The Zen of....

The zen of consumerism? Mystical and mysterious Zen has seen a growth in American pop culture. What is Zen and what makes it so useful for the art of motorcycle maintenance?

One reason is the classic Buddhist philosophy and meditative practices Zen encourages. Zen meditation goes beyond the lotus position; adherents may meditate walking, standing or sitting, cultivating the ability of hyper-awareness and mental alertness. It is this practice that Americans have latched onto. Four Noble Truths, begone! We want the easy road to mystical, mental and physical powers that come with cultivating this "force". For us American consumers, "Zen" has become popularized in part by a generation raised on the fantasies of George Lucas and is, for most, a technique, rather than a goal or religious system. Although Alan Watts once said, "Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes," we really want to know how to peel those potatoes faster, easier, and more efficiently than the Joneses and have turned to Zen in our quest to do so.

Through practiced meditation, Zen, in going beyond the physical, auditory and spoken, opens a practitioner to the abilities that a mental state of heightened awareness and uber-concentration allows. These are skills that might come in handy when, say, improving your golf game.

Here's a brief review of a few "The Zen of..." books. Read on to see if the Zen mind can be of use to your hobby or job.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance By Robert Pirsig

This is the book that started it all. Written in the form of a fictional dialogue as a father imparts his wisdom to his somewhat challenged son while motorbiking across the American west. The reader learns two different approaches to motorcycle maintenance and life, while learning very little about zen.

Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game By Dr. Joseph Parent

I'll leave aside all questions of whether or not the Zen mind should be applied to the mundane world of things such as golf, and merely assert that it can. Then again, with all the pomp and circumstance applied to drinking a simple cup of tea, perhaps Bodhidharma would just laugh with utter glee to watch a modern game of golf. Either that or he's throwing koans at me right now. Anyways, once again, with Zen Golf, you'll learn more about golf and life than you will about Zen, but if that's what you're looking for, this book will give it to you.

Zen Guitar By Philip Toshio Sudo

You don't have to be a guitarist to appreciate this book, as the lessons it imparts are applicable to just about any undertaking. I'll summarize Zen Guitar message right here for you and save you the bother of reading the book: If you're going to do something, whether or not you're any good at it, whether or not you know what you're doing, do it like you mean it. Own it. If you'd prefer to come at that conclusion yourself after 208 pages, by all means, read this book.

Zen and the Art of Poker By Larry Phillips

If Zen isn't enough for you, author Larry Phillips has also written a book about the tao of poker. You'll probably learn more about Zen from this book than any of the others on the list, simply from the fact that Phillips intersperses his own writing with verses from Zen masters- real ones, like Suzuki and Lao Tzu, and gives us a bit of a history lesson as well. Whether or not Phillips' approach will improve your poker game remains to be seen, but if not, well, there's always The Tao of Poker!

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