I picked up the book Zen Cancer Wisdom: Tips for Making Each Day Better by Daju Suzanne Friedman (2014). I was searching for a new perspective on psychosocial oncology that might be of assistance to the clients with whom I work. I discovered a book that is not only helpful for those with a cancer diagnosis, but also for their caregivers (both personal and professional) and the general population. Friedman was an immigration defense litigation attorney, an acupuncturist, herbalist, doctor of medical qigong therapy, and a Zen priest. She was once a cancer survivor and passed away peacefully at home in March 2014.

What is Zen? This is not an easy question to answer. According to Derek Lin at Taoism.net, the closest we can come to describing Zen in words is to say, “Zen is more of an attitude than a belief…[it] is the peace that comes from being one with an entity other than yourself…[it] is being aware of your oneness with the world and everything in it…living in the present and experiencing reality fully…being free of the distractions and illusory conflicts of the material world…being in the flow of the universe…[and] experiencing fully the present, and delighting in the basic miracle of life itself." In simplistic terms, Zen is the art of mindfulness, living in the present moment.

As we learn from Cancer Research UK, mindfulness and meditation are useful techniques to help one be more at ease when coping with cancer and life in general. A key point to note here is that there are different types of meditation. Meditation is not only sitting with your eyes closed in lotus position, but it can also be accomplished when walking, when in treatment, even while doing the dishes or laundry.

How do Zen and caregiving interact? If we are willing to listen and teach others, the practice of Zen caregiving can bring peace to both the individual with cancer and their caregiver (including professional caregivers). Zen Cancer Wisdom provides insight into many of the situations facing individuals with cancer, from initial diagnosis, deciding on a treatment plan, to side effects of treatment, personal attitude, and how we can help manage our own well-being. The beauty of this mindset is if you take out all the oncology-specific information, the book is still helpful and provides exercises that patients and caregivers can use to ease the journey of life, regardless of the roadblocks faced along the way. The challenge is to look at the cancer journey from a view of acceptance and impermanence. Life can be easier when we look through this lens because learning to accept things instead of fighting what we cannot change can bring inner peace. From the lens of impermanence we learn that nothing in life is permanent, including pain and sorrow. As Thich Nhat Hanh (2014) teaches us in the first page of No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering, “Most people are afraid of suffering. But suffering is a kind of mud to help the lotus flower of happiness grow. There can be no lotus flower without the mud” (i).

How do we let go, live in the moment, and accept suffering? How do we teach others to do this in a way that is not off-putting, but rather gently encourages people to think from a different perspective? Zen Cancer Wisdom starts with practical cancer navigation wisdom and self-healing exercises, goes into soothing the spirit, harnessing the mind, balancing and nourishing the body. It explains how we react to our environment and how this can affect our attitude and mood, as well as those around us. The author introduces the term “monkeymind” to describe our wandering and jumpy thoughts. This is a term I use regularly with my clients; when I describe what it means I almost always get a “yes, yes, I have that.” Then there is the notion of spreading our own light and joy to others, that this does not diminish our joy, but magnifies it. Friedman (2014) also reminds readers that something as simple as our posture says a lot to the outside world, but also unconsciously to ourselves. On coping with pain, she refers to the maxim “‘Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.’…I can see how that might seem cold or stoic, and of course it is easier said than done. But learning how to ‘be with’ when we have no other option is a Zen skill that can really come in handy when it comes to pain” (p. 279). This brings us back to the notion of acceptance and being present in the moment, living mindfully.

Another question that often gets asked when we talk about Zen and meditation is how does religion play into this? To put it simply, it doesn’t, unless you want it to, then it does. I hear it now, “What a Zen reply!” The reason for this is that regardless of your religious or spiritual practice, those in any religious or spiritual setting can harness Zen and mindfulness. As we have learned, Zen and meditation are not religions, but a way to live and view life.

Regardless of anyone’s personal path, the ideas in Zen Cancer Wisdom provide tips and tricks on how to cope with cancer, how to cope as a caregiver, and how to operate on a day-to-day basis. One of the key concepts of Zen is to question everything, so I will leave you with this: Question everything, seek for yourself, and try for yourself because you are your best teacher. Never stop asking. Never stop seeking.