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A Zen for profits: Wallets can be lightened on path to enlightenment
By Stephanie Simons, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Staff
January 4, 2001
It's about meditation and enlightenment, about the mind-to-mind transmission of knowledge and understanding.
It’s about taking time to look inside, and finding that you can see the world more clearly.
It’s Zen.
And it’s recently entered the rarified level of commercialism usually reserved for such landmark creations as the singing bass and the pet rock.
Zen isn’t just a brand of Buddhism anymore — it’s a name for a collection of magnetic words that can be organized into such profound statements as: "Nirvana sound attention one clapping hand" or "Master discipline love suffering."
Zen isn't just a brand of Buddhism anymore: it's a name for a collection of magnetic words that can be organized into "profound" statements, such as the ones above.
They say Zen, one of the company’s newest offerings, is a top seller. Why? Zen is trendy, and people love trendy things (for at least 15 minutes).
Genjo Marinello, abbott of a Zen Buddhist temple on Capitol Hill, says the commercialism of Zen is not necessarily bad.
"It’s kind of neat that you can go into stores and find books and things," he said. "Some of them are quite nice.
"But little droplets or glimpses of serenity are not that hard to come by. You don’t need Zen to do that. It’s pushing past the defenses that is hard."
And that takes more than a book or a set of magnets.
"Not very many people want to do Zen," Marinello said. "It’s kind of an extreme-sport religion."
By "extreme," he means retreats where people get up before the sun and don't go to bed until almost midnight.
"They spend most of the day sitting cross-legged on the floor. That's not going to appeal to a lot of people."
So what is the appeal?
"Zen brings an expanded consciousness, but it comes at a cost. The rigor of the retreat pushes through that shell of defense and gets us in touch with the reality we're all swimming in."
There's a Zen parable about a fish who asks another fish, "What is the sea? I've heard about it but where can I find it?" The other fish replies, "You live and breathe in the sea, you're made of the sea and it's all around you." The fabric of Zen contains many such koans (short stories).
The slightly longer story of how Zen and Buddhism came to be begins with Siddhartha Gautama, a prince born in India in 563 B.C. He walked away from privilege to seek understanding, and realized that relief from suffering comes from an abandonment of worldly attachments. After this enlightenment, Siddhartha became known as Buddha and his disciples began spreading their beliefs.
Those beliefs have now spread to the Internet, from scholarly reports to sites like Daily Zen (www.dailyzen.com).
"Always keep your mind as bright and clear as the vast sky, the great ocean, and the highest peak, empty of all thoughts. Always keep your body filled with light and heat. Fill yourself with the power of wisdom and enlightenment," read a Daily Zen statement from last week.
It can sound a little like fortune-cookie sentiment, and it's ripe for jokes and self-importance.
Zen and Buddhism have been a punch line in shows like "Absolutely Fabulous," with featured a booze-addled character who chanted between drinks. Bush, a second-rate alternative rock band, turned lyrical non-sequiturs into a hit with a song called "Everything Zen."
And then there is the Bonsai Potato, which promises "Zen — without the wait!"
The Bonsai Potato Kit ($15.99; www.bonsaipotato.com) includes a plastic "altar" made for tubers with delusions of enlightenment. Put a potato on the altar, let it sprout, and, ta-da, there's your "bonsai."
Of course, these creations have a limited life. A significant chunk of the 64(!)-page, occasionally amusing guide to Bonsai Potatoes is devoted to the disposal of same. Flushing is not recommended.
"A normal Bonsai Potato will wither away gracefully, but if you notice a strange odor or non-standard growth patterns (i.e. mold), you should dispose of your potato immediately," the handbook states.
Running Press, meanwhile, sells Zen rock-gardening kits, which contain a box, sand, a rake several rocks and a guidebook for $5.95 (palm-size, cardboard) and $30 (larger, with more rocks, a wooden box and a bigger book and rake).
This outfit takes its Zen somewhat seriously, telling potential gardeners they may "have the chance to glimpse the world in a grain of sand."
"A garden may prompt us to open our minds and view life from a different perspective. A true breath of fresh air may blow through us."
Marinello, who enjoys a real Zen garden at the Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji Temple, says the rock 'n' rake kits might be considered a step down the path to enlightenment.
"Working with the Zen toy garden can give you an idea what a real Zen garden is like," he said.
He just hopes the Zen commercialism doesn't go as far here as it has in Japan.
"I hear there they have Zen cigarettes. I hope that's not the wave of the future," he said.
He expects Zen toys "to have their day and fade away."
"But in general, it will have gotten into the consciousness of the culture, and there's nothing bad about that."
©copyright 2001 The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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©copyright 1998-2006 Bottled Lightning! Inc. all rights reserved
Bonsai Potato and Zen — Without the Wait! are registered trademarks of Bottled Lightning! Inc.
Bottled Lightning! is also a trademark of Bottled Lightning! Inc. of Mukilteo, WA, USA
Questions? Problems? Contact sensei@bonsaipotato.com
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