Neodharmic Kanzen

 Kanzen is the new dharma. It has been thousands of years since the days of Siddarta. There has been near unlimited changes in the way we live, and how we deal with the trouble of existence. As The Dude would say, 'New shit has come to light, man.' No truer words were ever spoken. Everyday brings new light, and new revelations.

The understanding of our world has changed fundamentally since then, but yet we still discuss the old ways of Buddhism with Karma, skandas, and No-self. While it brings a lot of solid training to the fields of human existence and how to work with the flowing abundance of life, but it is outdated and greatly requires the routine maintenance that is required for those things which we wish to keep.


This is why I think we need this new concept. We need verbiage to manufacture the ability to describe what already exists, to help us wrestle with 'perfection'. We also required it to 'break the wheel' as one must to bring modern from the traditional. Creation, through destruction of what is unnecessary. We need to fully employ Occam's Razor., that when presented with competing hypothetical answers to a problem, one should select the one that makes the fewest assumptions.This Kanzen also means continuous perfection. Rid yourself of the shackles of those things that curry no favor. To remove the assumptions of our fore-bearers, we must first investigate and assess what they are and what they contain. And finally, judge if we need it.


Let us find a mutual starting point, Karma. Karma's literal Wikipedia definition: 'action, work or deed'. Innocuous at first, no? Karma is a name for 'verbs', things that are done or accomplished. Actions in this world. This simple definition is fine, and for many thousands of years it was enough. But that definition is not what it used to be. Common folks use karma as a sort of currency these days. It is thought that Karma is a system of rewards and punishment for actions taken in this life. Karma has become something beyond the simple definition. Karma is attached to one subject and carried. A package to be judged, like Osiris and his scales.
This is not karma. Karma is not monitored by Gods, or Buddhas. Karma is not an inventory to be tracked, an inventory to show one's worth or the situations in which they will be reborn. Karma is the pattern of The Weave (forgive me I have been reading The Wheel of Time series). Would you ever blame the ground you were born for the actions of your tenth year? Would you blame your childhood room for your adult follies?



If there is Karma and Anatman (no-self), then who's karma is it?


Let us next look at Anatman, the Buddhist doctrine of Non-self. Wikipedia Definition: 'that there is no unchanging, permanent self, soul or essence in living beings.' While you may agree, or disagree with this idea, engage your philosophical mind around it. Our cells regenerate every so many years, our thought patterns and feelings change from moment to moment, our passions, our dreams, they all are in constant movement, and thus constant change. 





To be continued...