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By Leo Babauta
I consider find highly effective practices for transformation wherever we will discover them. And the Stoic philosophers Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca are large inspirations for me.
I’ve discovered there to be an enormous overlap between Stoicism and Zen Buddhism, even when there are additionally some key variations. The overlap between Zen & Stoicism are issues I share beneath, and they’re highly effective practices.
1. What We Management
One of many essential Stoic ideas is to give attention to what you’ll be able to management, and let go of what you’ll be able to’t. And most of life is what we will’t management: different individuals’s opinions and actions, the climate, world occasions for essentially the most half, accidents, loss. Too typically we let these issues have an effect on our happiness, even when we will’t do something about them.
Take into consideration how typically you get annoyed or burdened by one thing you’ll be able to’t management. What when you declared that that was none of your small business — your small business as an alternative is specializing in doing all your finest within the current second.
Zen additionally focuses on doing all your finest within the current second, from a spot of compassion. I discover this focus to be easy, highly effective, and liberating.
2. Reminder of Loss of life
The Stoics would remind themselves that they have been going to die, frequently. Buddhists do that too — one department of Buddhists will meditate in a graveyard for this function, one thing that I do as properly.
Life is brief and treasured, and we take it as a right. We have to remind ourselves of this typically, in order that we will profit from every day, and every second.
3. Loving What Is
The Stoics didn’t use the time period “amor fati” (that was Nietzsche) however Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus positively espoused the concept that we must always embrace what is definitely taking place reasonably than what we want issues can be.
Epictetus: “Don’t search to have occasions occur as you would like, however want them to occur as they do occur, and all shall be properly with you.”
This can be a Zen concept as properly, to embrace actuality as it’s, and the methods we endure are primarily based on wanting issues to be totally different.
What when you may be taught to like every second, precisely as it’s? To do that, it’s a must to discover the wonder in life because it occurs. Begin with the straightforward moments (a quiet morning, a pleasant cup of tea, seeing the face of somebody you’re keen on) after which slowly work in direction of harder ones (somebody is being adverse, you have got a troublesome job earlier than you). Depart the toughest issues as a sophisticated problem for later (demise, sickness, conflict).
4. Ponder Misfortune
Seneca had a apply referred to as “premeditatio malorum,” or considering adversity upfront, the place you’d visualize all of the dangerous issues that might occur to you, as a rehearsal.
For instance, when you’re about to make a journey, you may think all of the issues that might go unsuitable — you forgot your passport, you misplaced your baggage, you bought robbed, you bought misplaced, you bought sick. Truly visualize all of this stuff taking place. And picture that they aren’t traumatic, however impartial — there’s no drawback. Possibly you really liked the expertise!
Then, if any of them really did occur … you then’re ready. Nothing can occur to you that’s worse than what you’ve already skilled within the contemplation! You’ve already gone by way of all of it.
On this approach, we’ve got ready ourselves, like placing ourselves into ice chilly water to organize for swimming within the Atlantic.
The Zen custom is extra about present-moment meditation … however in a approach, after we meditate, we face all the things that comes up for us within the current second (boredom, distraction, discomfort, frustration, and so on.) and so when the identical issues (inevitably) come up for us later, we’ve already confronted them.
5. A Increased Perspective
There’s a approach I like to visualise taking a “God’s-eye view” of humanity — wanting down on all of humankind, like we’re the dimensions of ants.
This type of larger perspective jogs my memory that:
My issues are literally small, even when they appear massive; and
We’re all interconnected, even when it feels we’re alone.
This makes my life simpler.
The Stoics referred to as this the “greater view.” In Zen, we apply reminding ourselves of our interconnectedness. It’s the “reality” of actuality (versus having a separate self) that helps us to really feel related and compassionate.
These practices assist me tremendously in my life. They’re liberating and motivating on the identical time. And so they take apply — a lifetime’s price.
