Zen Buddhists hold a reservoir of wisdom about accomplishing goals, overcoming fear, and delaying gratification. All of these actions provide a powerful foundation for self-discipline. Zen is not a religion—it is regarded as a life experience based on the teachings of Buddha. “Satori” is a Japanese term similar to Zen, meaning “flash of inspiration” or “first showing.” To experience Zen, you must live in the present and have a deep belief that everything in the world is connected. To get a better understanding of Zen, gaining some insight into the life of Buddha will help. THE LIFE OF BUDDHA Thousands of years ago Buddha started to spread the observations and teachings that led to his enlightenment. His focus was on two main concepts—the first was that it was a natural part of human life to experience suffering. The second was that in most cases, we are responsible for the suffering we endure. Buddha departed from his life of luxury to get a better understanding of the world he was living in. He wanted to dig deeper into the concept of existence. He found that the majority of people were not happy. He eventually concluded that if we are going to reach the point where we believe that life has meaning, we must let go of self. We must let go of the idea that the world consists of “I” and “You,” and accept that everything is interconnected. Once we have achieved this level of insight, the cares of this world such as acquiring material possessions and social status will no longer concern us. We can then begin to lead a much more balanced life by putting all our energy into moral development. We will also free ourselves from unnecessary suffering by relinquishing the idea that external events can make us happy. LIVING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT Buddhists believe that we should live in the present moment, and the past is nothing but a set of interpretations and memories. We have not yet entered the future, and so worrying and obsessing that things should turn out a certain way will only lead to unnecessary suffering. Next up are some examples from everyday life to help you put it into context. Let’s look at the issue of self-identity. Zen teaches us that the rigid ideas that we hold about who we are as individuals is self-limiting and keeps us bound to destructive behavior patterns. The first time I started reading about Zen, it dawned on me that the self-image I held was that of a high achiever. “What’s the