What's Zen and what's not?

Zen has caught the attention of the furniture industry but what is it, really?  Is it a new fangeled minimalism or is it something more?

The word "Zen" comes from the Japanese translation of the Chinese word "chan," which means meditation - particularly meditation that leads to enlightenment.

Who or why someone began applying zen to describe interiors is a little like peeling the layers of an onion to find nothing.  While Zen meditation centers may very well appear minimalistic, their sparseness is meant to eliminate distractions in the same way a deprivation chamber blocks out extraneous influences.  In meditations, you become calm and relaxed.  In deep meditation, you become "centered."  Your blood pressure changes as do your brain waves.  Your conscious awareness becomes altered.  It was in such a state of altered awareness that Siddharta Gautama became enlightened, became the Buddha.  Twenty-five hundred years later many  people have followed the path of the Buddha.

Creating a minimalist home is no guarantee for relaxation if the mind has made no effort in the process.  While some environments exude a calm and peaceful feeling, serenity really comes from within.

I discovered meditation to help me heal the effects of chronic fatigue syndrome, but I soon discovered its healing benefits to deal with the stresses of life.  I was fortunate to attend a retreat at Zen Buddhist Master Tich Nhat Hahn's center, Plum Village.  The decor left much to be desired, but the joy of sitting in silence, eating and walking meditatively and being in communion with others is an experience I will never forget.  It makes me wonder if our attraction to Zen decor/design is really about our desire to reduce the distractions in our lives and to create a sacred space.  Maybe, it is a statement about letting go of "things," or at least the attachment to material objects, and discovering our true selves - that vital part of ourselves that transcends the ever changing trends and styles.  Here is what I discovered from meditation:  peace on the inside leads to peace on the outside - no matter what your decor.  For me, Zen is in!