'Zen Ways ---- '
Zen involves being spiritual at the personal level (a recent report indicated that over 80% of adults in the UK rated spirituality 'important') but as a religion is unusual having no theology, no fixed rules or regulations. Zen follows 'natural life' guidelines and the 'rule' of 'Tao', the 'universal energy' force, which can often result in 'natural, simple living' practices.
Modern life may not support Zen way living too much then, being generally fast-paced, complex and materialistically based. Some have suggested, for instance that 'heavy materialism' is about countering existential insecurity which, though, it's said, is unlikely to be long-term successful, real security lying elsewhere in the fuller 'self-realising' development of self-----
It's been a very mixed growing season here at the organic eco micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK midlands, the first half of which produced poor results due to various bouts of cold and wet weather, but now the latter half of the season is proving to be bountiful, with good crops of beetroot, runner beans, celery and tomatoes. The cottage garden-style flowers have though as usual been abundant, adorning the place with colour. Wood supplies are up to scratch to meet the oncoming winter, with reports of a potentially harsh one hereabouts.
Maybe the commercial world is catching up with Zen-like aspects in life, with a whole gaggle of Chief Executives of large commercial organisations signing a declaration to the effect that business has been too narrowly focused on high profit making, and needs to be in the future more widely defined, particularly in terms of playing responsible contributions and roles in society. So say all - well no doubt quite a few --- And maybe in conjunction with such a 'new', expanded vision, money could be seen as the medium of exchange it is, and therefore a 'means', rather than an 'end' - ?
