Customer Reviews

Zen Cards

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find a card. put it in a place that catches your eye throughout the day. each time you see the card, mentally practice the quality on it.

give one to a friend. have them do the same. send one in every card or letter you write. making your note a bit more personal.

have fun, be creative. some people close their eyes and ask a question, then pick a card. using it as an oracle. this is not the way i wrote them, but that is not important. what is important is that you make them your own. find the way . . . .they speak to you. and use them.

the only way not to use them, is, not to use them.

be compassion,

daniel b. levin

Zen Cards by Daniel Levin is a beautifully simple and calming deck. There are 50 individual cards in 5 colors: purple, brick red, olive green, teal, and lime green. The first thing that struck me about this deck, however, was the delightful box in which the cards sit: the top of the box flips up, so the cards are easily accessible. The box is of Asian design with a sturdy construction.

Zen has become a popular topic in the modern world, largely for its simplicity and profound wisdsom. These 50 cards have a lovely Oriental-like font, and each card has a topic written on one side, and a saying on the other. For example, one card is called Zen Mind which says "Experience all things with the enthusiasm of a child, as if you were seeing it for the first time. This is the Zen mind. Always new, always aware, always that of a beginner." Another is Harmony which says "Restore harmony. Create peace in all situations. Rather than pushing the river, flow with it." Yet another card is called Harmlessness which says "All beings fear violence. All beings fear pain. When you see yourself in all your brothers and sisters, then how can you bring harm to them?" Other topics include Balance, Sincerity, Joy, and Stillness.

I have the box of Zen Cards sitting on my desk. Every night before I go to bed, I shuffle the deck and pick a card. I find the words very calming and centering--almost as if the simple and profound message on each card serves as a light breeze that blows away any tension, confusion, or anxiety.

You could use this deck as an oracle when seeking guidance or for meditation and encouragment. Perhaps when picking a card a day, you could tape it to your bathroom mirror or computer monitor--reminding you everytime you look at it of the profound simplicity and peace that is Zen.

This deck would be a wonderful gift for people of all faiths, as well as a great way to treat yourself to some daily inspiration, stillness, and clarity.

(To see several card images from this deck, visit the reviews section of JanetBoyer.com)

I wrote these cards as an exercise in compassion. Our world moves very fast. Years ago, the promise of technology was that this quicker way of life would allow us to accomplish more in less time, giving us more time to be with our family and friends, more time for introspection, more time to be in enjoyment of the fruits of our labors. But, in fact, it has done the opposite.

Now it's common to wake up in the morning and check our e-mail first thing. We collect voice mails from three, four, or even five places. Documents are now received the same day they're sent. Online shopping has now made it possible to never leave the house.

So I asked myself, What's the way of compassion in this situation? I found that the way of compassion is to embrace the speed of life, to accept and work with it to give us what we need. I thought the best way to do that was to create short, quick messages that would remind us of the things that are really important to us.

One side of each Zen card contains a one-word quality for people to think or meditate on. For instance, sometimes I look at the compassion card, and just seeing the word reminds me of the promise I made to myself to "Be Compassion."

I hope these cards will be helpful for others as well.

I saw these cards while vacationing in Hawaii, and bought them with the idea of using them at work to ease stress. I read a couple each day, trying to absorb their meaning. Also, the cards are well-designed, and the calligraphy is very attractive.

This "Zen Cards" deck by Daniel Levin is an easy way to familiarize yourself with the ideas/thoughts/beliefs related to Zen Buddhism, as well as a fun, creative way to remind yourself of how to put these ideas into practice.

Each card has a theme written on the front (such as "Concentration", "Contentment", "Right Thought", "Peace", etc...), and then a description of how this idea can be put into practice is written on the back.

The cards are of excellent quality - each one is relatively thick & lamenated, so they will not fold & crease too easily. Also, the cards come inside a "gift-quality" flip-top box.

The cards can be used in a variety of ways, but I plan to pull out a card once every few days, read it, and then ponder the meaning of that particular card before moving on to the next one.

Overall, I've found these cards to be beautiful, insightful & thought-provoking. I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in Zen Buddhism.

Excellent source for inspitration, meditation, reflection, and insight into ones daily life. The healing qualities of these cards prove to be a wonderful solution to frequent confusion. anger, and self-pity.
I recommend these cards highly.

With over 10 reviews at this writing, I am not sure that I can add anything more earthshaking or insightful to what has been said. It was interesting to read the reviews that spoke of the reviewers' personal uses for the cards. So, I will just speak to my own feelings about the product--this box of Zen cards. I enjoy it. Being curious to learn more about Zen and Zen themes, I purchased this in the hope that the cards would be a comfortable, simple way to explore and to focus ideas. The cards have exceeded my personal expectations. They are well-made and well designed--with a word / concept and imagery on front, and a helpful thought or quote on the backside. The printed words / fonts are a nice, easy-to-view size--especially for eyeglass wearers such as myself. Each card seems to have its own unique personality and duty within the unified whole--the set. To me, the cards collectively honor both diversity and unity--no easy feat for any product. I like to shuffle them around, and then pick one at random to concentrate on for that moment, in that moment. Then, I might take that idea further and go to my drawing journal--moving the pencil in inspiration of my topic at hand.

If someone has one of those labyrinth or mandala type journals, he / she could use these Zen cards as a meditation companion. A person could also download one of those free Chartres Labyrinth patterns from the Internet and then use these cards as mediation prompts for "completing the circuits" / following the path. [Playing some peaceful music while doing this little pencil journal helps! ] I am sure there are many, many other creative, meaningful ways to use this product. I had read that one reviewer was concerned that there were no directions for use in the box. My box didn't come with directions either, which was interesting...and really I kind of liked that. The Zen Cards author left it up to me on how best to apply these gems of wisdom, comfort, and insight in my own personal path / experience. Like a good teacher, he points the direction; I have to be the witness or observer. No one can do it for me or for anyone else. :) This makes sense really because life doesn't come with directions or an instruction manual either. One has to personally explore / experience for himself or herself the meanings---meanings in life and meanings of the cards--as these meanings relate to that particular individual life at the given moment. When you open this box of Zen Cards, well, you are also opening your mind, spirit, and body to a kind of Zen practice. :) Take it further by reading Charlotte Joko Beck's book: Everyday Zen. [Some folks may not agree with me on this, but that is fine. Each one of us has to decide for ourselves what to explore and experience.]

My favorite cards from the pack are... Zen Mind; Tranquility; Self Acceptance; Reflection; Peace; Patience; Joy; Humility; Courage; Community; Tao; Right Thought

Keywords that might appeal to others are...Love; Inner Peace; Journey; Harmony; Harmlessness; Happiness; Grace; Forgiveness; Ego; Destiny; Dance; Concentration, Suffering, Renunciation ....to name just a few from this box!

These spiritual cards give me a daily zen boost, and that is most appreciated. :) It's my hope that they will offer others the same!

This little deck of inspirational cards is full of wisdom, simply presented, yet very powerful.

I bought the Zen cards after seeing them at the health centre I visit for Osteo treatment I also take my daughter for treatment and we always enjoyed picking out a card to give us positive food for thought for the day. I ordered them on Amazon and now I keep them in the lounge room for the whole family to use. The Zen cards are something we can enjoy together as a family.

These cards were recommended to me by a friend. I was a little skeptical that they might just be more junk to collect dust, but I was wrong. They are not only beautiful to look at, but have inspirational phrases on each of the 50 cards. Unlike reading a book, they are comforting and inspiring to read at a glance. I plan to put them on my coffee table or a shelf where others can see and read them.