Oakville Zen Meditation
| Statement | Traditional Mind | Zen Mind |
| Life can be better | Yes | Life is what it is |
| Life is unfair | Often | Life is what it is |
| I am unique | Yes | What is this? |
| Happiness is found | Mostly outside ourselves | Mostly inside ourselves |
| Success is happiness | Happiness is success | |
| I control | Almost everything in my life | Almost nothing |
| Most things are permanent | Yes | Everything is transient |
| Time is | Past – Present - Future | Only the present exists |
| I am | Unique, Separate, Independent with my self-entity | We are all interconnected.Our uniqueness is only molecular |
| My ego is | A source of power and success | The main cause of my suffering |
| The Source of suffering is | Outside self | Mostly Inside self |
| Most of the time my mind is | In the future or the past | Mostly in the present |
| My mind is full of | Ideas, concepts, illusions, etc. | My mind is open & receptive |
| My mind is | Always analyzing | Is a mirror reflecting things as they are |
| My mind is | Distorting reality | Reflecting reality |
| My mind is | A wonderful instrument | Useful but also a deceptive beast |
| My mind makes me | Smart | A slave |
| The more I know | The better I feel | The more confused and anxious I become |
| Thinking a lot is | Necessary | Dangerous |
| I think therefore | I am (Descartes) | I am not what I think I am |
| I think therefore | I know | Know what? |
| My Thoughts | I am a thinking zombie | I observe them |
| Knowledge | The more the better | The more of it the more confused I am |
| Knowledge | The more the smarter I am | The more of it the bigger my ego |
| My thoughts | I believe in them | They are not necessary the truth |
| Serenity is | How much I have | How little I need |
| Meditation is | A relaxation technique | A mind control exercise |
| Meditation is | Boring | Neither boring nor exiting, just as it is |
| Meditation is | Difficult | Neither difficult nor easy |
| Nirvana is | Only for Guru | Everyone has it |
| Nirvana is | Outside self | Inside self |
| Enlightenment | A divine state to get from outside | Inside self |
| My way of thinking is | Always dualistic & discriminative | Non dualistic, things are what they are |
| Judging is | Important | Only to make decisions |
| My negative emotions | Control me | I contemplate them |
| Zen is | Esoteric | Down to earth |
Thanks.
Ven. Ji Gong Sunim.
