The realization about what Zen does in relation to other teachings I've come across has to do with the Zen idea of "no mind". That's a poor translation and is the source of the misinterpretation that Zen seeks nihilation, emptying the mind so that there is nothing there. In that way, having an "empty mind" is not the goal, neither is achieving a state of "no mind".

The conception of the "empty mind" that results from that poor terminology of "empty mind" is impossible. There is no such thing as an empty mind. Even during sitting, we are aware of our bodies and our surroundings. These things are fact, these things are in our minds just by our beings, so just by our existence, our minds cannot be "empty".

Furthermore, by being alive, it is impossible for thoughts not to arise in our minds. That's the brain's functioning, to give rise to cognitive thought. Again, "empty mind" is not possible.

The better term for the idea is "non-clinging mind" (Teflon mind?), and that is what Zen practice trains. Thoughts arise, but we don't cling to them, we let them go.

But that's not the end of the practice. That is the practice for something else. Practicing non-clinging in our minds and thoughts is training to not cling to desires, to attachments, or to aversions. Even not cling to our lives as if they were something permanent and could be held onto by will.

Maybe I ate a particularly delicious apple fritter. Then during sitting, the memory of the apple fritter arises and I think about it. I remember how delicious it was and how satisfied I felt while eating it. Maybe I'll look forward in anticipation to the next apple fritter I eat. Or worst case scenario, I break sitting to seek the apple fritter . . .

OK, I'm back. Man, that was good fritter.

Anyway, the rise of the memory of the apple fritter could not have been prevented. It happened, it went into our memory as a strong pleasurable feeling, it would inevitably arise again. That it happens during sitting gives us the opportunity for it to arise and let it go, not cling to it. That's practice, training.

It's not that we don't enjoy the apple fritter when we eat it, but when the clinging thoughts and desire arise later, we train ourselves to not suffer from them by letting them go, using some symbolic or metaphorical visualization, such as putting the leaf back into the stream and letting it flow away.

It all seems so obvious and sophomoric when I write it out. I just enjoyed the returning to Zen and realizing that things from other schools fit in very well. For the purpose of the other philosophies, Zen is a viable tool. Maybe not for everyone, but it's a legitimate, viable tool.

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