Zen 24/7: All Zen/All the Time

by Sudo, Philip Toshio

• ISBN13: 9780062516787
• ISBN10: 0062516787
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-03-01
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

The enlightment of zen is yours to discover -- in a cup of joe, a traffic jam, a bad hair day, or the blink of an eye -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you're searching for revelation and contentment, look no further than a handshake, the mirror -- even your laundry pile.The most mundane details of life contain zen's profound truths, says Philip Toshio Sudo, if you're of the mind to look at them.

With his signature wit and modern-day wisdom, Sudo uses koans, parables, and meditations to challenge and encourage you to stay rooted in the here and now. Look inward, urges the author, and open your mind to eternal truths. Regard each day with wonder, hope, and gratitude, as you recognize the divine in the ordinary. By awakening to and embracing the zen in your life, you'll listen, watch, eat, work, laugh, sleep, and breath your way to truth -- every moment of the day.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xvii
zen sun	1	(2)
zen rise and shine	3	(10)
alarm clock	5	(1)
breath	6	(1)
shaving	7	(1)
toothbrushing	8	(2)
blinds	10	(3)
zen Breakfast	13	(8)
doughnut	14	(2)
cup of coffee	16	(2)
cornflakes	18	(1)
morning news	19	(2)
Zen Getting Dressed	21	(8)
clothes	22	(2)
makeup	24	(1)
hairstyle	25	(1)
mirror	26	(2)
smile	28	(1)
zen out the Door	29	(12)
wristwatch	31	(2)
wallet	33	(1)
keys	34	(2)
door	36	(2)
stairs	38	(2)
good morning	40	(1)
zen Job	41	(18)
commute	42	(2)
work	44	(3)
computer	47	(2)
phone ring	49	(2)
calendar	51	(1)
meeting	52	(3)
business card	55	(2)
handshake	57	(2)
zen Noon	59	(2)
zen Driving	61	(12)
car	63	(1)
seat belt	64	(1)
road map	65	(2)
air conditioner	67	(1)
fuzzy dice	68	(2)
passenger	70	(1)
stop sign	71	(2)
zen Lunch	73	(8)
drive-through	74	(1)
flag	75	(2)
burger	77	(2)
soda	79	(2)
Zen errands	81	(18)
to-do list	82	(1)
bank deposit	83	(1)
ATM	84	(3)
dry cleaning	87	(2)
mall	89	(2)
shopping	91	(1)
credit card	92	(2)
signature	94	(2)
groceries	96	(3)
zen Workout	99	(14)
exercise	100	(2)
stretching	102	(1)
sit-ups	103	(2)
bicycle	105	(2)
jogging	107	(1)
water bottle	108	(1)
shower	109	(1)
toilet	110	(2)
munchies	112	(1)
zen Walk in the Park	113	(12)
strolling	114	(1)
litter	115	(2)
blossom	117	(2)
cloud	119	(1)
rain	120	(1)
puddle	121	(1)
park bench	122	(3)
zen Moon	125	(2)
zen Dinner	127	(10)
cooking	128	(3)
kitchen knife	131	(1)
disposal	132	(1)
dinner table	133	(1)
candle	134	(1)
dessert	135	(2)
zen Chores	137	(10)
garage	138	(3)
dishwashing	141	(1)
sweeping	142	(3)
laundry	145	(2)
zen Downtime	147	(14)
living room	148	(2)
beer	150	(3)
TV	153	(3)
movie	156	(1)
music	157	(1)
reading	158	(3)
zen Bedtime	161	(18)
moonlight	163	(2)
star	165	(1)
crickets	166	(2)
laughing	168	(2)
sex	170	(3)
bed	173	(1)
sleep	174	(3)
dream	177	(2)
About the Illustrations	179	(2)
Select Bibliography	181	(2)
Acknowledgments	183	(2)
Author Contact	185

Excerpts

Zen 24/7
All Zen, All the Time

Introduction

Any and every action can be a source of insight ' even enlightenment ' whether it's toothbrushing, going to the bathroom, or opening a can of beer. That's the promise of zen.

No matter what we do or where we go, zen is available to us 24/7: twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It never goes away, no matter how routine the day may seem. The most mundane details of life contain zen's profound truths, if we're of the mind to look for them.

It's easy to find significance in those days that rise above the ordinary ' a graduation, some great athletic or career triumph, a wedding, the birth of a child. But what about all the days in between? The aim of Zen 24/7 is to look at the everyday, ordinary parts of our lives and see the meaning in them, too; to become so absorbed in the commonplace that we come to know a deeper reality. In so doing, we make today ' plain old today ' a truly special day.

Zen teaches that our approach to today determines our whole approach to life. The Japanese call this attitude Ichi-nichi issho: "Each day is a lifetime." We arise in the morning newly born. As we pass through the day, we age and gain experience. When we tire at day's end, we "die" and take our rest. That one arc serves as a miniature of our entire life. What we do during a single day ' and how we do it ' becomes the foundation of our whole lifetime. For what is life but the sum of our days?

This very day can be a life's turning point. In a single moment, we can decide to walk the path that has no end.

Starting now.

Let the day begin.

Zen Breath

Life begins with a single breath. The moment we're born and leave the womb of our mother, we start the lifelong process of inhale-exhale that continues until the moment we die. Nothing is more basic, more vital to our lives, than breathing. Yet rarely do we give it a thought.

A zen teacher once made that point dramatically before an assembled group of monks. The teacher asked, "What's the most important thing in life?"

"Food," said one.

"Work," said another.

"The pursuit of truth," said a third.

The teacher signaled for a monk to step forward. Grabbing the monk's head, he dunked it in a tub of water and held it down until the monk came up gasping for breath.

The assembly got the message: We can live days without food, years without work, or a lifetime without truth, but we cannot go more than minutes without a breath.

When you awake in the morning, stretch your arms to the sky and breathe deeply. Fill your insides with the emptiness around you.

Breathe easy. You're alive.

Zen 24/7
All Zen, All the Time. Copyright © by Philip Sudo. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

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Excerpted from Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time by Philip Toshio Sudo
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