Zencode

why zen?

Zen (or Zen Buddhism) is a branch of eastern Buddhism that puts a large emphasis on mindfulness and living within the present moment.

In a nutshell, mindfulness is a state of awareness we full emerse ourselves in what we're doing, rather than thinking about everything else we need to do.

An important aspect of Zen conditioning is breathing. Though this is the simplest thing that we do as humans, we rarely stop to notice that we are doing it. To help maintain an awareness of breath, and hence our present moment is to count them.

Give it a go.. as you inhale, and exhale, count 1. On the next breath count 2 and so on. When you get to 10, start back at 1. Most people will find that within 2 minutes, they've lost count a half a dozen times because our minds are so full of everything that has to be done, rather than focusing on what we're doing.

Put simply, apart from the meditation practice, Zen is putting yourself completely within the present moment and focussing fully on what we're doing right now, so as not to miss all that life has to offer.

the circle

The circle in our logo (an Ensō) has long been a symbol of Zen. No, it's not a coffee cup stain! In caligraphy meditation, the Ensō is usually drawn with a single brush stroke without any modification. It represents enlightenment, strength, elegance, simplicity and life.

Many concepts of zen can be applied to programming and most programmers do it without thinking about it. Code is cyclical, like the Ensō, it's built, improved and often replaced in its life time.

Like the Ensō, 'Zen Coding' should always be done with excellence. It is elegant, simple, and done with complete focus. It should flow naturally, be easy to follow and should always have a purpose.

While we're not Zen monks or even really Zen practitioners, we believe strongly in the concepts of Zen and it's application to our work.

Does your business need a bit of Zen?