Sublime

Rinzai Roku (a celebrated Zen text of the T’ang dynasty) and the teachings of Bankei, the seventeenth-century Japanese master who, for me, represents Zen at its best.

++ Fukinsei: asymmetry or imbalance (Don’t get caught up in checking every e-mail all the time.) ++ Kanso: simplicity or elimination of clutter (Keep your favorite sites to a minimum, close down old accounts, and avoid carrying too many devices.) ++ Koko: austerity or bare essentials (Streamline your devices, services, and even contact list.) ++ Sh

We might also eat our meals mindfully, slowly savoring each bite with appreciation. Take a daily walk in nature, looking at everything entering our field of vision with gratitude and connection. Take a moment to marvel at the feeling of our heartbeat and the movement of blood through our veins before sleep.

I tuned my inputs to listen more to channels from the real world, including the nature channel, the friend channel, the love channel, the curiosity channel, the literature channel, and the travel channel. I smelled a lot of roses and marveled at amazing vistas near and far. I even let myself get bored from time to time. I reduced my clock speed to