Taoism and Zen – Similarities

Ask Lewis – Q. Why are Zen and Taoism Considered “Wisdom Paths”.
Lewis Answers: No matter how deep your understanding of Zen, Taoism or some other spiritually based studies, no matter how advanced your intellect, and mental clarity, the fact remains that in your practice you will need to explore how the appropriate application of your individual talents, personal resources, and your ability to delay short term gratification can help you create your best life.

Both Zen and Taoism are essentially “Wisdom Paths”. They are approaches to spirituality that explore what “Is” through metaphor and poetic thoughts, while guiding you to surrender the need to understand your thoughts concerning what “Is”. Each of these paths, Taoism and Zen, has subtle differences that ultimately will dissolve once you have mastered either. It better to drop the distinctions from the very beginning if possible. Let’s just call one’s intention to live life fully, with little or no unnecessary struggle the, “Wisdom Path.”

The Wisdom Path integrates practices and traditions from Zen and Taoism and also draws from a diverse pool of thought including Kabala, Sufism, Game Theory, and mystic Christianity. Whether the source is Lao Tsu Meister Eckhart, Thomas Merton or the Ball Shem Tov the core element in this work is the sitting meditation often associate with the Soto School of Zen. Also Integrated into the Wisdom Path is the exploration of kōans as practiced in the Rinzai Zen School, and the altered states of consciousness that may naturally arise with deep introspection and contemplation. The aim of all of these is essentially the same – enlightenment or awakening. In addition to mediation and the exploration of kōans learning to conserve our resources and balance them as they manifest through our life skills is equally important. By merging these approaches, you are in a sense creating a post-modern monastery.
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Click below to observe a nine minute video interview Lewis did with the Award winning journalist Phyllis Haynes on why people suffer:

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I have been contacted by so many people who have an interest in personal development and human potential that I decided to throw together a free course from my 20,000 plus pages of notes on: How to Make Choices, Zen, Mystic Taoism, game Based Thinking, Quantum Thought, Holistic Medicine and Healing and other idea of interest.

If you want to receive the course just send me an e-mail to LewisCoaches@gmail.com and write “Send Me the Free Course” in the subject line. If you like it and ask for the next lesson I’ll send you another one weekly.

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What is Reality?

We had a gathering at the Catskills Bed and Breakfast. It was an event with corporate chair massage (www.eventschairmassage.com), great food and deep discussion. Someone asked “What is reality?”

The Nobel prize winning Swedish physicist, scientist and philosopher Niels Bohr once stated,

“Nothing exists until it is measured.”

He also stated to Richard Feynman who later won the Nobel Prize for a reeaallly crazy theory:

Much of what we all do in our daily lives is create definitions for people, places and things. We build a personal reality by doing so. We then measure them, either consciously or unconsciously, either as “isolated ” people, places and things” or by observing and sensing when and how they are interacting with each other. Merging Lewis Carroll’s quote “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there” with Bohr’s and adding some other ideas one might ask. “How can one know where one is, if one does not know who one is, and what “Is” even means”?
All this seems at the same time quite obvious and at the same time complex. Like life!

The life journey of any extraordinary thinker, which I assume you to be just by the fact that you are reading this, is likely nothing more than surrealist jigsaw puzzle. It is as if this puzzle was created by a committee consisting of a shaman, a quantum physicist, a high functioning autistic and a very bored accountant. It is Dorothy walking on the Yellow Brick Road and encountering Alice who shows her what the world looks like through the Looking Glass and then leads her down the Rabbit Hole. In the end, thanks to game theory, quantum thought, and an understanding of the mathematics of contradiction, ambiguity and paradox with a sprinkling of logic and the rational here and there they both get to Oz, and on to Kansas where they live happily ever after.

Each day one must laugh, dance, introspect and sing.
Lewis
Here is a music video for you to sing along with.

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If you are one of those individuals that is always asking questions and exploring the meaning of things as you create efficient and effective strategies to survive, and even prosper- then this book is written for you.

I am currently offering a course on Lewis Harrison’s “Living the Spiritual Life”. Learn more at http://www.chihealer.com

Lewis

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I discuss also discuss the spiritual aspect of reality in my book

It is available at this link on Amazon.com

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Lewis Harrison can be reached by e-mail at LewisCoaches@gmail.com