Zen and the Ego

If you wish to live your life by a Zen philosophy then you must keep your ego in check. It is very difficult to achieve true happiness, and for some it is impossible, when the ego gets in the way. This is especially true at those times when you are feeling self important.

At that moment you need to pay close attention to your thoughts and ask yourself questions like what are you trying to hide? Are you afraid of something?

Try to define what it is and once you come up with an answer, you’ll find that whatever it is that you’re facing will begin to fade away, and you will feel free.

If you practice living in the moment and spend less time on the past and future, then your ego will become less important, and you will be and feel happier.

Zen is about creating more awareness of everything around you including yourself and others.

Zen is also about living in the moment. Sometimes living in the moment is not an easy thing to do.

There is a paradox that is also very much a part of Zen. Actually, that’s a good thing because sometimes a paradox can be so profound that your mind will begin to consider more than what goes on in your daily life.

In some ways, it picks up where the rational mind leaves off and increases your ability to become more intuitive. When your intuition takes over you may find truths that you had not discovered before because they had no place in logic or rationality.

It is okay to reflect on your wonderful experiences from the past while at the same time not focusing on negative past experiences. It is okay to think about what you want to accomplish in your future. However, to live a life of Zen and to be truly happy you must be centered in the here and now and not allow your ego to be in control of your thought processes.

Even though most people spend time reflecting on past experiences, it seems to be the future that we are most concerned about. In many ways it is logically understandable and in most cases it is emotionally and psychologically healthy to reminisce about the good times while trying to let go of the bad or negative experiences.

However the future with all the uncertainties and wondering what tomorrow will bring seems to occupy a great deal of time because there is a schedule to keep and plans to make in an effort to try and stay one step ahead of the madness. It is no secret that a majority of concern, tension, and stress comes from worrying about tomorrow.

You should plan for the future, but you should also consider spending most of your time living in the present, the here and now, you will have more freedom in your life, freedom from anxiety, stress, and other negative emotions that come from worrying about the unknown. You should plan for the future but only in the context of those events that you actually do have control over.

Consider the fact that, on average, you have approximately twelve thousand to fifty thousand random thoughts on a daily basis and the worst part of that is a large percentage of those thoughts are experienced day after day; they do not change.

That is a significant amount of thinking that causes undue stress and worry on your mind and body. It is really no wonder why people around the world from many cultures have been meditating for the last five thousand years and why it is so beneficial to do so.

Your thought processes have a significant influence on your environment. In fact, your thoughts literally create your environment. Your thoughts influence your personality, health, how your body functions, and how it influences your future.

That is why it is very critical that you take great care in what you think about by focusing on positive, feel good thoughts through meditation, Qi Gong, martial arts, and visualization all in effort to bring more peace, harmony, balance, and happiness in your life.

The past is just that, the past, you cannot change it, and the future is unknown. You can plan for the future and that is fine, but you cannot really predict what will happen.

To reach a true state of happiness and freedom, try to base your decisions without the need to be approved, without the need to control, and without the need to judge.

If you think about it; this is what your ego does every moment you are awake. If you center your life on the here and now and live in the moment you will find that most of your concerns, stress, anxiety, and tension will fade away allowing you to become a happier and more fulfilled person.

In order for your life to be Zen and experience happiness as much as possible, it is essential to focus on good feelings that are both physical and mental in nature. When you feel good you will experience heightened sensations and your emotions will be more positive leading to a healthier state of mind.

Through meditation and regular physical workouts you will be able to release bad or negative feelings which will absolutely do no good to keep them hidden within yourself. Negative emotional feelings can create physical ailments in the body.

Your body is the only place where you live so you must take care of it in the best possible way. Treat it as a temple or sanctuary for your mind and spirit. Your body feels the aches and pains when it is not doing well and tells you when there is a physical problem that needs attention.

How your body feels will have a significant effect on your mood and psychological makeup. Your mind greatly influences how your body functions. It should become abundantly clear that the body and mind nurtures the spirit and for that reason, you should physically workout and practice meditation.

Physical workouts such as walking, martial arts, Qi Gong, and sports of nearly every kind, as well as relaxation and meditation, will have a profound effect on your philosophical and emotional outlook. It is essential that you engage in these activities on a regular basis to keep your body, mind, and spirit healthy.

 By doing so, you will bring forth the qualities of truth, peace, love, and happiness allowing self awareness and self control. If you have belief in yourself coupled with personal honor and deep spirituality, you will feel Zen and progress towards enlightenment. This is all within your control and entirely dependent on you.