Expert: Stuart Resnick - 3/10/2010

Question
Hello! I'm very happy to be in contact with someone who knows what Zen really is. Especially because, even though i have read a few book about it, i still don't think i completely know what it is..
what does it mean to be a practicing Zen Buddhist?
do you view the world completely different since you claimed this as your faith?
how often do you meditate?
do you celebrate a god?
what kind of methods do you use to focus?

Answer
Zen means being awake to this moment. Just now, what do see, what do you hear, what are you doing? Whatever you're doing now, just do it. That's Zen: finding the mind that clearly connects with this very moment, and then using that clarity to help all beings.

In the Zen tradition, meditation is called "sitting." It's a way to formally practice keeping the mind that clearly reflects this moment. When you're sitting, just sit.

To start out, it's fine to sit for say 5 minutes every day. Sit still and silent, and just perceive like a clear mirror, moment to moment. If it helps to clear your mind, you can use a technique like repeating a mantra or watching your breath. Or you can ask a big question -- What am I? -- and just sit with the big Don't Know.

You ask about "god." Everything is god. The sky, the sun, the stars, the rivers, the trees, the people... "god" is just a name for all that. Don't worry about words/ideas like "god" etc, just perceive this moment and respond with clarity and compassion.

Most important is to ask the big question, and find the mind that's just Don't Know. Then keep that mind, moment to moment, in ordinary life. When you're hungry, eat; when you're tired, sleep; when you encounter someone who's suffering, help them. That's all.