"There are no mundane things outside of Buddhism,
and there is no Buddhism outside of mundane things."
~ Yuan-Wu
and there is no Buddhism outside of mundane things."
~ Yuan-Wu
Despite the title of my blog, I don't actually spend a lot of time writing about "Zen".
Honestly, I sometimes feel like I'm committing false advertising. :) I kind of feel bad for poor wandering web-surfers who might be seeking wisdom or enlightenment and instead find me. Sorry 'bout that. ;)
As much as I dislike labels about this sort of thing, I do identify with Taoism and Zen Buddhism as part of my life philosophy (I don't consider them religion. At least not in terms of my practice.) - which is where my nickname/blogging pseudonym came from.
But, despite what some people think, that doesn't mean that I spend all my time meditating on spirituality or philosophizing about attachment or "striving for enlightenment" (whatever that means). (I do enjoy yoga, though. So I guess I fit that stereotype.)
But, no. It's pretty much the opposite of that. I don't mentally separate my "practice" from my "life".
It's not about doing something "above and beyond" my everyday life. It's about living and appreciating my life every day. It's about acting with mindfulness and compassion. And about forgiving myself and others when we fall short. And I do. Fall short, that is. A lot. But that's okay, too. That's why they call it "practice" ... because you're never perfect.
Having said all of that ... I do enjoy reading about Buddhism and Taoism and people who practice them.
If that sounds interesting to you, you should check out some of my favorite "zen" blogs ...
Cheerio Road
Karen Maezen Miller is the author of Momma Zen: Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood
. If you are a parent, you should read her book. Like her book, her blog is insightful and inspiring. She also blogs at The Laundry Line at ...Shambala SunSpace
I subscribe to the Shambala Sun Magazine, but I think I enjoy the blog even more. They feature a variety of authors with interesting perspectives on a breadth of topics.
The Zen in You
Caroline at The Zen in You is taking a little blogging hiatus right now, but her site is still worth a visit. Her beautiful photography is complemented by posts that reflect her kind, caring personality.
Zen Moments
This is a lovely collection of real life stories contributed by a variety of people about their personal moments of awareness, inspiration, compassion and beauty.
BlissChick
I'm a relatively new reader at BlissChick, so I don't feel like I really "know" Christine yet, but her bright, positive energy really jumps right out at you and her joi de vivre makes me smile.
MojoMom
Dr. Amy Tiemann is an interesting and intelligent blogger and I'm really looking forward to reading her book.
The Buddhist Blog
This one always makes me think. James explores a huge variety of topics and ideas from a Buddhist standpoint. He also has about a bazillion links to online Buddhist resources and blogs.
I hope you enjoy these. And I always love to hear your reading suggestions, too.
Namaste.
Woman, my (pseudo) NAME is SciFi Dad. Yet, how many posts of mine have you read about science fiction?
ReplyDeleteI don't mentally separate my zen "practice" from my everyday "life"...It's about acting with mindfulness and compassion..." Sounds like a 'perfect' "Zen/Tao" approach to me!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to Zen Moments.
We are looking for real life stories of small human responses that make a huge difference… times when we stop pushing to try to get somewhere else, when we open our hearts and minds to the present moment, to that which is right in front of us… moments of humour, insight, wisdom or compassion, when true awareness makes us see with fresh eyes…
Do let us know if you have anything you'd like to share with our readers - we'd love to hear from you.
I was extra attracted to this post due to the pithy little title you got goin' on, and then, lo and behold, you are kind enough to mention Blisschick!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
I look forward to "seeing" more of you. :)
That is my favorite post title, ever.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th!
First of all, I love the title of this post. Thanks for the links, I'm attracted by a lot of Buddhist thought, so am keen to learn a bit more.
ReplyDeleteI've actually always interpreted schools of Buddhism and Taoism as inherently conflicting philosophies with the same goal in mind. That is, I mean, they have the same goal, but it's powered by completely different reasoning. They've become so intermingled with each other, though, and I can't help feel like the two aren't supposed to mesh because of their fundamental differences.
ReplyDeleteSo it's funny, because Taoism appeals to me on a much higher level (in the sense of harmony through simple acceptance of the nature of things), but my actions are much more Zen related because I feel like I must understand and know the nature of things through the complexity of practice...does that make sense?
Are you familiar with the allegory of the Vinegar Tasters, Rass?
ReplyDeleteIf you're not, I have a post on the subject you might enjoy.
But, that allegory kind of sums up my thoughts on the differences between Tao and Zen. To outsiders, the differences are subtle.
I tend to think of them more like siblings. They aren't exactly the same, but they are clearly related.
Personally, I feel more in tune with the simplicity of Taoist philosophy.
But I find much of value in Zen teachings, as well. I suppose I tend to pick and choose the parts of Zen philosophy that I feel most connected with.