10 Minute Zen

Book: 10 Minute Zen - Easy Tips to Lead You Down the Path of Enlightenment

Authors: Colleen Sell and Rosemary Roberts

Publisher: Wisdom Tree

Pages: 254

Price: Rs 145

Eisha Sarkar
Posted on Times Wellness on Monday, November 08, 2010

Some think Zen is religion. Others think it is mysticism. Some think it is philosophy. For others, it is the way of life. Some believe it is psychology, others say it is a spiritual practice. For all the definitions that have been attributed to it, Zen remains indefinable. 

In their book 10 Minute Zen, authors Colleen Sell and Rosemary Roberts attempt to decode the mystical aspect of Zen, while advocating its practical applications in day-to-day life. "Zen is as simple and natural and as accessible and as liberating as breathing. But even something fundamental as breathing can become erratic when we feel confused, anxious, or out of our element," they write.

Sell and Roberts trace the origin of Zen, all the way back to Buddha, its various branches in China and Japan and its spread from the monasteries of the East to living rooms in the West. They describe Zazen or silent motionless meditation that is central to Zen, standing, reclining and working meditations, focussed body energy and chakras, chants and mantras. They have done well to describe Buddhist iconography, flags, beads, symbols, altar pieces and ceremonies and their significance.

Written in simple, conversational English, the book coaxes the reader to make Zen a way of life. "Zen isn't about floating in the clouds, out of reach of the tough stuff happening down here on Earth. It's about being real. Because being real - knowing the skinny, having right view - is where all the good stuff comes from." 10 Minute Zen stresses on using Zen in daily life by:

• Striving to be calm as it increase your energy and enable you to complete your tasks more quickly
• Living in the present because the future is an illusion that will never come 
• Accepting everyone because our original self-nature is free from duality
• Showing loving-kindness to those you fail to acknowledge everyday
• Holding no grudges because carrying around anger, hurt and resentment about something from the past spoils today and poisons tomorrow

Your journey to nirvana will include quieting your monkey mind, finding your spiritual centre, giving and receiving compassion, living the dharma and loving yourself and the world.

  

The book is a perfect beginner's guide to Zen. It stays away from the literary and focuses more on action. The prose is broken into parts that are interspersed with insightful Chinese proverbs and quotes. The authors also cite their own experiences and examples which connect with the reader. The book promises, "You don't have to sit under a bodhi tree and meditate as the Buddha did to become enlightened. With this easy, engaging guide, you can start bringing more compassion, joy, serenity, and happiness into your life today, right from your own home."

While you may need a lot of practice to gain enlightenment and find the Buddha in you, but the very compact 10 Minute Zen proves to be a fantastic guide to help you find your way to a more positive, peaceful and pleasurable life.