Backyard Buddha. I hate it when people use the word “Zen” as an adjective. (This is a minor rant I’m doing here.) Zen is a school of Buddhist practice that involves specific types of meditation techniques, and certain teachings by masters in the Zen lineage. However, in recent years it has become a synonym for “calm” or even “minimalist”. There is such thing as a “Zen garden”, which implies certain mindful design and maintenance. That’s not the kind of garden I have, but I do have a Buddha statue. The historic Lord Buddha sat beneath a bodhi tree and obtained enlightenment; my Buddha sits beneath a crepe myrtle and just serves as a gentle reminder to contemplate more and run my mouth less.