Zen
meditation is a practice that emphasizes proper posture and sitting
along with the clearing of the mind. In the clearing of the mind you
are to release yourself from all thoughts, feelings, and desires. The
benefits of this practice are seen when you allow yourself to think
again. After the practice you are much more calm and your thoughts
slow down in that you think before speaking. In addition the practice
is also meant to help you to understand the world around you and your
place in it.
In
Directions for Resisting The SAT by Richard Hague it is stated that
the listeners should not believe in October and May and not observe
gravity, commas, or history. This along with his statement that you
should blame all of our successes on luck tell us that he believes
that academics mean nothing and that our successes are nothing to be
proud of. Some of his final lines are “Desire to live whole,”
“listen to no one.” and “Make your marks on everything.” In
these lines Hague is telling us that it is more joyful even
successful to live life to the fullest than to search for a false
sense of happiness in success when it comes from some thing that you
do not enjoy. The last line, “make your marks on everything”,
having already talked of academics is telling us to make our marks on
those around us. It is telling us to be kind to others, lead by
example, and aid those in need. Jesuits hold knowledge in high regard
and their values do not contradict this poem as it might appear
because it is the good willed application of knowledge that the
Jesuits value even more than the knowledge itself. The Jesuits also
believe in providing aid to all in need when possible just like one
of the poem's main points. These values can also be found in Zen
meditation where one goal of the practice is improvement in
interpersonal relations.
In
the poem First Practice by Gary Gildner there are two major points,
to focus yourself to the task at hand and to not give up. In the poem
the coach says that it is a dog eat dog world implying that you can
not give up because if you do you will be easily replaced and
forgotten. At one point the team is lined up to face each other and
told that the person across from them is the person they hate most
and standing in the way of their goals. This is done to focus their
attention on what they want. Jesuits to not believe in giving up on
their cause and when faced with a hardship will rise to meet the
challenge. One of Zen meditation's major goals is to allow for a mind
clear of worry which in turn allows for a much greater focus on a
persons goals and what needs to be done.
In
the story Thank You M'am by Langston Hughes a boy tries to steal a
woman's purse who then takes him back to her home to be punished. The
woman knowing that if the boy is trying to steal that he probably has
already had confrontations with ordinary disciplinary measures, that
have just not worked, decides to take a creative approach to trying
to stop the boy from acting in such a way. The woman tells the boy to
wash his face and then cooks the boy a meal and gives him ten dollars
for what he wanted the purse for. In Zen meditation the clearing of
the mind is supposed to aid in creativity and problem-solving like
the poem in telling us to practice. The woman in the poem is
performing the equivalent of turning the other cheek after the boy
tries to steal her purse and in stead show him kindness and tries to
give him a lesson before allowing him to leave with what he was
seeking in the first place. Many Christians have the ideal that if
sinned against they should forgive and turn the other cheek just as
the woman does in the story.
The
applications of the benefits of Zen meditation can be seen almost
everywhere we look for them. These benefits often support the ideals
of Jesuits These ideals are seen in the poems that we have read and
in the short story by Langston Hughes. These include the value of
helping others, creativity, and the ability to turn the other cheek.
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