Interesting article in the October 6th New York Times Science Times entitled Mind: How Nonsense Sharpens the Intellect

The thrust of the article is that our minds naturally seek to create patterns. When presented with information that does not fit any pattern (nonsense) our creative ability to find patterns, and solutions is enhanced.

This article reminds me of the way in which koans are used in Zen practice. By asking a question that is beyond our logic (Does a dog have Buddha nature?) our minds look for patterns and ways of responding that are outside of habitual ways of thinking and ways of solving problems.

One of the greatest (and mysterious) compliments I’ve ever received was from a teacher of mine, more than thirty years ago, who said he thought I had an “intelligence for simplicity.” I’ve been chewing on those words ever since, with both some pride and curiosity.

Lately, in the work I've been doing within organizations, I see the need for both intelligence and simplicity, in how people work together. People are complicated; organizations are complex. The environment of business is changing and mysterious.

A great question to ask yourself is: What is your vision for how you would like your business or organization to function? How can you simplify your business and your life?

In thinking about how to work with intelligence and simplicity, here are a few ideas that come to me about organizational life

- It is clear that each person, and the organization is doing something important, something that matters, something that makes a difference.

Beings are numberless. I vow to save them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.

These vows, which are chanted at the end of Zen lectures, express the fundamental intentions of Zen practice. They elevate our day-to-day activities and provide a larger context in which to live. Though these statements appear lofty and impossible, they act as a target, a set of goals to strive for, a direction in which to point our intentions. Though Zen is very practical by nature, it also has a way of challenging us to aim very high and not to be limited by conventional ideas of what is possible. Expressing these intentions makes ordinary activity extraordinary.

Sometimes as I am preparing for my workday I chant a variation of the Buddhist lecture chant:

The needs and problems of people are endless; I vow to find ways to meet their needs and solve these problems.

Last night, as I was sleeping,
I dreamt – marvelous error! –
That I had a beehive
Here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
Were making white combs
And sweet honey
From my old failures.
- Antonio Machado, translated by Robert Bly

I hate making errors. Especially difficult is receiving negative feedback. It’s so hard to believe that everyone doesn’t love me, and love everything that I do. What can they be thinking? This was a really good week for me in the realm of receiving difficult feedback.
During my years of living at the San Francisco Zen Center the expression used for such occasions was, “it’s good for your practice.” Makes me think of a quote from a card I published at Brush Dance: My life is one learning experience after another. By the end of the week I should be a genius.”

If we are working harder than ever and still not accomplishing very much, we need to see whether we suffer from a lack of alignment. Alignment sounds jargon-y, but it simply refers to making sure our efforts support our goals. Making sure we are in alignment is key for reducing busyness and increasing effectiveness.

Paradox: a statement that seems contradictory, absurd, or unbelievable but that may be true; a person, situation, or act that seems to have contradictory or inconsistent qualities.
Webster’s Dictionary

When I first lived at Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center (a monastery in Central California) my family came to visit me during the summer guest season. They appreciated the natural beauty of Tassajara but missed the comforts of civilization such as sidewalks and easily accessible hot running water. After a few days we left Tassajara and flew directly to Las Vegas. I was surprised at how comfortable and at home I felt there.

Beings are numberless. I vow to save them.
Delusions are inexhaustible; I vow to end them
Dharma gates are boundless; I vow to enter them.
Buddha’s way is unsurpassable; I vow to become it.

These vows, which are chanted at the end of Zen lectures, express the fundamental intentions of Zen practice. They elevate our day-to-day activities and provide a larger context in which to live. Though these statements appear lofty and impossible, they act as a target, a set of goals to strive for, a direction in which to point our intentions.

Though Zen is very practical by nature, it also has a way of challenging us to aim very high and not to be limited by conventional ideas of what is possible. Expressing these intentions makes ordinary activity extraordinary.

Sometimes as I am preparing for my workday I chant a variation of the Buddhist lecture chant:

The needs and problems of people are endless; I vow to find ways to meet their needs and solve these problems.

In Extraordinary Golf, Fred Shoemaker describes a study comparing the golf swings of top professional golfers with the swings of average golfers that provides some useful lessons about doing, effort, and effortlessness. The study shows three different rows of golfers, detailing their various golf swings. In the top row is a professional golfer. In the second row is an average golfer hitting a golf ball. In the third row is an average golfer swinging when there is no ball. The study found that when an average golfer is not trying to hit a golf ball, his or her swing more closely resembles the swing of a professional golfer. When an average golfer is actually hitting a golf ball, his or her swing changes for the worse.

1) Step out of regular activity - Do less by taking the time to rest mentally and physically in between or outside of our usual activities, perhaps instituting a regular practice of meditation, retreats, breaks, and reflection.

2) Pause in the midst of activity - Do less by pausing in the midst of activities: mindfulness practice (such as coming in touch with our breath in between reading or sending emails) and walking meditation are two examples.

3) Do less of what is extra - Do less by identifying and reducing unnecessary activities. In this case, “unnecessary” means those things that are not in alignment with what we want to accomplish.

As I was preparing to address an audience about my new book Less, a young professional woman, one of the event organizers, asked me how I market my book. I responded that I do two things: 1) Strategize and work my strategy. My strategy includes developing good marketing materials, a public relations plan, blogging and social media strategy, radio and print strategy. Thus far I’ve done about a dozen book readings around the San Francisco Bay Area and about 25 radio and online interviews. The book Less has been reviewed in a variety of places. I’m about to launch a blog tour. I’m writing articles for spiritual magazine and for business magazines. (An article about Less will be featured in the Fall 2009 Tricycle Magazine.) I’ve been working closely with my PR person at my publisher, New World Library. They’ve provided tremendous support. My social media plan includes Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc…

And,

2) I let go of all expectations and comparisons.