Living Zen Principles
Daily reminders of simplicity, balance, patience, and compassion
Today's Principle
Simplicity
Remove the unnecessary. Find beauty in the essential.
Eight Zen Principles
Simplicity
Remove the unnecessary. Find beauty in the essential.
Balance
Walk the middle path. Find harmony between effort and ease.
Patience
Trust the natural unfolding. Growth cannot be forced.
Compassion
Extend kindness to yourself and all beings.
Presence
Be fully here, now. Only this moment is real.
Acceptance
Welcome what is, without resistance. Acceptance brings peace.
Impermanence
All things change. Nothing lasts forever.
Non-Attachment
Enjoy without grasping. Hold life lightly, like the wind.
Embracing Impermanence
Understanding impermanence is central to Zen practice. When we truly grasp that all things are temporary, we can appreciate each moment more fully and hold our experiences more lightly.
The Changing Seasons
Just as spring gives way to summer, and autumn to winter, all aspects of life move through cycles of change. Nothing remains static. This is not a flaw in the design of existence—it is the design itself.
Practice
Look around you. What has changed since yesterday? Since last year? Can you find peace in this flow?
The River of Time
You cannot step into the same river twice, for fresh waters are ever flowing. Each moment is unique, unrepeatable, precious. The person you were yesterday is not the person you are today.
Practice
Reflect on how you've changed over time. What have you let go of? What has naturally fallen away?
Holding Lightly
When we grasp tightly to what we love, we create suffering. When we hold lightly, with open hands, we can appreciate fully while accepting that all things must pass. This is the wisdom of impermanence.
Practice
What are you holding too tightly? Can you appreciate it while accepting its temporary nature?
"The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart."
— Buddha