So there I was just coming from the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art (outside of which Wim Hof was sitting in a tub of ice to demonstrate the powers of Tibetan tantric practices to regulate body temperature — and that's a whole other story) when I turned onto 7th Avenue and found myself staring up at this billboard:
I stood there and wondered how the meaning would be changed if it read "impeccably Christian." But then I realized that Zen is a sect (of which there are several sub sects) in Japanese Buddhism. So I wondered how the meaning would be changed if the billboard read "impeccably Presbyterian" or something like that.
The Japanese character for the word Zen, 禪, means meditation in one of its readings. It can also be read as Shizuka, which means quiet. The word itself came from China, where it was pronounced Chán, which was in itself a Chinese pronunciation of the Sanskrit (and possibly Pali) Dhyana, which was a word used to describe highly advanced states of meditative concentration, of which 7 were recognized. What any of this would have to do with a luxury condo in Chelsea I have no idea.
Certainly the Zen monks who take vows of poverty could not afford (and would not be allowed to "own") a condo in Chelsea, or anywhere for that matter. Of course, few people who buy a condo in Chelsea can actually afford it, and I suppose the real owner is the mortgage lender (which may find itself with a lot more real estate on its hands as the economy spirals down). So perhaps that is the hidden meaning of this billboard — we don't really own anything.
Of course, I realize this headline is meant to refer to the Zen aesthetic. Okay, so just what does that mean? I ask simply because the this very real aesthetic sense has been ripped from its context and used to sell a product. And while some Americans have a vague sense of what a Zen aesthetic looks like I can bet you dollars to onigiri that most haven't a clue what it means.
The title of this post is a reference to one of the best selling books of 1970s, Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. This book was one of the more successful routes for Zen to enter the popular consciousness in this country. And in this way Zen became indelibly connected to quality in workmanship among other things. Certainly it helped that at the time Japan. after years of being the butt of jokes about quality, was kicking US butt in automotive quality. So dedication to quality has become part of the meaning of Zen in our culture.
In Japan, the Zen aesthetic certainly has a connection to the highest quality craftsmanship. But first and foremost it is about simplicity — doing things in a basic and plain manner to connect with what is the essence of the work. Another way of thinking about this is by looking at the Japanese word for tool - dogu. The "do" in the word means "way" or "path" and is the same character used in "dojo" which is where one practices the path of the martial artist. Dogu is the way of the tool — and speaks to the path of craftsmanship, how using a tool with mindfulness is a path towards enlightenment.
This is very far from a condo in Chelsea. Or the world of New York real estate. Though one would hope that the minimalist decor that passes for luxury in such a condo is at least an expression of the highest craftsmanship available. One would hope.
There is also the concept of Sunyata in Zen — emptiness. And it is true if you walk into a loft apartment that is what you will experience. Empty space and if you're buying, an empty bank account. But that isn't the kind of emptiness that Zen is about. This is about the insubstantial nature of self. That in fact there is no self, no thing to hold on to. And that with this realization one connects with Buddha nature.
All right, I confess. I want at large loft apartment in Chelsea. In that way I am empty, or at least shallow. Desire has me. Or to paraphrase Jimmy Carter, there is real estate lust in my heart.
Yes, clearly this billboard was impeccably Zen. It brought me to another awareness of my aversion and desire. Probably not what the copywriter intended, but then as any good storyteller will tell you, the story one tells is never the story your audience hears.
