Zen ant the art of Detecting Gold

[meMiner]

Zen is a focused state of being and mind. It involves dropping illusion and seeing things without distortion created by your own thoughts. It really means doing one thing and doing it well, without distraction. WW2 fighter pilots called it situation awareness. There was a book where the author observed a dirty garage with blaring rock music is a bad place to get your motorcycle repaired, because the mechanics had jumbled minds. Same applies to detecting.

 

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[Lanny in AB]

Yes, and in the movie, The Last Samurai, the protagonist learns that to be successful as a Samurai he must have "one mind". As you have stated, achieving that Zen state for detecting is a crucial element.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[DDancer]

I like the term situation awareness more than zen as it relates to getting in the "zone" of focused concentration while prospecting *or any other activity that requires clear thought*. True zen is a state of zero sum distractions, intent removes all other consideration except desire, and that can be a bad thing while playing in teddy bear choya or rattle snake canyon

Getting in the zone is a matter of practice, as I'm sure all who have entered the state understand, but it does lead to a very fast day. Time flies when your having fun! Hahh.

 

[Hoser John]

Yes a Zen like state of extreme concentration on one simple goal--mo' nuggets. Calgold and his lady have that zen and dedication to the proposition that them nuggets are going home with them for sure Like watching a orchestra or marching band in unison...cool-John

 

[Terry Soloman]

Ummmmmm, Ummmmmmm, Ummmmmmmm, Ummmmmmmm.. Sorry, I'm focusing on a cheeseburger.

Seriously, "Zen" or "Situational Awareness" is pure crap. You need a working knowledge of geology; good equipment; the proper training to use it; and the DRIVE to "get 'er done" no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. Gold prospecting and mining is hard, not for the meek or those concerned with "zen." Why do some of us continue to try and make gold prospecting into something it isn't. If you are doing it right it isn't "fun," it's "profitable." If you are doing it for fun, you are a recreational wanna be.

Now, where did I leave my flame ******ent underwear?

 

[Hamfist]

I see a Zen state as dedicating your focus solely on listening for the slightest warble in your threshold tone. Kinda the opposite of situational awareness, in my opinion. Tunnel vision leads to snake bites and tumbles off cliffs, at least where I hunt. Playing bit of devil's advocate here.

 

[DDancer]

Ummmmmm, Ummmmmmm, Ummmmmmmm, Ummmmmmmm.. Sorry, I'm focusing on a cheeseburger.

Seriously, "Zen" or "Situational Awareness" is pure crap. You need a working knowledge of geology; good equipment; the proper training to use it; and the DRIVE to "get 'er done" no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. Gold prospecting and mining is hard, not for the meek or those concerned with "zen." Why do some of us continue to try and make gold prospecting into something it isn't. If you are doing it right it isn't "fun," it's "profitable." If you are doing it for fun, you are a recreational wanna be.

Now, where did I leave my flame ******ent underwear?

Must be a jalapeño cheeseburger
Kinda funny your identifying yet another mindset that is another kind of zen What ever makes you happy and relaxed I reckon. Application of skill with reward is a focus as well.

 

[meMiner]

Ummmmmm, Ummmmmmm, Ummmmmmmm, Ummmmmmmm.. Sorry, I'm focusing on a cheeseburger.

Seriously, "Zen" or "Situational Awareness" is pure crap. You need a working knowledge of geology; good equipment; the proper training to use it; and the DRIVE to "get 'er done" no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. Gold prospecting and mining is hard, not for the meek or those concerned with "zen." Why do some of us continue to try and make gold prospecting into something it isn't. If you are doing it right it isn't "fun," it's "profitable." If you are doing it for fun, you are a recreational wanna be.

Now, where did I leave my flame ******ent underwear?

Hey, nothing wrong with focusing on a good burger, as long as you are not also texting and driving or detecting at the same time...LOL

Do you really believe focus is crap? ..... or can you remember a time when your "working knowledge of geology" told you the spot was not great and therefore you used your good equipment and proper training, but gave it a half-a** attempt (I have). How did you do? - self fulfilling prophecy? If you happened to stumble across something good, did your focus change for the better and you went back over the previous area and found more?

The book I was referring was "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", which I read when I was 15, but the message has stuck with me and applies to many screw ups in my life. If you are sweeping a floor, then concentrate and do a good job sweeping. If you are fishing, then pay attention with every cast (as if your lure is being followed by the best fish in your life) and you will give it a great presentation and be ready for a strike. Last year, I missed a deer because I lost focus just before it appeared (hunt was "over"). I was only kinda ready for it. I don't normally miss, but can tell you that I remember every one that I have missed and it was due to lack of focus at the wrong time.

With detecting, I am not saying you need to sit in a lotus position and clear your mind with meditation, but would argue that "low and slow" is a form of Zen. Paying attention to the slight changes in rock color, grade of the ground, types of rock, previous work, etc. are all looking at what is, without distortion.

Heck, have you ever detected with an idiot as a partner who continuously distracted you? I was with my brother in law last year and he was more interested in eating, the shape of clouds and avoiding bears. I finally realized that I had to get some distance between us. His presence meant I was constantly having to think about quitting early, moving, looking up at the sky or down at a critter track or poop ... none of which was helping me find gold in a wonderful area.



Anyway, that is my two cents and I appreciate all of the replies (both positive and negative).

 

[Terry Soloman]

Whatever works for YOU, is the right answer. "Now, here is my bet - if you look into a fellow's truck and see it stuffed with take out wrappers and unorganized equipment, you could predict that he is not one who is a successful detectorist (jumbled environment and jumbled mind)." I can't agree with this assumption. I know too many successful treasure hunters that haven't cleaned the Bic Mac boxes and Jack-N-The-Box taco wrappers out of their trucks since 1992.

 

[motohed]

Zen is a focused state of being and mind. It involves dropping illusion and seeing things without distortion created by your own thoughts. It really means doing one thing and doing it well, without distraction. WW2 fighter pilots called it situation awareness. There was a book where the author observed a dirty garage with blaring rock music is a bad place to get your motorcycle repaired, because the mechanics had jumbled minds. Same applies to detecting.

Actually the loud music makes my ADHD mind consentrait better . LOL

 

[hvacker]

Sorry guys, but most of you missed it.
Zen is detachment, not what some are suggesting.

It's not being relaxed or thinking yourself through anything. It's not a state of concentration.
It's a state of awareness and stopping thought. Nothing to do with the kind of thought that finds gold.
If you doubt what I say I'll just say I've been on that road and practiced formally.

As far as the book Placergold mentioned "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", I've read the book at least twice for other
reasons and can say with assurance it has nothing to do with Zen or motorcycle maintenance, It's about a guy gradually going nuts trying to
understand what "quality" means, that's all. It's an important book but not because of it's title.

I think actual followers of Buddhism might be more than a little annoyed over the way the term Zen is thrown around and misunderstood.

I remember when PC's(90's) were being pushed by companies that were just assemblers. Seeing one companies named theirs Zen. I thought pitiful.

 

[meMiner]

Good post hvacker. My memory of the book is 30 years old, but I thought the underlying theme was trying to define "quality" as looked at through two opposing personalities: Zen (focus on the now-the friends) and Rational (technical understanding - the narrator). In the end, the narrator realized that both could coexist and one would be better for it. However, I didn't think he went nuts coming to that conclusion. My 15 year old brain locked onto a similar description of the garage where my motorcycle was being fixed (as not being a quality place). I have since learned that the book was named after a German classic "Zen and the Art of Archery", which I also read when I was learning to shoot a recurve bow. In this, Zen is westernized (clear your mind and allow your perfected technical skills find the bulls eye). You are right, the Buddhists probably would not like these tangents.

That said - maybe the best question out of this thread - - does a great detectorist have a cluttered vehicle, an super clean vehicle or a balance? Or there is no linkage?

 

[Lanny in AB]

"A total state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and mind." This is the definition from the Urban dictionary. Maybe that's why so many people are confused on the meaning of "zen" as it's used in the colloquial or common usage in American English.

Zen also "emphasizes enlightenment for the student by the most direct possible means". Dictionary.com

Zen "aims at enlightenment by direct intuition through meditation", Merrian Webster Dictionary

"The aim of Zen is to achieve sudden enlightenment through meditation", Oxford Dictionary

Combined with Hvacker's definition from having taught it, no wonder the meaning of Zen is so commonly misunderstood or wrongly applied . . .

 

[bcfromfl]

Many years ago, I would go out detecting with a buddy for old coins. Something strange would often happen, for which we had no explanation. But it would happen often enough...to both of us...that we would talk about it.

When we would first arrive at the site we planned to cover, we would pull our machines out of the car, and casually look over the area. We didn't ask ourselves specifically a question like, "Where is a likely spot to start?" But it's only natural when faced with a large area, that you try to mentally organize the probabilities (??) of potential locations into a plan. We would walk to the most interesting place (in our minds), switch on the detector, put the coil to the ground, and sometimes...right at that spot...would be an old coin.

Something similar would happen when walking back to the car when the hunt was over for the day, but the machines were still on. Sometimes we wouldn't make a beeline directly back to the car, but detour slightly, because of some now-forgotten thought, put the coil to the ground just for "the heck of it," and bang! -- another old coin.

At the time, we probably both had heard of dowsing, but knew nothing else about it. Is this a form of dowsing, perhaps?

Now that I'm preparing to try a new subset of the hobby...nugget shooting...I'm wondering how to encourage the same focus, zen, oneness, to apply to gold. Another poster above mentioned the importance of understanding geology. Maybe the understanding of the physical universe is part of the overall awareness? You know that certain places are more likely to contain gold, and once these become part of your subconscious knowledge-base, you can release the "trying to learn" mode of your mind that keeps you occupied and distracted, or "search and conquer," and instead open yourself up to esoteric impulses?

Thank you for this thread.

 

[hvacker]

Good post hvacker. My memory of the book is 30 years old, but I thought the underlying theme was trying to define "quality" as looked at through two opposing personalities: Zen (focus on the now-the friends) and Rational (technical understanding - the narrator). In the end, the narrator realized that both could coexist and one would be better for it. However, I didn't think he went nuts coming to that conclusion. My 15 year old brain locked onto a similar description of the garage where my motorcycle was being fixed (as not being a quality place). I have since learned that the book was named after a German classic "Zen and the Art of Archery", which I also read when I was learning to shoot a recurve bow. In this, Zen is westernized (clear your mind and allow your perfected technical skills find the bulls eye). You are right, the Buddhists probably would not like these tangents.

That said - maybe the best question out of this thread - - does a great detectorist have a cluttered vehicle, an super clean vehicle or a balance? Or there is no linkage?

When reading the book I had to remind myself that the author's discipline was rhetoric. I learned at some point
to never argue with a philosopher. What made me think he's going nuts is chewing on the meaning of Quality
over and again. I understood the problem but I can live with it. Like you it was over 30 years ago.

Interesting you mentioning "Zen and the Art of Archery". I remember from somewhere the phrases
"One arrow, one life" and "The target is yourself"
They were always sobering for me.

And yes I agree that a cluttered mind is reflected in one's life. I don't do so well there. I could say I'll try harder but
I heard a therapist once say "Try means You wont'"
There is a quiet beauty in the way a Buddhist Priest removes clutter from their life. At least an idealized life.
Removing clutter removes confusion. Me thinks.

 

[hvacker]

"A total state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and mind." This is the definition from the Urban dictionary. Maybe that's why so many people are confused on the meaning of "zen" as it's used in the colloquial or common usage in American English.

Zen also "emphasizes enlightenment for the student by the most direct possible means". Dictionary.com

Zen "aims at enlightenment by direct intuition through meditation", Merrian Webster Dictionary

"The aim of Zen is to achieve sudden enlightenment through meditation", Oxford Dictionary

Combined with Hvacker's definition from having taught it, no wonder the meaning of Zen is so commonly misunderstood or wrongly applied . . .

Just to be straight I never taught Buddhist meditation I only practiced it formally.

The definition of Zen from the Oxford Dictionary I could agree with although it doesn't reveal what enlightenment is.

Probably better that way. Like someone describing God.

 

[Zip Zip]

I guess you can call it Zen ,,,,,, Concentrating on your threshold changes, plus being aware of your surroundings.

 

[Lanny in AB]

"If you doubt what I say I'll just say I've been on that road and practiced formally."

"Just to be straight I never taught Buddhist meditation I only practiced it formally.

The definition of Zen from the Oxford Dictionary I could agree with although it doesn't reveal what enlightenment is.

Probably better that way. Like someone describing God."

Oops, my apology. You did say you'd practiced formally, not taught. I retract my statement.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Deft Tones]

Zen is a focused state of being and mind. It involves dropping illusion and seeing things without distortion created by your own thoughts. It really means doing one thing and doing it well, without distraction. WW2 fighter pilots called it situation awareness. There was a book where the author observed a dirty garage with blaring rock music is a bad place to get your motorcycle repaired, because the mechanics had jumbled minds. Same applies to detecting.

LOL!

 

[Deft Tones]

Sorry guys, but most of you missed it.
Zen is detachment, not what some are suggesting.

It's not being relaxed or thinking yourself through anything. It's not a state of concentration.
It's a state of awareness and stopping thought. Nothing to do with the kind of thought that finds gold.
If you doubt what I say I'll just say I've been on that road and practiced formally.

As far as the book Placergold mentioned "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", I've read the book at least twice for other
reasons and can say with assurance it has nothing to do with Zen or motorcycle maintenance, It's about a guy gradually going nuts trying to
understand what "quality" means, that's all. It's an important book but not because of it's title.

I think actual followers of Buddhism might be more than a little annoyed over the way the term Zen is thrown around and misunderstood.

I remember when PC's(90's) were being pushed by companies that were just assemblers. Seeing one companies named theirs Zen. I thought pitiful.

Detatchment is good. But that's not zen.

Not bad.

As a long time Zen student it's hard not to laugh at such things being discussed.

Finger pointing to the moon...

Metal detecting makes for a great practice that can lead to kensho. But, so does washing the dishes.