Some Basic Techniques of Zen
First, I recommend the short comic book: Zen Speaks, by Tsai Chih Chung. It's entertaining, interesting, and even poignant at times. And if you wish, you can research some of the events and people referenced by the book.
You can read it on scribd.com freely here.
You could think of zen as as maximizing absorption, and efficiency of absorption, of useful (progressive to fulfillment of your desire(s)) Contentment and/or Discontentment from one or more of these categories (Time, Situation, Environment; but also others like entities and people) by changing self/perception by usefully technical and/or intuitive means. Absorption of (coe that is) discontentment and/or contentment can then be used to collect, or immediately use that kind/state of coe.
Many times, dissonance can be useful for discontentment for progress for your own personal usage/desirous fulfillment. Remember harmonization and dissonance from previous LWC books. Harmony; like two or more harmonic notes played by musical instruments. Dissonance; like two or more dissonant notes played by musical instruments. Now, consider self as an instrument that can play "notes" of thought and perception, action, and communication. Think of the environment as another instrument, or group of instruments, which can also do some of those things.
The self harmonizes to things in a similar way: by expressing at the same time or in an associated way, to increase mood of self and/or others. Dissonance, like expressing at the same time or by an associated way ((such as in series, or simultaneously but out of physical earshot but heard virtually, etc.)) decreasing mood of self and/or others. Such changes in mood can be practically used. Changes to self and to others. And when changes in mood are associated to specific concepts, but also general changes.
Practical usage can be achieved from harmony and/or dissonance with one or more of these three (a non-exhaustive list):
Environment - Time - Situation
These techniques can yield coe that is of Discontentment or of Contentment; (or sometimes a complex systemized "packet" of both. For example: like the famous Yin and Yang symbol. It can be visualized rotating, having a little Yin moved within Yang; a dot of Yang within Yin moving with it. These "packet"-systems be more complex and can be received and transferred to and from self.)
Descriptions and specific examples of each:
- Absorption, then Usage of Contentment For a Conscious Process -
example: Using a traffic jam (a situation), instead of getting annoyed by it, as a time to stop and plan, perceiving it as an opportunity to focus, by changing perception to thereby absorb Contentment from the situation (instead of Discontentment), perhaps by focusing less on the desire to get to your next location, and focusing more on the allowance of a break to think and consciously meditate. Changing focus/coe to do so.
- Absorption, then Usage of Discontentment for a Conscious Process -
example: Using a traffic jam, being annoyed by it, as motivational fuel to cause changes, perceiving it more as a reason to enact change; either changing the situation of being stuck in traffic and/or other situations.
example: Hearing clamorous sounds inside a factory (an environment), but redirecting the energy of that annoying feeling you get from that environment, and perhaps using each annoying sound as a prompt to (continue to) think about something useful. Almost like how a manager prompts his employees to continue or start to work, by transferring discontentment to them by/in/with his tone of voice, visible expressions, choice of words, etc. Matching the rate of annoyance from the clanking sounds, to the rate of generation and sustaining of useful thought. By manipulating focus/coe, either continuously, or by once setting up a system for absorbed discontentment to go through (so you don't have to use as much continuous effort).
- Usage of Discontentment for Other-Conscious Process -
example: getting annoyed by clamorous sounds inside of a factory. Redirecting those annoying feelings as absorbed Discontentment, discontent focus/coe, for motivation of a skilled movement learned by rote and done with muscle memory without (much) conscious thought. Redirecting discontentment absorbed (into focus/coe or as focus/coe) to trigger this automatic function or skill to activate yourself to do it. Redirecting discontentment to be discontent with stillness / being stationary.
- Usage of Contentment for an Other-Conscious Process -
(you can extrapolate)
- Collection and Storage of Contentment -
Putting focus/coe on an enjoyable and/or vicariously enjoyable experience, but not allowing self to fully experience or enjoy that (for increasing mood as much as possible from it) yet.
- Collection and Storage of Discontentment -
(again, you can extrapolate)
You can extrapolate this to virtual environments, virtual times, virtual situations. So memory, hope, and anticipation can all relate to these techniques.
It may be possible to produce real environments, use real timings, and make real situations, to manipulate coe, even coe of other entities (and spirits?).
Larger amounts of consciousness can form and store and reference and use systems, but smaller amounts of coe might not be able to do so by itself, and therefore may be subject to such manipulation. Larger amounts are usually made of smaller amounts.