Zen Buddhism is one of those spiritual concepts that seems somewhat mainstream, but upon further examination really isn't. Zen is a word that has infiltrated the culture without a lot of people knowing where it has come from. Zen is a school of Buddhism that was generated in the 7th century as a partial combination of a number of Buddhist philosophies and literatures. The purpose of zen Buddhism is to achieve awakening to reality. Many of you reading this might wonder, “Aren’t we in reality right now?”

Zen does not see it that way. Zen meditation, also known as zazen, is the process of sitting for periods of time observing your thoughts. When you try to do this, you will be shocked at how your mind chatters! I have met many women that seem to talk nonstop all day. After I attempted zen meditation I had less judgment towards chatterboxes, because my mind seems to constantly think thoughts nonstop.

If you choose this path and continue to practice zen meditation, you will find a fascinating connection between your what your mind thinks and how those thoughts trigger emotions and body responses. There is a definite internal process-

1. hear, read, or do something.
2. Make a thought or judgment.
3. Feel the effects of your thought or judgment.

Zen Meditation helps make you aware of this process. The goal of zen meditation is for you to accept the present moment without judgment. It may take a short amount of time, or many years of sitting in zen meditation postures, for your mind to be come silent.

The typical zen meditation retreat involves multiple days of sitting in silence on and off throughout the day. I don’t have that kind of time and I’m lazy. That is why I prefer to speed up the process with Hemi-sync cds.

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