Understanding Zen Meditation through the Tale of The Samurai and The Tea Master: Download
What is Zen meditation? How was the tea master able to defend himself against the samurai warrior?
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Hello and welcome to the Ancient wisdom modern mind podcast and today would like to share The Tale of the Samurai and the Tea Master. This tale is a guide to understanding Zen Buddhism and Zen Meditation, which expresses the essence of Zen in the act of perfection.
“Zen is the essence of all that is of value, all that is worthy of being worshiped and as such should be smashed if we get the slightest chance.” This statement is understood if we understand that Zen is purely subjective, and dangerous, and indeed variable, Zen instructs us to have courage, and say again and again, “All that can be shaken shall be shaken!” and if nothing remains, let it be so.
Zen means doing anything in perfect harmony, even making perfect mistakes, being defeated perfectly and succeeding perfectly. It means that one is mindful of their full action, you detach from the emotion of the moment and become aware or mindful of your actions. Zen is also about letting go, but letting go in perfection, if you know you are going to fail then fail perfectly.
For centuries tea has been a symbol of inner harmony, especially in the time-honored country of Japan. Indeed, the Ancient Japanese honed the craft and the art of the tea ceremony. The Orient's appreciation for tea is even viewed in its rich, ancient tea legends that were designed to instruct people as to the methods of unlocking their own inner peace, their Zen.
The Samurai and the Tea Master is just such a tale that capitalizes on the power of inner tranquility over outward strength. The story is set in Ancient Japan, and the hero is not a Samurai, but a tea master.
Zen's major emphasis is not on scriptural authority, but instead places more importance on the act of mind, body and the spoken word to convey religious truth.
▶️ Zen expresses its religious practice through the act of specific physical actions:
Simplicity or elimination of clutter - Kanso (簡素),
Asymmetry or Irregularity - Fukinsei (不均整),
Naturalness - Shizen (自然), Subtlety - Yugen (幽玄),
Break from routine - Datsuzoku (脱俗),
Stillness, Tranquility - Seijaku (静寂),
Austerity - Shibui/Shibumi (渋味).
To listen to the full story “The Tale of the Samurai and the Tea Master and understand the zen” please watch the video till end. If you have any question let me know in the comments.
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