7 Fundamental Philosophies of Life and My Quest for Zen Enlightenment. Zen can have many meanings for many people and Zen is also used for many reasons. There are formal Zen schools of thought and training as well as several styles of teaching. It also seems to be a constant learning process and the philosophy supporting Zen learning is the more you learn the more you will benefit from its training. Whether you attend a Zen school or seek private instruction from a Zen master the primary emphasis is on awakening, finding your inner strength, and enlightenment. By engaging in some of the fundamental processes of Zen like meditation and relaxation techniques you may find that you have more positive energy in your life as well. I’m sure you’ve probably heard some of the sayings that are relative to Zen philosophy like, “Zen encompasses all that there is,” or “Zen is an attitude and it’s what you make it,” or “it is what it is.” I believe that Zen is an attitude and how I philosophically view life and everything that happens during the course of my day. I’ve also heard it said that Zen is nothing and Zen is everything. So basically you can philosophically take what you want and leave the rest. Learning and practicing Zen can help you manage some of the negative influences that may surround your life like fear, anger, depression, anxieties, failure, sorrow, illness, and frustration. I will touch briefly on some of these throughout this article. This is a FREE PDF article that can be read on any computer. Reply with the e-mail address you would like the article sent to and it will be on the way in 24 hours and there’s absolutely no obligation.