Upaya, an ancient Zen method to free yourself from the loop of worries

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Po-chang was one of the great Zen masters of the XNUMXth century. His fame was such that many came to his monastery to follow the path of enlightenment, so he was forced to open a second monastery. But first he had to find the right master, so he devised a seemingly simple test to find him.

He gathered the monks and placed a jug in front of them. Then he said: “without calling it a pitcher, tell me what it is”.

The older monk replied: "You can't say it's a piece of wood."

While the other monks pondered their response, the monastery cook kicked the jug and went about his business. Po-chang entrusted him with the management of the monastery.

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This story in koan form teaches us to face the worries that grip us and that often end up doing more damage than the event that caused them. When we give them free rein, worries chain and spread, occupying our entire mind. They grow like dark clouds and prevent us from finding the solution, taking away ours inner peace.

The more we worry, the further we will move away from the solution

When we read but are distracted, we fail to grasp the essence. Then we say to ourselves: "I have to concentrate". At that precise moment we enter a state of hypervigilance. That is, the mind begins to monitor its activity so as not to wander. But this way we can't even concentrate on the words because the mind is busy acting as its own guardian.

A similar process occurs with worries. When something bad happens, we start thinking about it. It activates the catastrophic thinking. One concern calls to another. We imagine a disaster and then an even worse one, to the point where we almost completely disconnect from reality.

Worrying in loop blinds us. It generates profound discomfort and does not help us solve the real problem. In fact, that mental chatter only serves to create more confusion, making us always return to the same point without getting anywhere. Without solving anything.

In Zen philosophy there is a method to stop this incessant flow of thoughts and avoid being trapped by its centripetal force: effort. The word effort comes from Sanskrit and literally means "what allows you to achieve a goal". Therefore, it could be translated as a “means” that helps us achieve our goals.

The method effort it is very simple since it consists of pointing directly to what we want to end the vicious circle of worries and focus our attention on what we should do. Its strength is that it allows us to immediately return to reality.

Therefore, instead of needlessly wasting energy worrying, let's redirect our efforts towards finding the solution. In fact, the monastery cook's answer was not driven by impulsiveness but by the deeper knowledge that comes from intuitive intelligence, but which we often don't listen to due to our mental verbosity.

Effort, a zen concept to see clearly

They say that T'ung-shan, another great Zen master, was once asked, “What is the Buddha?” To which he replied: “three kilos of flax”.

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This may seem like an irrational answer. And it is. But its goal is to stifle any attempt at speculation. Prevent the thought from getting tangled up on itself and getting lost in thoughts and worries.

This is also why the great Zen masters speak very little and prefer to confront their disciples with reality. This reality is called tathata and designates "being such", without verbal labels that could lead to confusion.

The method effort has the same goal: to redirect our attention to what we need to solve. It allows us to get out of the loop of worries to get back to reality. It paves the way for intuitive intelligence, which is often silenced but allows us to see more clearly what is happening and the path we need to follow.

Indeed, when we manage to see things as they are, without the layers of meaning that we add to them – facts of our expectations, fears, beliefs… – we realize that “there is nothing good, nothing bad, nothing intrinsically long or short, nothing subjective and nothing objective,” as Alan Watts pointed out.

The method effort not only brings us back to reality, but strips events of the negative labels that generate concern. This is why it helps us to open our minds and look for 360-degree solutions.

A very simple way to start practicing the method effort and training the mind is to point to any object on the street when we are absorbed in our daily worries. We can stop and point to, for example, a tree. But instead of immediately thinking of its attributes by labeling it as “ash,” “big,” “leafy,” or “pretty,” we just need to see the tree, for what it is. Notice its color, the way it reflects light, or the shapes of its branches.

It may seem like an easy exercise, but it is extremely difficult for the mind accustomed to labeling everything. However, the more labels we use, the more wealth we lose. Labels allow us to move quickly, but only in one direction. The method effort it redirects attention to the present, without judgment, moving away from our looping thoughts and, above all, those reductionist labels.

So the next time something worries you a lot, but you notice that those worries are leading you to a dead end, increasing emotional distress, simply redirect your attention to the real problem. Pay attention to the here and now. Let your intuitive intelligence speak. It will probably be much easier for you to find the solution.


Sources:

Watts, A. (1971) The Camino del Zen. Barcelona: Edhasa.

Chung-yuan, C. (1979) Teachings of Buddhism selected from the transmission of the lamp. New York: Random House.

Admission Upaya, an ancient Zen method to free yourself from the loop of worries was published first in Corner of Psychology.

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