Living the Zen Life

The understanding of process

The understanding of process

“The struggle of what one likes and what one dislikes is the disease of the mind.”
—Sosan

L

ikes and dislikes.

I bet we can list many of them.

So many that when we look over them, we’ll shake our heads and think, “Well, if having likes and dislikes is ‘the disease of the mind,’ then I will simply stop liking and disliking.”

But note that Sosan did not say the disease of the mind was to HAVE likes and dislikes. He said the STRUGGLE was.

Very different!

Once again, we’re stepping over into PROCESS.

The CONTENT—likes and dislikes—isn’t the focus as much as the PROCESS—struggle.

As long as you’re struggling, your mind will be diseased (or, rather, suffering).

It just so happens that many of us spend our time struggling over what we like and dislike.

Clinging and pushing away.

Actively engaged in our opinions that create dissatisfaction.

In my experience, there is nothing wrong with “liking” and “disliking.”

We all have preferences.

Vanilla or chocolate.

The trouble happens when we SUFFER over them.

This is PROCESS.

And the understanding of process will reveal many wonderful things to you.

Because once you see HOW you suffer, you can STOP that and CHOOSE something else.
 

In lovingkindness,


If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness (Volume One).

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness (Volume Two).

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness (Volume Three).

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, A Shift to Love: Zen Stories and Lessons by Alex Mill.

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Meditation and Reinventing Yourself.

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, The Zen Life: Spiritual Training for Modern Times.

 


  Alex Mill trained in a Zen Buddhist monastery for nearly 14 years. He now offers his extensive experience to transform people’s lives and businesses through timeless Zen principles.

He is the creator of three powerful 30-day programs, Heart-to-Heart: Compassionate Self-Mentoring, Help Yourself to Change, and Your Practice, as well as the online Zen meditation workshop, Taming Your Inner Noise (now offered as The FREE Zen Workshop).

Alex has also written seven books on Zen awareness practice. The latest are entitled A Shift to Love: Zen Stories and Lessons (Get it for FREE here) and the 3-book series Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness.

He is a full-time Zen Life Coach who offers guidance and life-changing support to his private clients worldwide. Book a call.