The Very Gradual A to Z guide to Zimmer Zen - Moving On Slowly....

I'm on a bit of a roll at the moment but it may not last long, so enjoy...

E is for Enlightenment
This is the goal, the reason you're on the Zim-Zen path. But there are many different interpretations of this term so it's probably best to view it as a state of "delight-enment" - where your daily experience becomes an eternal delight. Delight in the way you do ordinary things, delight in the way you do extra-ordinary things too, but perhaps most of all, just simply delight in the fact that you are alive.

ZimZen Tip: Too much delight may be harmful so follow the middle way and take all delightful things in moderation.

F is for the Five Precepts
As a Zimmer Zen practitioner you will probably have trangressed most of these by now: 1) try not kill anything 2) try not to take what doesn't belong to you 3) try not to indulge in illicit nooky (sex) 4) try not to tell porky pies (lies) 5) try not to get drunk or take substances that make you feel cool

ZimZen Tip: Been there, done that. No point in worrying about it now so let it go.

G is for Guru (teacher)
Choosing a teacher can be tricky for Zimmer Zen members as some of them will look about the same age as your grandchildren. Still, treat them with respect, listen to what they say, take a power nap (if necessary) and then make up your own mind whether or not to take any notice.

ZimZen Tip: If you come across a guru the same age as you (or older) be delighted - and invite to tea to swap memories!

H is for Haiku (Zen- inspired Japanese poetry)
Traditionally, haiku is a verse of 17 syllables arranged in a specific way and it's aim is to point up the directness of ordinary life. If you are poetically inclined you might find it useful to read them and then contemplate on their meaning between power naps. If you're not a poet just take the power nap.

ZimZen Tip: If you feel inspired to write haiku you might find it useful to take a more gradual approach by beginning with limericks. To get you started here's a first line:

"There once was a chap with a Zimmer..."

The Very Gradual A to Z guide to Zimmer Zen (Part One)

I've not posted here for over four months and I have a simple reason for that - I just forgot! I would like to pretend that I've been on a long retreat exploring the nature of forgetfulness but I would be breaking the fourth precept (telling porky pies) if I did, so I won't.

I've been giving some thought to "The Very Gradual A to Z guide to Zimmer Zen " that I promised to share and I offer this as a first installment. Make of it what you will...

This simple guide is offered to help those coming to Zimmer Zen (Zim-Zen) for the first time. On your own Buddhist journeys you will have come across these terms before but here I will be interpreting them in the dim light of the Zimmer Zen teachings and offer them as arthritic fingers pointing a way forward. It's a gradual path so please don't rush and do feel free to stop if you have to when the needs of your bladder become more important than the Zim-Zen teachings.

A is for Anicca or "impermanence"
Everything changes. Hair changes colour and may slowly disappear all on it's own as the years roll by, skin gets more wrinkly (botox just delays things), and teeth eventually fall out and are reincarnated as dentures. Basically, the body goes it's own way and to continue charting its changes here is just too depressing, so here's the bottom line - we change moment to moment and eventually wear out, period.

ZimZen Tip: Change the things you can (especially your underwear), accept the things you can't change (e.g. local bus timetables) and get on with your life as best you can.

B is for Buddha
Buddha means "to be awake" and a lot of emphasis is put on the importance of staying awake. Of course, as you get older staying awake can become much harder so here's a suggestion: take up the practice of what we in ZimZen call "power napping". This is an advanced practice but here's how it works: start by taking a 10 minute power nap and increase the time slowly until you can power nap for several hours.

ZimZen Tip: Put the Tupperware box you keep your sandwiches in on the top of your head during meditation and secure it with a piece of string. If it falls off when you are power napping you still have a long way to go. Other people might think you are a tad eccentric but the more you practice equanimity the less you'll care, and the more they practice compassion the more they'll mind their own business.

C is for Citta or "mind"
This is an important term for Buddhists and needs a lot of thought. According to the original Buddhist teachings the mind is supposed to be pure in it's original state but as we get older the minds that we live with change. More often than not I forget that the mind is pure (or even exists) but never mind - as we say in ZimZen "if you don't mind, then it don't matter".

ZimZen Tip: Take another power nap!

D is for Dharma or "the way it is"
Dharma also refers to the teachings of Sid Arthur-itis. But for the ZimZen ladies who first came across Buddhism in the late 1950s/early 1960s and may have read Jack Kerouac's book "The Dharma Bums" the answer is yes - your dharma bum does look good in ZimZen robes!

ZimZen Tip: If you are a man take another power nap!

More to follow if I remember to post!