A moment about Zen

[temporus]

I was recently having a chat with some friends where the topic rolled around to submissions.  I rolled off that I take a zen attitude toward submissions.  By that, I meant to say that I try not to let the act of making submissions, and getting rejections or acceptances affect me on an emotional level.  What stuck me in hindsight: I really don't know enough about zen, what it really is, or means, for me to say something like that.  I wasn't actually speaking about the practice of zen, but an Americanized, pop-culture version of what we think it means to "be zen".  I.e., to remain calm, cool, and collected under situations that are normally stressors.

I probably should learn a bit more about zen.  I know that zen has something to do with meditation.  I suck at meditation.  When I started to write up this entry, I decided to go out to Wikipedia, and look up the article on zen, just to get a basic understanding.  In a way that is as ironic as an airport named after Ronald Reagan....Wikipedia has now been unreachable to me for at least the past 30 minutes.  I'm betting there's a lesson in that.

Comments

[slobbit.livejournal.com]

Zen doesn't necessarily have to do with sitting zazen. Iaido is a zen practice.

It's about discarding what's shallow and unimportant. Sloughing off the crust of the world and paring down to true self.

Very like Shinto, which is why the two philosophies/religions coexist so well.

[temporus.livejournal.com]

Sure, sure. Emphasize the fact that I know even less than I think I know. ;)

[garyfrank.livejournal.com]

I named our cat Zen because he just was. No expectations, assumptions, or anything. He just was and he was content to just be.

This probably has very little to do with zen, but I liked how you stated what you know is an americanized pop-cutlure version. Unfortunately, our culture Americanizes the true meaning out of most things so they can be used to sell cars, jeans, soda and lifestyles that have nothing to do with the original meaning. Crap, where's this soapbox come from and how did I get on it?

I always thought of zen as just being. Don't just do something, sit there.

It's a good attitude to have toward submissions when the truth is once you send the story out, it's out of your hands.

[temporus.livejournal.com]

When it comes to submissions, there are parts of the process that you can control. When you submit, where, how often. Or even if you are going to submit at all. But once the packet is out the door, what happens from that point on is out of your control. From the basics: did the post office even deliver it? Did my email get stuck in gears of the internet? All the way through to: this editor has just read five stories about zombies, and is just full up now, thanks.

[l-clausewitz.livejournal.com]

Zen is when you can look at the world and feel no need to say anything more than "Meh?"

[temporus.livejournal.com]

So cats are zen?

[l-clausewitz.livejournal.com]

According to Lucy, yes.