The Zen Commandments are a set of principles that guide us to lead a simpler, more conscious, and worry-free life.
Zen monks deeply appreciate peace and the ability to see reality consciously, so all Zen commandments aim to get rid of the useless and irrelevant, adopting habits that facilitate the process of seeking inner peace and purifying consciousness.
“Zen is not a passing fad, it is a form of concentration in our daily routine. “Shunryu Suzuki
It is said that all Zen commandments can be summed up in one sentence: “Smile, breathe, and go slowly. “These commandments are quite complex. However, they can be summarized in the following principles.
Doing one thing at a time has become complicated. Multitasking has become a means of developing daily activities, many of us live every day doing several things at the same time.
We eat while we’re negotiating. Or we do one task with another in mind. This, in the long run, only destroys the nerves. It is a source of stress and often leads to ineffective results. The best thing to do is to concentrate on a single activity to give our minds a quiet rhythm.
Speed is another feature that has been a feature of almost all of our activities, from work activities to sexual activity, it’s as if the goal is to do everything as fast as possible, as if there was never time available.
The Zen commandments indicate that we should do the opposite, do the activities slowly, without haste. In a world like today, it is not easy and requires training, however, the result is wonderful as it strengthens the ability to concentrate and leads to better results.
Multitasking and speed lead us to leave everything by half, some things end up being postponed indefinitely. Hence, precisely, the feeling that we have no time for anything.
The effect this has on our emotional world is very negative, first it is something that fuels anxiety and anguish, second, this only leads to scattered and superficial attention, it is like living with life that passes before us.
One of the most neglected aspects of the modern world is rest, there are hundreds of people around the world who have difficulty stopping and taking breaks, come to feel guilty or tormented to take a moment and rest, and do so only when tiredness overcomes them.
One of the Zen commandments indicates that it is very important to pause between tasks, in this case the fundamental goal is to put more order into life and allow the mind to disconnect from one activity before starting the next.
Rituals are ceremonies that are performed in the same way, which seek to give particular meaning to a particular time or activity; these rituals positively predispose the mind and mind to the action to be performed.
Zen commandments advise the development of their own rituals, help us become more aware of a specific moment, it is a way to prepare to live things fully and intensely, they should not necessarily be done only for unusual actions, but also for everyday situations such as eating, sleeping, etc.
Another of the harmful contemporary customs is to fulfill every day countless tasks and commitments, supposed to make the most of the time. Efficiency is measured in terms of quantity, not quality. Overcrowding of activities has more to do with anxiety than efficiency.
Zen teachers advise us to purge our time, eliminate unnecessary activities, and organize each day’s time so that we can fulfill our commitments, make breaks, and accommodate other aspects of life that have nothing to do with professional obligations.
Smiling and being kind to others is one way to improve our quality of life. This may not be noticeable at first, but over time we can clearly see other people’s kindest and most caring attitudes toward someone else.
Serving others is a way to increase self-esteem. The word “serve” in this case does not refer to servileness, but to being useful to others and generous in their needs and adversity. and useful to experience the world in a more positive way.
These seven principles do not literally correspond to the Zen commandments, on the contrary, they are composed of the condensation of some guidelines that are part of this philosophy, whose objective is to provide practical guidance that helps to make our lives more peaceful and happy.