Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation, through which followers believe enlightenment can be attained. According to one website, the religion “rejects the study of scriptures, religious rites, devotional practices, and good works in favor of meditation leading to a sudden breakthrough of insight and awareness of ultimate reality.”
I am not a follower of Zen Buddhism, but I am fascinated by some of its teachings and I like the parallels found in science.
I am a birthmother who has experienced trauma and who struggles with mental illness, so I find it helpful to seek various, if unconventional, coping skills. The teachings of Zen Buddhism give me three things in particular to consider.
1. Meditation
Mindfulness meditation was first suggested to me as a way to mitigate symptoms of my mood disorder/depression. Numerous scientific studies point to emotional and even physical benefits of this practice.
In this extensive article, blogger Giovanni Dienstmann analyzed more than 100 scientific studies, identifying 76 benefits of meditation. The benefits he found include several that relate to mood, like decreasing depression, regulating anxiety and mood disorders, and reducing alcohol and substance abuse.
I find guided meditation more helpful than trying to meditate in silence. A few phone apps offer a series of guided meditations, but my favorite is Headspace. The app gives 10 days of 10-minute meditations for free. After that, a monthly fee is required.
2. Imperfection
Meditation can be practiced in more ways than sitting cross-legged on a pillow. Zen Buddhists create enso art as one form of meditation.
An enso is a circle, hand-drawn in one stroke with a brush. Many depictions of the enso display the circle as incomplete, with the beginning and end points of the brushstroke not quite meeting.
Enso artists are taught to meditate on drawing the circle not only in one stroke, but also on the imperfection of an incomplete circle. Aspects of Zen Buddhism recognize the world as imperfect and accept the beauty of this.
3. Awareness
Zen Buddhists believe everyone has enlightenment within, but that it is hidden by ignorance and can be revealed by meditation.
As a sometimes-student of meditation, I find self-awareness to be a natural product of sitting quietly and focusing on my breath. I become aware of tight areas in my body, of how life-giving air can rush to those areas and release my muscle tension, of letting mental distractions float by.
When I meditate a few minutes a day, I find that the rest of my day is easier to manage. My focus is sharper, my breathing more regular, my back less sore. I notice when I start to clench my jaw, or when my thoughts start to race, I can remember to bring my attention back to my breath. By doing so, I can mitigate my stress reaction with this deeper understanding of self.
Zen Buddhism may not directly relate to being a birthmother, but I think these three observations may be useful to others who continue to struggle with past traumas. Placing a baby for adoption is certainly traumatic.
With just this little bit of Internet research on Zen Buddhism, I have concluded that the religion is onto something. Before science discovered that the teachings have tangible benefits, the Zen Buddhists proclaimed them. In my mind, the combination of science and the religion make the practices worth a try.
What coping skills do you find helpful when trying to overcome a personal obstacle? Leave a reply in the comment box below. Read our comment policy here.
