Welcome

Most of us seek out meditation or mindfulness practice as a means to relieve anxiety or for therapeutic gains. We want to be happy, learn to relax, reduce stress or perhaps tame the tyranny of our constant mind chatter. 

Few people consider however, that the desire to change ourselves or our circumstances, while perhaps necessary, is also the cause of anxiety itself.

Since our desires are endless and our main motivators in life, most of our energy and resources are directed towards satisfying our cravings resulting from our desires.

We constantly set preferences relating to our desires in the form of 'likes' and 'dislikes'. In fact, we always seek to gravitate towards one side of this ledger. The more 'likes' we have in our life, the more successful or happy we judge it to be. 

When reality does not align with our preferences or desires, we usually suffer. This is because our expectations have not been met. Most of our stress, suffering and anxieties arise due to unmet expectations or unforeseen occurrences. Since we can hardly function without expectations, it is easy to get trapped in a never ending cycle of suffering, for which we then seek therapy or relief.

Meditation and mindfulness practice, in its original Buddhist context, was never practiced as a sole means to feel better or to obtain a therapeutic outcome. While this is an important side-benefit of meditation, on its own, it does not break the cycle of our constant cravings. 

Instead, meditation in a Zen context, is a practice-path that aims to end suffering through direct personal insights into our own nature. Only through these direct insights can we experience the freedom that results from dislodging the hold our habitual dualistic way of thinking has on us. 

The goal of Pathway-Zen is to guide anyone that is serious about cultivating a Zen practice-path in their life. This is facilitated through a systematic program that includes aspects of both Rinzai and Soto Zen.

Pathway Zen is guided by Arno Hess, an authorised Zen teacher both in Australia and through the Sanbō Zen lineage in Japan. 

As a secular and non-profit organisation, everyone is welcome irrespective of their tradition, religious affiliation or none. Please feel free to come along to one of our regular events in Spring Hill or Samford. All newcomers are given an introduction to Zen on arrival.