually THE problem. As soon as I measure my “success” by the height of the pile of crap I surround myself with, I get caught in the addiction to stuff.

Karma and POA as a Mind Adventure

Idea 1: Watch Your Mind

Sitting Zazen (meditating) is a key practice for changing your mind. I’ve written about this extensively, so go to the online version of this article, and type zazen” into the search box at the top of the right column. Or, read this article.

Mind-watching is all about simply noticing what’s going on up there. Most of us either ignore our thinking process (letting it happen automatically and out of consciousness — which is why we end up repeating stupid behaviours) or try to stop them. Neither of these approaches leads anywhere.

So, just watch. Notice the games, notice the aversions and attractions. Just notice. Gently.

Idea 2: Accept the Reality of Karma

Part of the “watching of mind” is noticing what you expect to happen. Listen to yourself talking to yourself – predicting the outcome of whatever you are thinking about. Because we predict it, we predispose ourselves to get that, and only that!

Karma works two ways.

First, if you act with disrespect or anger or jealousy, you will find yourself surrounded by people and situations that are what you put out there. The results you are getting — the way your life is — is the direct result of what you set in motion, 100% of the time.

If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.
~ Buddha

Second, your mind’s main function is to filter. For example, open your ears right now, and listen to everything happening around you. You’ll likely hear stuff that you were unaware of. Your mind decided that this stuff was unimportant, so it didn’t “register” on your consciousness. Your mind also filters results, by only bringing what you expect to see into consciousness.

So, if you think, “My husband is a jerk, and he will fail again,” you will only notice his jerkiness and failures. You see only what you are looking for.

Instead, shift your expectation and your behaviour, so that the two match, and are clear and precise. Put into the world what you want to take out of it.

Idea 3: Take charge of your expectations

This was the point of the series that ended last week. I gave you exercises to do that help you to make conscious choices, that answer the question, What do you REALLY want?”

Part of Zen Mind is a simple awareness that everything about your behaviour in the world is under your control, as are your judgements about meaning.

If you learn to focus on the step-by-step path toward your goals, you can listen to your mind babbling about failure, and doom and gloom, and have a laugh. As you bring awareness to your games, they become what they are — the fears and insecurities of your inner 6-year-old.

Idea 4: Change a habit

We are creatures of habit — far more then we realize — and habits operate on the sub-conscious level. Brain theorists suggest that habits are actually hard-wired neural pathways in our brain. Thus, a stimulus comes in, and we follow a pre-ordained path, even if we say it’s a path we would rather not follow.

The only way out is paying attention — being present. For now, pick something you want to shift. Darbella and I, several months ago, decided to work on stopping complaining. We got “Complaint Free World” wrist bands, and worked on it steadily (it takes 25 days to change a habit/rewire your brain’s neural pathway) I wrote about it in an article on cleansing. (Specifically, point 6)

After picking something, figure out what sets the thing in motion, and pledge to yourself to begin to notice when that happens. Decide in advance what the new behaviour will be, and implement it. Do this 100% of the time for 25 days. If you blow it (you will!) start the day count over again.

Idea 5: Be Zorba

OSHO had it right. He defined the problem in East/West terms. In the West, we use externals, piles, wealth and power as markers of development.

As good little Puritans, we fail to remember pleasure, sensuality, etc. These things are essential, and equate to Zorba’s insistence on deeply diving into the pleasures of life.

Start with Zorba – decide which things you want to immerse yourself in, own the experiences you want to have, and consciously choose to make them happen. Devote time to tasting, hearing, seeing, touching – drinking in the essence of life.

How simple a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. All that is required to feel that here and now is happiness is a simple heart.”
~ Zorba the Greek

Idea 6: Be the Buddha

We return here – to zazen – to simply sitting, with presence and verve.

In the East, the focus has been internal – on spiritual development, and on denial of self, celibacy, austerity, poverty. This is the Buddha side.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
~ Buddha

“Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.”
~ Buddha

“Zorba the Buddha owns the best of both worlds.” He drinks deeply from the stream of the world, imbibing life fully. He also spends his days deepening his sense of self. He calls us to live fully, to love deeply, to develop Zen Mind, and to free our hearts and spirits.

Nothing is good, nothing is bad, but thinking made it so. Lack and deprivation are mind states that lead nowhere but to misery.

Instead, act in keeping with your passions, desires, and with virtue, directness and a gentle spirit.

The details will look after themselves.

Wayne C. Allen is a Psychotherapist in Private Practice in Ontario, Canada and the author of several highly regarded books. As a therapist, he teaches his clients to be self-responsible. He uses directed, Zen-based, cognitive and humanistic therapy to work with the mind, along with bodywork, breathwork, and chakra energy work to address the body. Read more of Wayne’s articles at his Phoenix Centre Blog.

Back to Charles:
So where does this leave us? If we can enjoy the richness of our physical experience while, at the same time, clearly perceiving the cause-effect connections between events in our lives and the things we do and think, doesn’t this mean that we could find spiritual awareness in a simple (non-addictive) kind of sensuality?

Indeed it does seem to suggest exactly this. In fact, in ages past, some sects of Yoga and Hinduism delved deeply into sensuality and sexuality in search of spiritual awareness.

Of course, it’s easy for the unaware to misunderstand all this sensuality stuff and lose track of the spiritual aspect. But it’s equally easy for the unprepared to assume exactly the opposite and fall into Puritanism or asceticism. Both extremes are just WAY out of balance.

The whole point of a spiritual practice is to increase awareness, not to perfect the exercises and do them more and more expertly. The exercises – whether sensual or ascetic – are the finger pointing at the moon, not the moon (awareness) itself.

Your mind – your crystal clear awareness of cause and effect – is where the action is. Lose track of this one simple truth, and a thousand whirlpools of confusion lie ready to suck you into years of wasted, misdirected effort.

Say it along with me: “I am always the cause of every effect in my life.” Say it a thousand times a day, and rejoice as you say it, because this is the ultimate truth leading you into ultimate freedom… freedom from dependence, from blame, from guilt, from every kind of fear that you’ve used up until now to keep yourself blind to your own power, your inate and natural joy.

Cheers from warm and smiling Thailand,
Charles

Related Posts:

1. Why Enlightenment Isn’t taking You There