Designing Peace: Conversations on Zen and Space
Every Sunday is a day to start with a fresh perspective, exploring themes of Zen and mindfulness. It’s a moment to create gentle pauses in the flow of daily life, embracing a sense of ease, richness, and natural balance. Join us on this journey to discover the comfort of living authentically, with space to breathe and grow.
Our sister site, Me Time Japan Travel, had a conversation with Joe Jun Liao, delving into the interplay between Zen and architecture. Jun shared insights on the profound connection between mindful design and intentional living.
1. Where do you find your Zen?
To answer that, I’d first need to define what my Zen means, which, as we all know, isn’t easily described by words. I’ll give it a try nonetheless.
I find my Zen in moments where I am fully connected with ‘truth’—with reality, and with my physical and mental state at that moment. It’s about not being concerned with the past or the future, about being right or wrong, about successes or failures. For me, playing sports with my son, watching movies with my wife, trekking in the depths of mountains, skiing down a black-diamond slope, or working on projects with challenging yet purposeful goals—where the only thing I need to focus on is giving my best—are the moments I find my Zen.
In terms of relaxation, I enjoy taking long walks, whether in a forest or the busy streets of Hong Kong, Tokyo, or New York. Those moments often bring me peace. Of course, sleep is another great refuge. Lastly, I find Zen when I engage in sitting meditation for extended periods, especially during sesshin, where we sit for nine hours a day, for days in a row. These are transformative experiences that deepen my awareness of myself and the world around me.
2. Ideal start to a day of mindfulness?
My ideal morning routine includes waking up, brushing my teeth, meditating, going to the gym, and ‘eating the frogs’—tackling the most difficult tasks of the day head-on. Successfully executing this sequence increases the likelihood of having a good, mindful day, where I have the patience and capacity to handle whatever comes my way. It’s really about mental space. Mindfulness requires us to tidy up our minds so that we can accept information as a whole. Imagine a large sculpture in a garden, inviting you to walk around and appreciate it, versus the same sculpture stuffed into an already packed storeroom. Without mental space, it’s hard to achieve mindfulness.
3. What does a nourishing breakfast look like for you?
I actually don’t eat breakfast much these days. Instead, I have a glass of water with vitamin C tablets to boost immunity. It’s simple and practical. Then I try to have an early lunch to beat the rush hour.
4. Engagement with nature: Out or in?
Whether outdoors or indoors, I must admit I’m not great with plants—I can’t keep them alive at home, partly because I travel too much to give them the consistent care they need. So, I definitely prefer outdoor engagement. I like to think that I let nature do the job of growing greens.
Of course, engagement with nature can take many forms. As I mentioned before, I enjoy trekking and swimming in the ocean. It’s hard for me to imagine engaging with nature indoors; as an architect, we often design with the hope of representing the wonders of nature in an artificial environment, but never to replace them.
5. A soundtrack to your Zen experience?
I don’t listen to any soundtracks when I meditate. To me, the Zen experience is about getting as close to the natural state as possible. If anything, a good live unplugged performance could also give me the kind of touch to reality: the raw appreciation of the musician(s), the instrument(s), and the sounds of the context.
6. Cultural activities that enhance your Zen practice?
I have visited Zen and meditation centers in many places around the world: Hong Kong, Tokyo, Kyoto, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Riverside, Zurich… each place has its own distinct culture, which broadens my perspective. In terms of cultural experiences, tea ceremonies, gardening, farming, and temple visits help calm my mind and sharpen my focus. As for Zen practice, sitting meditation remains the most direct method.
7. How do you balance staying informed with maintaining your peace?
This is a great question. There is so much information around us, and negative information often shouts louder than positive ones. Maintaining peace requires a mindset best summarized by the serenity prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
8. What do you often find yourself reflecting on?
I constantly reflect on how I could have done better. Referencing the previous answer, I often think about whether I acted courageously to change the things I could.
Photo: Joe Jun Liao
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