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I also decided not to become a on maturing the whole person. define it. It usually refers to both
monk, as I initially thought I would, Hence, Zen has now become more psychological and physical health.
but I did want to dedicate myself to integrated with psychotherapy, at For most people it means being free
lifelong practice and wanted to find least in the way I teach it. I think from anxiety, free from depression,
a lay teacher and community that I this is the most significant change I free from pain. This is where most
could commit to. have seen. For myself, this change Buddhist practitioners begin as
ran parallel with the founding of the well; however as you mature in
Kobori Roshi recommended I Australian Association of Buddhist the practice you begin to see that
contact Robert Aitken Roshi in Counsellors and Psychotherapists your own personal well-being is
Hawaii. As a result of that contact, I (AABCAP) that I helped establish not separate from the well-being
studied with Aitken Roshi in Hawaii along with my friend and colleague, of other people or the well-being
for two years and then returned psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr. of other forms of life. There is
to Australia and supported him Eng-Kong Tan. a saying that a mother is only as
coming to Australia and founding happy as her least happy child.
the Diamond Sangha here. After We know Zen is about meditation.
studying with him for about fifteen But what exactly is the purpose, Well-being, like happiness, is not a
years I left to study with Charlotte or the end result, we are looking goal you can intentionally achieve.
Joko Beck of San Diego, the for when we practice Zen? It happens indirectly when we are
founder of the Ordinary Mind Zen not pursuing it. If we grasp after
School. In 2003 I received dharma The purpose, or the end result of it or claim it for ourselves alone it
transmission from Joko and began meditation in Zen, is not to have a always remains out of our grasp, but
the Ordinary Mind Zen School, purpose or seek an end result! The if we desire happiness for all beings
Sydney and Melbourne. realization is to see that you are maybe we will experience some of
perfectly okay the way you are, that it for ourselves as well. From a Zen
You’re a pioneer in establishing you already share Buddha nature Buddhist perspective well-being is
Zen practice in Australia. What with everything in the universe. the absence of grasping after well-
significant changes have you This is the practice of non-gaining in being and the absence of aversion
seen in Zen study and practice in Zen. Just sitting with no other goal to unpleasantness and pain. This is
Australia over the years? or purpose than to just sit. Through what is meant by nirvana in classical
this practice you come to deeply Buddhism. It is not the attaining
My first ten to fifteen years of experience yourself fully as you are, of something but the absence of
practice were very much in the without going on any crusades of something.
Rinzai school spirit of Zen. I was self-criticism or self-improvement.
What are the Zen practices
practicing intensely to experience If we do this for long enough,
that help us explore our mind,
the sudden realization of kensho and wisdom, compassion, generosity and
especially our emotions and
working on koans to deepen that patience naturally arise.
behaviors, so that we can discover
insight into the emptiness of the self.
I don’t regret going in this direction “Well-being” is a common term the fundamental qualities of
to begin with. It had its value, but I now - how do you define it both existence that promote mental
also began to see its limitations. It as a psychologist and as a Zen well-being?
seemed like something was missing. practitioner and teacher?
It was bypassing working with Zen practice like other forms of true
emotions in practice. That’s why I When most people use the word Buddhist practice is based on the
changed teachers to Charlotte Joko well-being, they are usually Noble Eightfold Path. These eight
Beck who promoted a more gradual referring to personal well-being. components can be categorized as
approach to practice that focused This is how psychologists usually spiritual insight, meditation and the