Crayzen - My Current Framework for Life
Do No Harm. Take No Shit.
I’d like to kick things off on the first real post with my current view of how to navigate life. I will fill in the backstory later as to how I got here and why.
Note that this is my current framework for life, which is radically different from how I lived my life from age 0 to 49.
More on the 1.0 framework later as I get into my backstory.
For now, all you need to know is that I’ve spent the last 10 months building my meditation practice.
I’ve spent the last 6 months studying Tibetan Buddhism and Zen Buddhism.
There are parts of Buddhism I very much like.
There are parts of it I don’t understand.
And there are the ritualistic / cult-like parts that make zero sense to me.
Coming from a mostly non-religious secular background I believe I have figured out what currently works for me.
Hint: It’s not chants and robes and specific postural meditative procedures.
Meditation
Meditate in whatever way works for you.
Here’s what I like:
Meditate in a sensory deprivation float tank
Meditate in bed while falling asleep
Meditate in nature sitting on a rock with a beautiful backdrop
For example, one of the best meditation experiences I’ve ever had is here:
I don’t like meditating in a virtual Zendo over zoom.
I hate sitting on a cushion because of lower back issues and flexibility issues
I hate staring at a wall with my eyes partially closed.
Ethics
I love the positive framing of the basic 4 Buddhist vows and the 8 fold path.
Do these 12 things.
As opposed to Christianity which frames things negatively. Don’t do these 10 things.
While I am still very much at the beginning of my journey, right now I’m focused on:
Respecting all sentient life.
For me this has resulted in shifting my diet to 99% vegan.
Or as my uncle once said “I don’t eat anything with eyes except for potatoes.”
But there is more to it than just diet of course.
Respect “all” sentient life.
“all” has a heavy weight to it.
This touches on nearly everything in society from abortion to capital punishment to animal rights and even to Artificial Intelligence.
So for example, I now oppose capital punishment.
I’m not going to start typing a huge list of things I’m against. It’s exhausting and boring.
Instead I feel in control and happier with the mantra in my head of “Respect all sentient life”
Empathy
Where Zen / Buddhism calls for endless compassion, I don’t think I yet have it in me.
Some people are truly evil. I’ve worked with, and for them.
Others are fairly normal people that occasionally commit an evil act. I have more empathy for them.
But the truly evil ones? That’s a struggle for me.
I can sometimes muster up some empathy for what made them the way they are.
But I can’t go much further than that.
I’ve changed radically over the last year. I don’t accept that some of these people I’ve encountered couldn’t also make some positive changes too.
So for now, I’m at a B+ on the empathy scale.
And yes I understand some people are dealt poor hands, while others have been dealt perfect hands.
I’m not getting into any conversations about Free Will and privilege. I’ll leave that to the people that have gone off the deep end like Sam Harris.
The non-duality stuff is an interesting meditation subject, but it hurts my brain and I mostly don’t care about it right now.
So I’ve established some simple rules for life that include:
Lead your life ethically.
Be kind by default.
Alcohol is bad for me.
THC isn’t bad. In fact it’s highly useful combined with the float tank and meditation. So Buddha got that part wrong about no intoxicants. But then again, he never had a sensory deprivation float tank in his basement.
Meditate! Every single day.
Workout! Every single day.
Dogs are better people than most humans are. Slow down and read that again. Replace 90% of your phone / social media time with taking your dog for a walk.
That’s it. That’s the secret to life.
I’m calling it Crayzen. As in Cray Cray Zen.