Expert: Stuart Resnick - 10/4/2007

Question
I am seeking answers about many world beliefs in a quest to arm myself with knowledge. I beleive you can help me to understand some of the applications involving Buddhism in context to the world around us.
>When you meditate, what do you find? Is it just a way to releive stress, or a path to self realization?
>Would you please describe Zen, and how it applies to real life?
>Are you ever persecuted for your beleifs as a Buddhist? How do you respond if so?

Answer
> When you meditate, what do you find? Is it just a way
> to releive stress, or a path to self realization?

When I meditate, I find that everything appears and disappears like clouds in the sky, including the thing I call my "self."

It's not just a way to relieve stress. It's an attempt to understand myself, and to attain a clear mind that can help all beings. If it requires some stress to help someone, no problem!

"Self realization" is realizing that you don't know who you are.

>Would you please describe Zen, and how it applies to
>real life?

Zen is waking up to this moment. What are you doing right now?

Before thinking, your original mind is like a clear mirror, that reflects everything just as it is. It applies to real life like this: When you're hungry, eat. When you're tired, sleep. When someone is suffering, help them.

>Are you ever persecuted for your beleifs as a Buddhist?
>How do you respond if so?

I try not to worry about how other people think of me. I think it's more efficient to attend to how I keep my own mind and behavior, moment to moment.