--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The central feature of the practice of…" description: "\"“The central feature of the practice of meditation and hard work known as Zen is that, as Matthiessen says, it “has no patience with mysticism, far les..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/peter-matthiessen-5795_meditation_the-central-feature-of-the-practice-of-m_146808.jpg" --- # The central feature of the practice of meditation and hard… ![“The central feature of the practice of meditation and hard work known as Zen is that, as Matthiessen says, it “has no patience with mysticism, far less the occult.” Nor does it have any time with moralism, the prescriptions or distortions we would impose on the world, obscuring it from our view…” quote by Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/peter-matthiessen-5795_meditation_the-central-feature-of-the-practice-of-m_146808.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/peter-matthiessen-5795_meditation_the-central-feature-of-the-practice-of-m_146808.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aea/peter-matthiessen-5795_meditation_the-central-feature-of-the-practice-of-m_146808.jpg) > ““The central feature of the practice of meditation and hard work known as Zen is that, as Matthiessen says, it “has no patience with mysticism, far less the occult.” Nor does it have any time with moralism, the prescriptions or distortions we would impose on the world, obscuring it from our view. It asks, it insists rather, that we take this moment for what it is, undistracted, and not cloud it with needless worries of what might have been or fantasies of what might come to be. It is, essentially, a training in the real…”the Universe itself is the scripture of Zen." Pico Iyer from introduction.”” [Peter Matthiessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-matthiessen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Zen meditation rejects mysticism, occult, moralism, and fantasies, urging present‑moment awareness of reality as the ultimate scripture. **In simple terms:** Zen focuses on present reality, rejecting mysticism. Key Takeaway Practice present‑moment, non‑judgmental awareness. Themes zen meditation presence reality mindfulness Mood calm focused Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - daily meditation - stress reduction - creative work Key Concepts non‑attachment clarity spiritual practice Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on the present change your perception? - What distractions prevent you from being fully present? A Different Perspective Zen can be misunderstood as cold or detached. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Mindfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindfulness/) [Mysticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mysticism/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Zen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zen/) ## Related quotes > [“We cannot learn if we are stuck in our mind’s conditioned way of thinking. 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