zenschool takes teachings from Mahayana Buddhism, specifically "sunyata" (all beings and phenomena are empty of self-essence), and applies them in an original way to foster a true innovation heart in participants. zenschool teachers break down the barrier between subject and object, and create an environment where co-dependent arising can be understood experientially, through a unique method of "reflecting talk." Students and teachers flow as a single unit, contributing to each other's ideas in a way that amplifies the creativity and impact of ideas and business proposals. Also, the calm engendered by the meditation sessions allow people to quiet their discursive, critical mind, and flow from an authentic place to create new ideas and business models that hadn't occurred to them before.
True Innovation® theory is being substantiated with the assistance of Expert in Happiness Studies and Innovation, and is supported by a growing body of evidence including data collected before and after students complete zenschool. In brief, the theory states the corollary of achieving a "zen" mind-state (i.e., a state free of ego-consciousness, in which there is neither superimposition of ideas onto reality nor psychological projection onto reality) is living a life flowing with creativity! Through various mindfulness practices, students realize there is neither an “I” nor a “me” generating these innovative, naturally occurring ideas; rather, they are, as zenschool founders MIKI and UTSUNOMIYA point out, a phenomenon of "true innovation coming from within." This does not mean coming from “within” a discrete biological entity, but rather emerging from “within” a universal field of awareness, which can only be known through rediscovering an attitude of openness—for example, the attitude one might have felt during a summer break as a child. True Innovation® comes from "No Mind" (無心の心), a goal most zenschool students achieve within six months of completing zenschool!
