ZEN 24/7

i am reading zen 24/7 and it is very interesting.

it takes everyday activities and relates them to the practice of zen. while reading this book, i have realized that just by doing these things i have felt closer, and more in-tune with God.

here are some highlights i thought i'd share:

ALARM CLOCK: we all need to awaken, zen says- to our true nature, to the timeless essence at our core that connects us to everything and everybody.

BREATH: fill your insides with the emptiness around you. breathe easy. you're alive.

SHAVING: The moment we've finished, the growth starts coming back. the same energy that makes our hair grow is the same that makes the grass grow. we're not separate from it, we're of it. look inward- see the energy that underlies all things. identify with this divine energy.

BREAKFAST: to eat breakfast is literally to break one's fast. be grateful of the meal. appreciate the effort of all hands. reflect on our own actions. regard food as medicine that sustains, accept the meal as means of attaining enlightenment.

CORNFLAKES: like hands cupped together, and empty bowl signifies a willingness to rely on the help of others. always ready to receive.

CLOTHES: underneath all outer trappings, we're all naked and divine. we are all of the same flesh. feel good in your skin.

MAKEUP: who will not end up as skeletons. past the skeleton lies our honrai no memmoku: our original, primordial face- the face of the god-spirit within us all. what was your face before your parents were born?- its the god-face we show to the world everyday.

HAIRSTYLE: hairs get replaced by new hair budding in the follicles, the way trees replenish their leaves. hair- process of growth, death and rebirth that's implicit in nature. a microcosm of nature's great cycles being played out right on top of our heads.

MIRROR: crystal clear reflection s of nature and its processes. before you look away from the mirror, remember to smile at yourself. take a moment to make sure the beauty really shines through. nature gazing at itself.

SMILE: all things reflect the divine energy of nature- every flower, rock, sound sight. once we realize that truth, we cannot help but smile.

WRISTWATCH: no matter what time of say we check our watch, the only time is now. this day will not come again. life is always on the edge of death.

KEYS: all things in their place, and a place for all things

DOOR: traditional houses built with low doorways so people must bow as they enter and exit. no one can stride thorough. it is a posture of humility. exiting one is humbled before the outdoors and the Great Nature. open door, open mind.

STAIRS: whenever we try to learn something new in life we should expect the process to take time and effort. the process of climbing is all that matters. people get discouraged when they start looking too far ahead. we needn't look any further ahead than today or commit to any more than taking one step. when we've taken one, we can commit to taking another.

COMPUTER: samurai bow to their swords showing reverence for is power and significance in life. by nodding to the computer, we recognize its contribution to our lives. and to thank the unseen hands and mind who helped create the machine.

PHONE: are you answering out of habit or because you want to? before picking up the phone let it ring one more time and use that time to compose yourself. those in control answer not with "hello?" but with "hello."

HANDSHAKE: not carrying weapons. an acknowledgement of the inherent Deity in each other. empty hands, hearts, and minds of material desires- reducing the conflict in the world. and exchange of energy.

ROAD MAP: we all have to discover the truth for ourselves. each of us is unique. no one has ever walked the path we will walk. there is no teacher like our own experience.

AIR CONDITIONER: become one with the environment- we are in and of the environment, not separate from it. accept it, here is heaven.

FUZZY DICE: calm the mind and eliminate the feeling of rushing. flow with traffic, don't fight it. say "after you"

PASSENGER: no matter where we go, we are all passengers on mother ship earth, orbiting the sun at 60,000 miles an hour. enjoy the ride.

STOP SIGN: we need to remember the importance of stillness and quiet in spiritual practice. take a deep breath and gather ourselves before proceeding.

BURGER: sit, relax, and give thought to the food. be mindful and pay attention to one's actions.

ATM: everyone possesses the Buddha-nature, most people are unaware of it. Not knowing of that treasure we all possess, our abilities are lost and we idle through a meaningless life.

EXERCISE: it takes self discipline. we sweat out our impurities and build a strong spirit. through self-exertion, we make our luck.

STRETCHING: stiffness is thus a companion of death, flexibility a companion of life. more flexible our thinking the more easy-going we become. when touching our toes, bow humbly to the earth. when stretching overhead, give praise to the sky.

MUNCHIES: eat when hungry, sleep when tired.

STROLLING: walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.

DISPOSAL: clean as you go. make it part of the process.

CANDLE: quiet warmth and a reminder of nature's energy. the divine presence is always there.

TRASH:just because something is no longer useful to me doesn't make it less useless. hauled out of sight, but not out of mind.

BEER: if we drink, we have to know our limit. if we refrain, we should not judge those who partake.

TV: empty the mind, release the mind, let the mind abide in no place. tv does the opposite. as long as we watch mindfully not mindlessly, we are still practicing zen. know when enough is enough.

MUSIC: documents of a particular moment in time. these recordings contain a spirit ready for release at any time. "sympathetic vibration of the vital spirit." what is that special vibration? the great rhythm at our core, the energy that drives the dance of life.

READING: books have the capacity to unleash uncontrollable forces both liberating and dangerous. what matters is not to have a book, they say, but to know what it says.

MOONLIGHT: beauty, cycles, reflected light, and availability to all. teaching is merely a guide to the truth not the truth itself.

STAR: "twinkle Twinkle.." this song endures. may wonder never cease.

CRICKETS: so many of us are unhappy, roaming the world in search of the answer. yet we never stop to look right where we stand.

LAUGH: if they didn't laugh at it, it wouldn't be the way.

SEX: it connects us directly to the source of creation. we, like our partners, are manifestations of the divine. make love, full body, full mind, full spirit experience. if our whole heart isn't involved we're not making love, we're making a mess of things.

BED: walk to our beds, knowing the path we took to get there. stand and disrobe, shedding our outer skin from the day. sit and reflect on what we've learned. lie down in peace.

DREAM: this day- a dream. this self- a dream. this life- a dream. this dream- a dream. AWAKEN.