Shinzen Young Spent 100 Days in Isolation to Find Happiness
(and here's what he learned)
Shinzen Young spent 100 days in complete isolation and silence in Japan’s harsh winter to complete Shingon basic training—becoming the first Westerner ever to do so. But why would he undergo such an intense experience?
His goal was to develop an extraordinary level of concentration power—so sharp that it enables him to, for example, pick up a book and learn a new language with ease.
I had the opportunity to train with Shinzen Young for eight days, learning his Unified Mindfulness Meditation Technique.
Through this experience, I witnessed firsthand his ability to teach meditation in six different languages.
More importantly, I discovered a powerful system he designed with one ultimate goal: Happiness.
The Happiness Grid
Shinzen’s approach to happiness is built on three core skills:
🔹 Concentration Power – The ability to focus on what you choose.
🔹 Sensory Clarity – The ability to track and explore your sensory experience in real time.
🔹 Equanimity – The ability to allow sensory experiences to come and go without resistance.
These skills help us cultivate mindful awareness through techniques like noting (acknowledging sensory experiences) and labeling (assigning words to them).
The Five Types of Happiness
Shinzen’s Happiness Grid breaks happiness into five distinct types, each with increasing levels of depth:
1️⃣ Relief – Minimizing suffering.
2️⃣ Fulfillment – Maximizing satisfaction.
3️⃣ Insight – Understanding yourself.
4️⃣ Mastery – Acting skillfully.
5️⃣ Service – Serving from love.
Each type of happiness has four levels, from everyday contentment to deep, transformational joy.
By training our minds using meditation techniques like Unified Mindfulness, we can progress through these levels and cultivate lasting happiness.
Want to dive deeper? Watch the full YouTube video where I break down the Happiness Grid and how you can apply it to your own life.
Thank you for your attention.
- Jake Twomey