There are a lot of individuals who say they practice Zen, but mostly these people do not realize what Zen really is all about, what it entails. They end up appearing weird and semi-detached to the rest of the world without actually achieving the natural state of serenity of true Zen practitioners.

To help with a better understanding, here are some main points to consider:

1) Some people who honestly want to incorporate Zen into their lives are discouraged when they learn that it takes patience and constant practice to achieve a state of tranquillity. This colors their perception of the practice, and accordingly, they end up taking years, and even a lifetime to achieve a state of Zen.

2) People who first encounter Zen may very well be at first perplexed and confused by all of the seemingly contradicting principles and paradoxes. However, those who are willing to incorporate Zen into their lives, will find that the practice is one of the most effective and powerful ways to transform the way they look at the world around them. And consequently, the way they live, as well. Unfortunately, some people are not ready and able to commit themselves fully to the practice, and they end up quitting.

3) Assimilating Zen into one's life is not an easy thing to do. Most practitioners liken it to climbing a very high mountain where the act of "climbing" itself is considered more important than actually reaching the top. This is one of the paradoxes that confuse a lot of people. Why bother to "climb a mountain" when reaching the peak is not the goal at all?

4) Another confusing aspect of Zen is that the answers one seeks are found in the questions themselves. This makes Zen quite a difficult practice to explain using mere words alone. The closest answer one will find can be to take it into the context of mountain climbers who have scaled the great mountains of the world, such as Everest. When asked why they climbed the mountain, they would answer, "because it is there!"

About Zen

Zen is also a technique of controlling the mind. Practicing mind control can be difficult for most people who are used to jumping about trying to get everything that they need to do accomplished. Sitting very still and doing nothing but meditate is something most busy people do not understand at all. However, they do not realize that emptying one's mind, sitting at peace, and meditating is one of the Zen ways of achieving total clarity and awareness of the world surrounding them. Developing this heightened awareness is the key to achieving serenity in a person's life, busy world around them notwithstanding.

Zen practitioners are most focused on everything that happens to them and around them in the present, while remaining unaffected by either praise or criticism. This makes them impervious to stress and tension which is part and parcel of today's life. Because of this, people who have successfully incorporated Zen into their lives have very healthy blood pressures and do not suffer from hypertension at all. This is because while they too experience stress, they are aware of it for what it is and refuse to let stress affect them.

Zen is the key to achieving tranquillity, serenity and awareness. It allows people to empty all the negativity from their life and improve their state of living by practicing the principles of the craft.