Zen and the Art of Mount Maintenance

This game we love can be both frantic and stressful. Perhaps it’s time for us to take a more Zen-like approach to our gaming experience. Indeed it is surprising how the wisdom of Zen perfectly lends itself to the Azeroth world (as I’m sure the Monks from MOP will show us …that sounds like an Indie band by the way). Consider the following Zen words and perhaps apply them to your in-game life.

1. The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step

In other words you’re not getting your mount until 20 so please stop moaning. And you don’t know how lucky you are  – back in my day we didn’t have riding until we were 40 & had to spend  all our hard earned gold on it – if we had any gold that is. (In fact I borrowed gold from my husband for my first mount not realising that as a pally I could get it from my trainer. I never paid him back either. I expect this to turn up in the divorce papers if it ever comes to that.)

2.Do not speak – unless it improves on silence

That’s Trade chat closed forever then.

3.If you understand, things are just as they are; if you do not understand, things are just as they are 

In other words that boss cannot be tanked and the adds will kill you unless you kill them first – this is true whether you understand it or not (but if you repeatedly show yourself unable  to understand  it then I suspect you will be kicked – hard).

4.When the pupil is ready to learn, a teacher will appear

Or alternatively – when the group has wiped 10 times they will finally listen to the healer who has been advising them to CC from the start.

5.Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

Although by the time he reaches fishing 525 he will have become  suicidal from the boredom  – therefore  quite dramatically shortening his lifetime. This is probably how the saying originated.

6. Your Treasure House is in yourself, it contains all you need

So please  don’t come on Trade Chat begging for gold. Turn out your pockets. You’re bound to have something. Or I don’t know – maybe you could  try questing or farming and earning your own money? You know- like the rest of us did – you lazy little $%£@ (oh dear – my Zen like calm has gone).

7.A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion

In some cases yes – i.e. don’t vote to kick when the poor tank has done nothing wrong apart from making the fatal mistake of telling the group it’s his first time tanking. But on the other hand this does not mean you can run off in a  dungeon & pull everything in sight while the rest of the group are still collecting their quests. That does not make you wise. It makes you an idiot.

8. To know the road ahead, ask those coming back

Unless you’re on a PvP server.

9.Although gold dust is precious, when it gets in your eyes, it obstructs your vision

Very useful advise. Use as a last line of defence when you’re level 6 and struggling with those  kobolds.

10. The obstacle is the path

Umm  sadly not always  true. Sometimes the obstacle is a mountain. A big one. With no path – although with shades of ground that look like paths (do Blizzard do this intentionally?). On these occasions accept that Zen philosophy has let you down and write an angry letter to your Bodhisattva of choice.

11. The quieter you become, the more you can hear

Particularly on Vent.

12. This is the Zen approach: nothing is there to be done. There is nothing to do. One has just to be. Have a rest and be ordinary and be natural

This is life on reaching 85 and discovering you’re crap at raiding and hate dailies. It’s ok. Don’t feel bad. You’re being  Zen-like. Enjoy.

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