Escapist, help me to be zen

[Kolby Jack]

"All o' dat"

Is that zen enough?

That was just a bunch of repetitive gibberish. Something that vague isn't really wisdom so much as it's trying to sound like wisdom. It will only be of help to someone who could find meaning in any random crap.

Errr Takuan Soho was a leading Zen buddhist thinker in Japan in the 17 century.

I can see why. Zen is a label applied unnecessarily. To try to explain it in a satisfactory way is pointless, so inane pseudo-philosophy will do fine for the people who it was written for. For everyone else, I doubt it helps much.

So why are saying be Zen then rejecting one of the leading thinkers of Zen buddhism

Because "Zen" in the sense that Barbas asked about is not the same as Zen Buddhism. I'm not a Zen Buddhist, and so I am totally comfortable calling the "leading thinker" of Zen Buddhism full of shit.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Here's my serious answer: mindfulness meditation.

Sit down, shut up, shut out the world, and focus on yourself. Do a slow body scan and spend a few minutes enjoying being nothing but a breathing machine. Stop giving a fuck about the world and your own troubles for a while - and then reconnect on your terms.

On a less serious note, find yourself a dealer and smoke a fatty. Considering today's THC levels in your average joint, you won't just be zen - you'll be knocked right the fuck out.

 

[Albino Boo]

"All o' dat"

Is that zen enough?

That was just a bunch of repetitive gibberish. Something that vague isn't really wisdom so much as it's trying to sound like wisdom. It will only be of help to someone who could find meaning in any random crap.

Errr Takuan Soho was a leading Zen buddhist thinker in Japan in the 17 century.

I can see why. Zen is a label applied unnecessarily. To try to explain it in a satisfactory way is pointless, so inane pseudo-philosophy will do fine for the people who it was written for. For everyone else, I doubt it helps much.

So why are saying be Zen then rejecting one of the leading thinkers of Zen buddhism

Because "Zen" in the sense that Barbas asked about is not the same as Zen Buddhism. I'm not a Zen Buddhist, and so I am totally comfortable calling the "leading thinker" of Zen Buddhism full of shit.

Or you could just admit that you said something silly and stop trying to be all macho about it.

 

[FalloutJack]

Since when did rappers get into a cool yeahwhateverman zone? I mean, what rapper are you using for this conclusion? Beck?

yeahwhateverman is the Bob Dylan zone. listen to bob dylan prob solved

I'm sorry, I can't hear you over this freakish noise emanating from the music writer who thinks he can sing. Bob Dylan is not zen. Bob Dylan is stoned out of his mind, and has no control over his voice.

Me lack zen

Barbas, your problem stems from having too much brain-power. You cannot be one with the universe so long as you think too hard, so...it will have to come out. Fortunately, I can give you the address of a specialist...

 

[Kolby Jack]

"All o' dat"

Is that zen enough?

That was just a bunch of repetitive gibberish. Something that vague isn't really wisdom so much as it's trying to sound like wisdom. It will only be of help to someone who could find meaning in any random crap.

Errr Takuan Soho was a leading Zen buddhist thinker in Japan in the 17 century.

I can see why. Zen is a label applied unnecessarily. To try to explain it in a satisfactory way is pointless, so inane pseudo-philosophy will do fine for the people who it was written for. For everyone else, I doubt it helps much.

So why are saying be Zen then rejecting one of the leading thinkers of Zen buddhism

Because "Zen" in the sense that Barbas asked about is not the same as Zen Buddhism. I'm not a Zen Buddhist, and so I am totally comfortable calling the "leading thinker" of Zen Buddhism full of shit.

Or you could just admit that you said something silly and stop trying to be all macho about it.

I don't know why you have such a problem with what I said. It's my opinion, one I believe in, and I don't intend on taking any of it back. Just because that guy, who is long since dead, had followers and admirers means I'm supposed to not criticize his ideas? Nobody is beyond criticism, and trust me when I tell you that guy is not in a position to care about what I have to say. Even if he were, he probably wouldn't anyway.

 

[SweetShark]

First of, with simple words what is Zen?
Or maybe I don't need to learn what is Zen so to be Zen?

 

[sky pies]

Since when did rappers get into a cool yeahwhateverman zone? I mean, what rapper are you using for this conclusion? Beck?

yeahwhateverman is the Bob Dylan zone. listen to bob dylan prob solved

I'm sorry, I can't hear you over this freakish noise emanating from the music writer who thinks he can sing. Bob Dylan is not zen. Bob Dylan is stoned out of his mind, and has no control over his voice.

nyyyehk *retracts tongue* I'm not saying he's my favourite singer or even the guy I listen to in a pinch any more but the guy can teach people how to not give two hoots very effectively. There are others.

As for his singing, he had a string of albums after the 60s in which he tried his best to sing and was pretty good at it. The track Lay Lady Lay comes to mind, as well as the rest of the Nashville Skyline album. But there were others. And even his normal-voice-singing got a lot better, with a lot less wackiness, as evidenced in songs like Tangled up in blue, or If you see her, say hello and Shelter from the Storm

 

[Barbas]

Well you know that old saw about asking stupid questions, right?

Sometimes, just for a little bit, I wonder what it would be like to live in a giant snail shell. I don't think it would be very comfortable in there, unless I curled up like a big prawn.

Consider the size of our star and of how small it is to other stars and how many stars there are and before too long you'll think about how our little rock of a planet is totally insignificant to everything else in existence and that the trials and tribulations of its inhabitants amount to just as much.

Maybe for you it is, but I plan to build my own flame-thrower! If I can't be zen then neither will the surrounding wildlife. Fuck 'em, shit on my lawn will they. Fuck 'em dead. Zen requires sacrifice.

Put on your headphones and watch one of those weird ASMR haircut videos on YouTube.

Whenever I have a haircut and the hairdresser (that's right, I'm fabulous) gently grips the side of my head behind my eyes, it suddenly dawns on me how a cat must feel when you scratch its lower back. All worries and cares melt away in that moment, like so much vanilla ice cream left out in the sun. That's the exact feeling I'm hoping to recreate in my brain, but hitting myself in the face with a rolled-up newspaper while listening to Moby just hasn't done it.

 

[Cowabungaa]

You said you tried Carlsberg, but most importantly; did you try a lot of Carlsberg?

Because a lot of that is going to make you very Zen. Oh so Zen. Unconscious-levels of Zen.

Or maybe just plain unconscious. Which, at least, is very relaxing. It sure shuts out the world a bit!

 

[crimson5pheonix]

If you're trying to be zen, you're failing to be zen. Stop trying to be zen and stop giving a fuck. Only then, will you be zen.

 

[FalloutJack]

Since when did rappers get into a cool yeahwhateverman zone? I mean, what rapper are you using for this conclusion? Beck?

yeahwhateverman is the Bob Dylan zone. listen to bob dylan prob solved

I'm sorry, I can't hear you over this freakish noise emanating from the music writer who thinks he can sing. Bob Dylan is not zen. Bob Dylan is stoned out of his mind, and has no control over his voice.

nyyyehk *retracts tongue* I'm not saying he's my favourite singer or even the guy I listen to in a pinch any more but the guy can teach people how to not give two hoots very effectively. There are others.

As for his singing, he had a string of albums after the 60s in which he tried his best to sing and was pretty good at it. The track Lay Lady Lay comes to mind, as well as the rest of the Nashville Skyline album. But there were others. And even his normal-voice-singing got a lot better, with a lot less wackiness, as evidenced in songs like Tangled up in blue, or If you see her, say hello and Shelter from the Storm

I will never be able to take seriously a man who sounds like he uses his nuts like whammy bar. It's one of those Michael Jackson problems. Jackson was frigging weird, but he had great music. Bob Dylan would be absolute perfection if he just stapled his damn mouth shut.

 

[sageoftruth]

Put on your headphones and watch one of those weird ASMR haircut videos on YouTube.

That usually works, as long as I'm in the right situation, like by myself at home. If I'm at work and then someone needs my help, however, I'll end up yanking off my headphones with a look on my face that says "WHO THE FUCK JUST INTERRUPTED MY ASMR!?"

 

[Barbas]

If you're trying to be zen, you're failing to be zen. Stop trying to be zen and stop giving a fuck. Only then, will you be zen.

No, that's Dudeism.

 

[Cycloptomese]

I was punching holes through some documents earlier and one of the holes went through the date at the top of the sheet. The 2015 had a hole through the 2. My first thought was, "In 985 years this is going to confuse the shit out of somebody."

On topic: Realize that the earth will eventually be consumed by the sun in its best case if it doesn't get shattered by a rogue asteroid first and that none of what we're doing matters.

 

[Random Argument Man]

My job is done here. Seriously dude, make a list of things that make you feel zen and use it.

 

[Burnsidhe]

Practice. Practice practice practice.

That smooth flow of words and thoughts comes from practicing a smooth flow of words and thoughts. It only *looks* spontaneous.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Portishead...roads.

portishead...wandering star.

Portishead...Glory Box

Mezzanine...album by Massive attack

Tell me if you want them embedded

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Music? Genocide from Compton has a pretty cool beat that gets me down, then there's also Wish You Were Here and Nujabes' discography.

That or go out for some exercise or something. The night air can do you some good