"Select pan-fired green tea from Zhejiang province in China, artfully combined with lemongrass, spearmint and a hint of lemon essence.
"Zen's distinct green tea flavor accented with lemon and mint is impossible to express in words. Best simply to experience its sweet, lingering aftertaste."
- from the Tazo website
America has become pretty Zen nowadays. You can find it everywhere. As a matter of fact, this morning I found it at the coffee shop. Tazo Zen Green Tea. No fucking kidding. I find it pretty fascinating, actually, that you can now buy Zen in a teabag, so I bought some. And I started thinking about the United States and this kitschy new orientalism. Whether or not it's a worthwhile thing to take ancient tradition and use it as a trendy packaging for consumer goods is a question in and of itself. But consider the following.
Most of us citizens of the western world live in what is, from a global and historical standpoint, incredible luxury. The World Bank defines "extreme poverty" as living on an income of less than $1 USD per day. Twenty-one percent of the world is extremely impoverished; more than half the world lives in "poverty" (less than $2 USD per day.) Thus, more than half of the people on earth live on less than what I spent this morning on Tazo Zen green tea.
I've been getting a little fat lately. It's not that I'm a glutton per se, but it's becoming easier and easier for me to give into temptation and have someone else cook for me. I can stuff myself on pizza delivered to my doorstep, for a bit more than the weekly income of someone in, say, Mozambique. I think that's a pretty sweet deal, actually. That's not a lot of money for me. In fact, I earn as much in a week as the average Somali earns in a year. I can afford it, and I feel no guilt about doing so.
I don't think you should feel guilty about this either. I don't pretend to be an ascetic (after all, the Buddha himself rejected asceticism as inherently materialistic.) Hell, the Buddha was supposed to be fat as well. Now all I have to work at is the beatific expression and Buddhist posture. It's pretty amazing, though, when much of the world is hungry, that I have the luxury of being able to die young from too much food. This is atypical of the human condition. Even today, when humanity is wealthier than it ever has been, 850 million people in the world have lived in hunger during the last six years (from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.)
I think the way I live is pretty awesome, actually. I think it's a sign of the progress of the human civilization that so many of us can have things we don't need. Further progress will mean making sure everyone has stuff they don't need. I plan to spend seven dollars (two days' salary if you're Haitian!) on lunch today. I hope the day comes when everyone can do that. I don't have much patience for people who cultivate asceticism, or who try to create guilt in those who have money, or worst of all who choose to dress in a mockery of poverty but aren't willing to actually live it.
"The Zen Alarm Clock's long-resonating Tibetan bell-like chime makes waking up a beautiful experience; its progressive chimes begin your day with grace. When the Clock's alarm is triggered, the acoustic chime bar is struck just once . . . 3 1/2 minutes later it strikes again . . . chime strikes become more frequent over 10 minutes . . . eventually striking every 5 seconds until shut off. As they become more frequent, the gentle chimes will always wake you up; your body really doesn't need to be awakened harshly, with a Zen Clock you're awakened more gradually and thus more naturally."
- description of the Zen Alarm Clock, made by Now & Zen, Inc. (elipses in original quote)
The Zen Alarm Clock is actually quite a beautiful object. It's an equilateral triangle of what appears (in amazon.com's photo) to be cherry wood, with a small circle in the center that houses the clock, which is made of some lighter wood and is painted with leaves. Along the bottom, you can see the chime that will awaken you "more naturally". It costs $100 (49 days income, if you're from Eritrea) and it'd be quite a nice object to own, in my opinion. Not the least fucking bit Zen, though, as Deborah909 tells us in the thing's writeup.
Zen is an ancient tradition started by an Indian monk in China, Bodhidharma. The Sanskrit word dhyāna, referring to a type of meditation, was transliterated to chán in Chinese (禪), and it then made its way to Japan, which is where we get the modern name for it. It was first taught in 535 when Bodhidharma (having been banished by Emperor Wu Di) became the teacher of the Shaolin monks in the far north of China.
Due in part to the social circumstances of monks in China, Zen is much more pragmatic than many paths in Buddhism. While Indian Buddhist monks are holy beggars subsisting off the generosity of others, Zen monks grow their own food, and their teachings emphasize labor, and humility, and the transitory nature of things. In particular, Zen practitioners seek to achieve satori, a momentary enlightenment through meditation, of course, and through labor, service, humility, and the contemplation of koans.
Perhaps one might describe Zen as, more than anything else, awareness. The practice of Zen is difficult, and it takes many years to achieve awareness. There is no shortcut - to achieve Zen requires the patient development of the attitudes that leave the mind open to enlightenment. A moment of satori requires years of discipline to achieve. This stands in stark contrast to the goals of marketing, which aim to encourage the sort of instant gratification that only comes of shopping. While, as I've said, I don't inherently object to consumerism, it seems like falsehood to market a millenium-and-a-half old tradition, one that requires years of dedication, as a beverage.
"For that Buddha-like feeling! 200 mg of Zen offers a unique and natural way to promote relaxation without sedation. This formula contains a combination of L-theanine and GABA. L-theanine, found in green tea (Camellia sinensis), has been shown to stimulate the production of alpha-wave activity in the brain. Alpha-waves are involved in reducing anxiety while increasing mental alertness and acuity. GABA is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter that is critical for normal brain function."
- 200 mg of Zen, a fine dietary supplement manufactured by the Allergy Research Group
Tea clutched firmly in hand, I stumbled on back to my cubicle and decided on an experiment. I went to amazon.com and decided to see how many products they sell that use the word "Zen" in their names. First, though, stop and contemplate one more time. I have a computer, which for over three billion people worldwide would cost more than a year's income. I use this fabulously expensive machine to connect to even more expensive machines, so that they can calculate for me which products I would most like to own. This is mind-blowing. If the average Zambian earns $395 USD per year, how many years without food would it take them to buy a computer like yours?
amazon.com's search lists a total of 8,060 items with "Zen" in their names. It sells not only Tazo Zen Green Tea, the Zen Alarm Clock, and 200 mg of Zen, but also the Zen Massage Oil Gift Set, the Zen Shower Gel Gift Set, the Zen Dream Deluxe Gift Box (which seems to contain lotion, bath salts, and a candle), the Zen Gardening Kit, the Zen Master Light & Sound Mind Machine & CD Player, 5 Elements Zen Detox Hair and Scalp Therapy, the Breath Palette Zen Toothpaste and Mouthwash Set, Clarity Zen Sparkle Gel, Citrus Chamomile Zen Bath Tea, Dirty Girl Zen Soaps - Honeysuckle, Eqi-Zen Patch - Your Day Without Stress, Gilden Tree Exfoliating Foot Scrub, Zen Forest, Hydra Zen Crème FOR WOMEN, Homedics Peaceful Rains Illuminated Relaxation Fountain, Organic Zen Spa Holistic Scalp Detox and Hair Conditioner, the Zen Clarity Spa Bag Gift Set, the Zen For Men Body Gift Set - Chai Scent, the Austerity Indoor Water Fountain (tell me, what's austere about this?), the Le Creuset Enamel On Steel 1-3/5-Quart Zen Teakettle (in "kiwi" or red), the Asli Arts Model C255 Natural Ring Bamboo Chime, the Cherry Pit and Pendulum Zen Garden, the Mantra Incense Holder, the Apilco White Porcelain Zen Collection Soup Bowl for Soup Sandwich Tray, the Zen Series Shroom Lamp, Zen Rock, Art of Zen I Fine Art Print, books like Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game, Zen Judaism, Zen and the Art of Poker: Timeless Secrets to Transform Your Game, White Collar Zen: Using Zen Principles To Overcome Obstacles And Achieve Your Career Goals, The Zen Commandments: Ten Suggestions for a Life of Inner Freedom, Hardcore Zen : Punk Rock, Monster Movies, & the Truth about Reality, The Zen of Eating, Zen Miracles: Finding Peace in an Insane World, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Zen Living, The Zen of Gambling: The Ultimate Guide to Risking It All and Winning at Life, Zen Driving, Z.B.A.: Zen of Business Administration - How Zen Practice Can Transform Your Work And Your Life, Zen and the Art of Public School Teaching, The Zen of Oz : Ten Spiritual Lessons from Over the Rainbow, The Zen of Organizing, Bone Games: Extreme Sports, Shamanism, Zen, and the Search for Transcendence, Zig Zag Zen: Buddhism and Psychedelics, Zen Sex: The Way of Making Love, The Zen of Zim : Baseballs, Beanballs, and Bosses, Zen and the Art of Systems Analysis: Meditations on Computer Systems Development . . .
And of course for the meditator on the go, the Busy Buddha Feng Shui Fountain.
The best part is the "gourmet foods" section, which not only sells Tazo Zen Green Tea, but also Optimum Zen Cereal, and Zen Party Mix. Zen monks do not eat breakfast cereal. They do not eat party mix. Traditionally, they don't eat much of anything, and it's mostly rice and miso soup. Practitioners tend to live fairly simple lives, which means rejecting things like expensive tea and Creative Zen mp3 players. This is not to say that you and I are obligated to reject those things. By no means do I wish to suggest that there is anything wrong with purchasing those luxuries we can afford.
However, Zen monasteries are rather plain places. In fact, many or most religious traditions require sacrifice on the part of adherents, particularly among the clergy. There is nothing Zen about bath salts, or fancy alarm clocks, or expensive breakfast cereal. The modern marketing practice of imbuing luxuries of the body with a mystical, spiritual status that elevates the mind and soul is absurd. Why do we try to justify pampering ourselves by claiming some sort of religious mandate? There's absolutely nothing wrong with doing nice things for yourself. But claiming that you're redecorating your house because of feng shui (the Chinese practice has virtually nothing in common with trendy decorating tips in the West) or buying Buddhist massage oil is ridiculous. Feel no shame if you wish to spend your hard-earned money on nice things for yourself. But don't claim that the Sixth Patriarch told you to do it.
"The reincarnation of tea. An enlightening blend of the finest green teas and rare herbs available in this world. At various times throughout history, Tazo has surfaced among the more advanced cultures of the day as a calming and centering influence. While teologists still disagree about how Tazo came into being, recent research has provided evidence that the famous Ming Dynasty vases were originally created to store Tazo. Tazo Zen is made with full-flavored, pan-fired Chinese green tea. Long known for its legendary properties, this aromatic tea is combined with lemon verbena leaves from Eastern Europe, lemongrass from Guatemala, spearmint leaves from Oregon and a hint of sweet lemon essence. That and a few mumbled chants from a certified tea shaman. Gifts of Tazo have often been persuasive in resolving matters of state."
- from the side of the Tazo box
Oh, yeah, that. It wasn't that great. |
