Zen As I See It

Simplicity

Like the seed before growth – life and growth, the miracle materialising before your eyes
Like nature before analysis – observing without labelling
Like life before thought – witnessing without judging
Like space before content – the blank slate; the empty canvas
Like peace before idea – prior to a concept of non-peace
Like the planet before opinion – basic essence of being; of existence

Senses

Like the breeze upon breath – a change of air on a frosty morning
Like the taste upon lips – momentary recognition
Like the smell upon nose – floating data and input
Like the sound upon ears – near and far, loud and quiet
Like the sensation upon touch – soft or hard, rough or smooth
Like the sight upon eyes – from fearsome to awesome, from shock to wonderment

Stillness

Like the reality underneath the dream – the real before the drift and the real again
Like the ocean under waves – the rise and the return
Like the calm before the storm – stillness, turmoil, stillness
Like the clear before the fog – ever-changing focus; sharp, cloudy, sharp
Like the mind before thought – still, busy, then still again
Like the sky before clouds – clarity, cover, clarity
Like the mirror before reflection – nothing, something, nothing
Like the canvas before paint – blank, turning to creation

Situation

Like the inside has an outside
Like the within has a without
Like the around has an around
Like the above has a below

Silence

Like the noise has a before, an after and a beneath

Space

Like the space has a space, inside, outside, within, without, above, below, beneath, before and after – all occurring in yet more space

Zen as I see it

Simplicity
Senses
Stillness
Situation
Silence
Space