Ask Dr. Ding

Dear Dr. Ding:

I see your write about Buddhism on this site sometimes and I would like to know more about what type of Buddhism I should practice to gain some kind of inner clarity and peace. I have done research on the topic of eastern spiritual practices and Buddhism in general appeals to me the most — I don’t know where to start though.

Can you offer me some suggestions? I would like to start some kind of meditating soon.

Thanks Dr. Ding. I appreciate it.

Leprechaun Lady

Dear Leprechaun Lady:

First off, congratulations for taking time out of your probably very busy life to embark on a legitimate, informed spiritual journey, as opposed to the illegitimate kind where you put leaves in your hair and smoke hydroponic pot while dreamily announcing to everyone your new name is “RavensChylde” and that you’re going to start channeling Gaia’s menstrual wisdom for $125 a pop despite the fact that Mother Earth doesn’t have an actual vagina.

But I digress. Gleefully.

In regards to your question, Zen Buddhism has the reputation for being the most kind of bare-bones, straightforward approach to enlightenment. However, even within the context of that tradition, there’s a lot to learn about different lineages and styles.

If you’re a real leprechaun, or at least if you identify with the characteristics of fae folk,

probably you’re seeking a more grounded, less mercurial approach to life. Possibly too you’ve grown tired of counting your gold, and would like to focus your intentions on relatively less materialistic pursuits? At their esoteric heart, all forms of Buddhism are in line with these goals, so you can’t go wrong.

Also, Leprechaun Lady, formal meditation doesn’t have to mean you don robes and become suddenly bald and/or serious, devoting long hours to intoning various unintelligible syllables in some exotic language. You can start right now. A Zen practitioner would probably say that there’s no need to get into a special state of consciousness, and that in fact “just” sitting = Zen.

One of Dr. Ding’s favorite books is Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. It’s very “Zen For Dummies” in terms of pragmatism, yet the writing style is lyrical and even calming somehow. I recommend it highly.

Also: most books written by Natalie Goldberg deal with zazen (Zen practice), and she does an incomparably great job of explicating how zazen relates to everyday life.

There are several good websites about Zen in modern life, like zenhabits.net, but Dr. Ding feels there is something just inherently Zen about instead picking up a solid, 3-D book and reading it, savoring it, re-reading it. The physical contact somehow forces you to be in the moment, psychologically present, fully open to the experience, and not maniacally dashing amongst Firefox tabs to check your PageRank or see if someone on eBay snapped up those hot-pink patent platform pumps with the cute boxed toe or to find out if anyone new is following your ass on Twitter. Not that I’ve ever done that. No.

That said, I’ll leave you with a lil bit of Zen humor.

Q: How much “ego” do you need?
A: Just enough so that you don’t step in front of a bus.
Shunryu Suzuki