Introduction—Can Zen Practice Help Us in
‘the Last 500 Years’?
In today’s tumultuous world, many people are asking if we are facing ‘the End Times’. Not only do people in the Christian world wondering about this, but even in Buddhism, there is a view that we are in ‘the Last 500 Years’ after the life of the Buddha, who lived 2500 years ago.
Despite our fears and the many obstacles that the media and social pressures inflict on us, Zen practice says that we should “Do Good, Don’t Do Evil, and Purify Your Mind”. Regardless of what the time and circumstance are, this is sound advice. This article will give practical advice on how to conduct our daily activities to create a better quality of life for ourselves.
And the more people who do this, the better the overall consciousness of humanity will be. And the higher the level of consciousness of the people, the better our chances are to survive and prosper.
Consciousness Now vs. ‘the Old Days’
Before electricity, people lived by the sun, life moved far more slowly, people were mostly less mobile and often didn’t know more than the people in their village.
Two of My Favorite Movie Scenes
Many of you may have seen The Matrix, made around 1999. It was a big influence on me. The producers incorporated the Buddhist concept of Mind Only–that is, that the world as we perceive it, is ‘all in our heads’, and that objective reality is secondary to how we perceive it based on how we have been conditioned through our DNA, family, society and now, of course the ever more intrusive media, which creates its own artificial reality. Which we all too often buy into. In the 21st Century, Zen practice addresses the causes and conditions which control or attempt to control our minds.
The second clip is from the 1982 movie My Dinner with Andre. My first Zen teacher encouraged us to watch. Forty years later, it popped up on Youtube. It was even better the second time, but YT took it down, and then fortunately it reappeared.
These two scenes encapsulate the core message of each film, in my opinion. They ask each of us, what are we to do, if we recognize at least on an intuitive level, what they are talking about. The Matrix points out how we are manipulated and exploited. And My Dinner with Andre over 40 years ago foresaw the repression of monied elites against the rest of us.
A Few Tips for ‘Breaking Out of the Matrix’
- Watch what you put into your body–read labels
- Best to eat unprocessed food anyway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDadfh0ZdBM
- Watch what you put into your mind–Restrain use of social media and toxic media with violent, pornographic or manipulative content. Which means most modern Hollywood movies. Most new movies have manipulative political or social agendas. They also have lots of fast moving shots that shatter your attention span.
- One daily Zen practice is to bring your attention back to your breathing when you have a little space, like standing in line at the cashier, or at a red light, or waiting for an appointment.
- Watch your reactions to people in particular situations either when in social situations or for example while driving–avoid road rage.
- Choose whom you associate with. Are they people who encourage you to be thoughtful and considerate? Or are they brash, use coarse language, and irritate you.
- When you are at a shop, to avoid being manipulated into impulse buying, if you see some ‘shiny object’, ask, “Do I really need this? Do I really want this?” Zen practice is applicable in all aspects of your life.
- Try noticing the physical sensations in your body when you experience strong emotions such as fear, anger, anxiety.
- Try to find time to slow down….
- Try to see the deeper meaning in everything.
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