Zen

[Burning Sheep Productions]

I describe it as seeking wisdom.

[IHateUsernames]

Carpe diem is a nice way to describe it

[norsenerd]

Zen is a religion. It is a cobination of Budism, Taoism, and Japanesse tradition and philosophy. But like any religion, there are aspects of zen that do not have any spirtual relevance.

[LotharBot]

Be careful with your definitions... I wouldn't say zen is "seeking wisdom"<br><br>Rather, zen is a particular method of seeking wisdom, relating to a particular worldview. In particular, it relates to accepting things as they are and seeking to remain in balance with the universe, and to understanding that balance.<br><br>There are, of course, many other methods of seeking wisdom -- some compatible with zen, and some not. For example, science is a method of seeking wisdom, which most would say is mostly-compatible with zen. Studying the Bible is another method of seeking wisdom, which would be compatible with zen if the Bible was treated as myth, and incompatible if it was treated as historically accurate. And, of course, the relative merits of various methods of seeking wisdom are up for debate <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... s/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Henohenomoheji]

actually, now that i think about it, zen to me seems like natures way of saying....<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>... you need to read more Ozy and Millie <!--emo&:rolleyes:--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... lleyes.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='rolleyes.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Burning Sheep Productions]

Does this Zen have some kind of Bible or something to give us some answers!?

[Yurple]

As far as I've come to understand, Zen is a Japanese branch of Buddhism that solely works with philosophy and the cultivation of the mind. Where Buddhism aims for the complete <i>detachment</i> from everything, Zen much more operates with attaining the complete acceptance of everything(possibly becoming detached through the acceptance of things...though I'm not so sure about this), and the ability to never be shaken by what happens around oneself. Ozy and Llewellyn being prime examples of this, of course. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... iggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--><br>To my knowledge, there exists no collection of written zen that can by any means be compared to a Bible. Zen has mostly been passed down verbally, with a few scrolls and books and such being written along the way, but these have never been gathered in one singular "tome of zen".

[Burning Sheep Productions]

I think what Zen is trying to do is get you content with everything so you don't have any desire and therefore you don't suffer.<br>But then you're desiring an absence of desirement.

[IHateUsernames]

And we again come to the Nirvana problem. The desire to have no desire.

[Burning Sheep Productions]

I'd say the only way to achieve no desire is to ignore the fact that you're still desiring something.

[norsenerd]

I don't think in order to not desire anything you have to desire not to desire anything. While the laack of action is a choice action is not nececaraly connected to will. They can be volontaraly, coercivly, or violontly detatched.

[Burning Sheep Productions]

Ah buh?

[Yurple]

It's not too complicated, really. When all other desires have been extinguished, the desire to let go of desires automatically disappears because it has been fulfilled. A desire cannot exist without an object of desire, after all.<br><br>I've reached the point where the word desire has stopped making sense. Flooba flooba flooba flooba....x_X

[Foxchild]

well, alright. Flooba flooba flooba flooba flooba.....<br>In any case, and this is only knoledge i have gained from the strip, but it seems that your only supposed to let go of what you can't help. If you can help something, and make the most minute differance, then you should do it. Take for example when Llewellyn picketed against the anti-gay picketers. Cretanly, if zen were just letting go of ALL desires, then he would have ignored tehm entirely. Again, this is from the strip, so i have no idea how truly valid this point is.<br>Flooba flooba flooba flooba....

[Yurple]

I must admit also, that what I say isn't as much based in Zen buddhism as it is in general buddhism. General buddhism operates, as said, with letting go of everything, and I'm not quite sure if Zen works entirely in the same way. <!--emo&<_<--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... ns/dry.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='dry.gif' /><!--endemo-->