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This is my response to a friend in a discussion on meditation. I describe my discovery of zazen and the resultant effects I noticed.
“You mentioned that you don't think meditation is the only way to enlightenment. I agree with you to some extent but what if the various methods/paths/practices of enlightenment are just different forms of meditation? The meditation I practice I discovered entirely by myself while sitting in rumination. I just asked myself, “what would happen if I let go of every concept and thought, what would be left?†After some effort, I caught a glimpse of the present moment as it exists free from significance, definition and intellectual comprehension. Practicing this meditation has aided me in the mastery of self. When one resides in the undistinguished present, all delusion fades. In post meditation contemplations, I noticed that experiencing this from time to time gave me a new perspective on emotions as secondary responses to reality, not reality itself. Negative emotions became even more rare and faded more quickly. I began to understand emotions as wind in my sail. No matter which way they blow I can choose where to steer the ship. Using anger as a motivation for genuine kindness is incredibly powerful for alleviating the burden of the emotion. I think that this experience of presence is enlightenment. I discovered later that the conclusion I had reached was the same as many men of the past who call their practice Zen Buddhism. I do believe that everyone must tread their own path. However, every human being who genuinely cultivates this experience of presence will be happier, more confident and more in control. Of course the motivation to pursue this path must come from within, but that does not negate the direction of more experienced persons. All Buddhism is at its core is an experience. An experience which changed a mans life so significantly he vowed to share it with all humanity so that they may see the light that showed him truth. Reading about his experiences and teachings has merely accelerated my progression in the direction I was already going, rather than change my experience derived beliefs. Boy… quite a ramble.
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