Tag Archives: Zen

Daily Buddhism, Ethics

On Teaching Buddhism: My Point of View

A long-time reader wrote:

You mentioned in several past episodes that you are not a Zen Master or Guru, and yet, you have taught hundreds if not thousands of disciples through your podcast. Does this not make you then a teacher of aspiring Buddhists? With the availability of the internet, it is likely your students/listeners have more information at their fingertips that aspiring Buddhists decades, centuries, or millennia ago did not have available. What exactly is required to *be* a Zen Master or teacher of Buddhism? The Buddha simply went around teaching and his students called him Teacher. Do you need some kind of ritual or official certificate to be a Teacher of Buddhism these days? Or were you just being humble and did you not realize that you are what you do?

My Response:

Traditionally with Zen, one master confers the title of “Master” on to very experienced students after so many years of study and meditation. There’s no official certificate or plaque, no, it’s just done when the old Master thinks the student is ready.

I didn’t study under a Master, and never have had one. I’ve taken college courses, and have a degree in “Comparative Religions.” I have a Minister’s License from the State of Ohio that allows me to marry people. I’ve read tons of books, watched umpteen videos, and practiced all kinds of meditation. I have to admit that I’ve experienced a lot of what Buddhism can offer. Does this make me the equal of a Zen Master? I don’t think so. I might go so far as to say I’m an “expert” at Buddhism, but I’d have to point out that even then, it’s mostly book-learning, not experiential.

Do I know more about Buddhism that the Masters a thousand of years ago? Probably, but only because there is so much more to know now than in those days (all those new sects and groups that didn’t exist back then, for one example), and the access to that information is so much easier today.

When I think of a modern “Master,” I think of Thich Nhat Hanh or Sheng Yen. Those guys are the real deal.

Am I a teacher of Buddhism? Absolutely. Am I good at it? I don’t know, but I like to think I have a fairly unique voice in the Buddhist community, and I’d also like to think it’s an honest one. My goal here is, and always has been, to clarify, simplify, and remove the layers of mystical jargon and mumbo-jumbo that tends to accumulate around Eastern religions.

Am I being humble? Probably a little. I’d like to call it something else… honesty.

 

 

 

Daily Buddhism, Koans

Koan: How Grass and Trees Become Enlightened

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Koan: How Grass & Trees Become Enlightened

During the Kamakura period, Shinkan studied Tendai six years and then studied Zen seven years; then he went to China and contemplated Zen for thirteen years more.

When he returned to Japan many desired to interview him and asked obscure questions. But when Shinkan received visitors, which was infrequently, he seldom answered their questions.

One day a fifty-year-old student of enlightenment said to Shinkan: “I have studied the Tendai school of thought since I was a little boy, but one thing in it I cannot understand. Tendai claims that even the grass and trees will become enlightened. To me this seems very strange.”

“Of what use is it to discuss how grass and trees become enlightened?” asked Shinkan. “The question is how you yourself can become so. Did you ever consider that?”

“I never thought of it in that way,” marveled the old man.

“Then go home and think it over,” finished Shinkan.

Daily Buddhism

Paradoxes

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Question:

I was listening to one of the many comments that you were reading on your podcast regarding attachment to enlightenment, and I had a delightful series of thoughts that I felt compelled to share with the Daily Buddhism sangha. I was listening to your commentary on the issue and realized that it may not be a question of determining the meaning of desire and attachment, as is so often discussed. At the present moment I consider this dilemma of attachment to enlightenment to be a paradox. The less attached you become to enlightenment (and all other things, of course), the closer you get to it. I have in my mind a picture of a person who has attained enlightenment, who, when asked about it, simply laughs and talks about the mosquito on his arm, and how much of a good mother she is.

It always delights me when I find paradox in this world because it inevitably breeds more paradox. For example, once I had the thought to share this insight on enlightenment, my desire to share it with you actually pushed me farther away from enlightenment, because I had been spending so much energy “grasping” this thought until I could write it down to share it. Even the desire to share this thought in this current moment is, in itself, a paradox that brings me farther from the message I am trying to convey because it is simply a thought that, if I were being truly mindful, I would notice and move on. I’m sure by now I have you and your listeners’ heads spinning with this idea, and usually when I find myself crawling deeper into this particular rabbit hole (which is so tempting to do), I like to smile and say to myself, “ah, Paradox.” And move on with the rest of my day.

Of course, what I actually did was proofread the message to make sure it’s clear enough. Yet another paradox!

And now I’ve seen the Buddha on the road, so I must kill him.

Your comments are always appreciated, and thank you for the wisdom that you’ve shared with me through the podcast and your emails.

Answer:

Yes, those mosquito stings hurt.

Oh, you want more?

It’s not unusual for me to get a message that I shouldn’t have explained the topic about such-and-such, as some things are beyond words. Some topics cannot be explained in words, and I do realize this, but I have the “teacher mentality” coupled with the responsibility of “informing” my readers, so I feel a need to put some of the complex ideas of Buddhism into words. Sometimes it works out very well, sometimes it doesn’t, but in many cases, I just cannot leave the topic unmentioned or the question unanswered. I probably should leave some topics alone, but if I don’t bring them up, they might not be considered at all.

I guess that’s the same thing you describe; I often explain terminology and ideas here, simply because that’s my job. Yet by doing these things, I run the risk of getting bogged down in labels and terminology. A good example of this was the “Am I Buddhist Enough” post a few months back. I tried to explain what a Buddhist is and does, but there were several reader comments that correctly pointed out that “Buddhist” is just a label and doesn’t matter anyway. Yet, there does seem to be a need to define and understand what it means to be one. It’s another contradiction or paradox.

I suspect that paradox is much more common in our lives than we tend to believe. You know things should be done one way, yet you do them in just the opposite way. Why is this? Comment with your own examples!

Daily Buddhism, Reviews

DVD Review: Zen Noir

Movie: Zen Noir
Director: Marc Rosenbush
Reviewed by Brian Schell
English, 71 Minutes
Amazon Link

I saw the trailers for this movie last winter, and it looked hilarious, so when I finally had a chance to watch the film, I jumped at it. Zen humor is not something you see everyday, and this was obviously advertised as a comedy.

The movie is narrated in the first person by a 30’s hard-boiled detective type, clearly a Mike Hammer parody, complete with tough-guy monologues and beard stubble. The action starts out with a chuckle, as an old Zen monk sits in a room with other monks meditating. He keels over and dies, but the others are so into their meditation they don’t even notice. When the detective arrives and starts asking questions about the murder‚Ķ Well, you know what kind of answers you get when you ask a question in Zen.

The first 25 minutes or so were rough. The back and forth rapid-fire questions and non-answers got old fast, and the overuse of Noir and Zen cliches got to the point of silliness, which was probably intentional, but still wasn’t very funny. By around the 20-minute mark, I was ready to declare this the “stupidest movie ever.” Then the silliness slowed down and the Zen took over.

There was still the occasional funny line, such as when the detective asks the Master,
“What happens when we, you know‚ die?”
“Don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“Not dead yet!” OK, so humor of that sort is in the delivery.

There are dozens of images of oranges and glimpses of oranges In different scenes and positions flashing onscreen throughout the drama. Once the meaning of the orange is explained, many things become clear, both in the movie and in real Zen itself. There really is a lot of Zen in the movie, and it was obviously very cleverly written.

Yet, I still have to ask myself, is it entertaining? The problem is that even after watching the movie, I cannot answer that one. This is definitely one of those love-it or hate-it movies, and I suspect most audiences are going to be split down the middle. If someone is fairly knowledgeable about basic Zen ideas, then there is a message in the ending; however, for the person who isn’t very familiar with Zen ideas, this is going to be a seriously boring movie that makes no sense whatsoever.

I’m going to give this one a 3/5 since I really just don’t know what to think‚Ķ Or maybe I should give it a 5/5 for the same reason.

Sigh. Zen makes me crazy sometimes.

Purchase it from Amazon

 

Daily Buddhism, Reviews

Book: The Saint of Kathmandu, by Sarah Levine

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Book: The Saint of Kathmandu and Other Tales of the Sacred in Distant Lands
By Sarah Levine
Reviewed by Brian Schell
Beacon Press, 242 Pages, ISBN 978-0-8070-1312-0
Buy from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0807013129/?tag=askdrarca-20

This is a little different from the other books I’ve reviewed here. It’s not strictly a Buddhist book; it’s about various religions around the world. There are six stories in the book, each one a more-or-less true story in the experience of the author, a British anthropologist.

The first tale is about spirit possession in a Muslim town, the second is about the Cult of the Virgin in Mexico, Witchcraft in Kenya, Buddhism in Kathmandu, Charismatic Christianity in Hong Kong, and Zen in America. For the readers of Daily Buddhism, I am going to focus on just two of the stories, although all are worth your time.

The third story involves the author’s trip from Kathmandu to India, where she visits the places where the Buddha gained Enlightenment and also where he died. Along the way, she has many discussions with Guruma, the leader of the group and a Nepalese Nun, as well as being the titular ‚ÄúSaint‚Äù of the book. Guruma’s stories show what it was like to be a little girl being forced into an arranged marriage, her escape and distant travels to the nunnery, and her later work in bringing the Dharma to thousands of women who otherwise would be neglected by the male-dominated society. Interestingly, early in the story, the author laments the possibility of having to talk about western Buddhism with two Americans, yet at the end of the story she finds that she cannot tolerate the more disciplined approach of the East.

The sixth and last story is an interesting one as well. It’s about the author’s encounter with an American Zen Master (said to be the first American Zen master). While the author is initially taken by the quirky Zen Master/artist, she quickly discovers the dark side of the situation. The man loves being the center of attention, is a control freak, and never wanted to be a teacher anyway. He, as well as his students, became victims of his own cult of personality. Zen Masters do generally come off a somewhat arrogant in most tales, but this story gives a much more real sense of the problem, which is probably much more common than we in the West would probably assume.

It’s an interesting book with an interesting perspective. There are things here both positive and negative about all these various groups and religions. The author is clearly more interested in the people and their attitudes than the places she visits or beliefs the people hold, and the stories she relates are very personal in nature.

You aren’t going to learn anything about how to practice Buddhism with this book, but it’s a good read, and it’s fun to visit the unusual cultures and share the odd experiences the author relates with us here. The final chapter in particular, shows us some of the inherent problems with lineage traditions where it is assumed that the teacher is always right.

Once you reach enlightenment, does it last forever or does it fade?

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Buy from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0807013129/?tag=askdrarca-20

Daily Buddhism, Reviews

Review: Now & Zen Timepiece

Zen Timepiece in Cherry
Zen Timepiece in Cherry

Review: Now & Zen Timepiece
Review by Brian Schell
Manufacturer Link: http://www.now-zen.com
Price $189

Packing & Contents:

My review sample arrived in a nice retail box with plenty of safety packaging. The heavy brass bowl was separated from the wooden clock unit to avoid damage. I played with the bowl a while before ever opening the rest of the clock; you can make a nice resounding gong sound by striking it with anything, even a pencil. Eventually though, I wanted to see the clock, and had to proceed. The box says Batteries not included, yet batteries were in the box, ready to go. A comprehensive manual and product catalog were also in the box. The clock is available in several colors, cherry, maple, and black lacquer. I got the cherry version. From the catalog, it appears that the bowls are all the same, brass.

Setup:

I played with the buttons a bit, and figured out how to set the clock on my own, but did have to peek inside the manual for anything more than that. The instruction booklet is English only, at 40 pages, clearly organized with everything you need to know, plus a good deal of additional suggestions for usage.

There are two small screw-type adjustments, one Hi and one Lo that are located under the bowl; these control the force at which the little plunger strikes the bowl. You can fiddle with these until you get the sound you want from the bowl. The sound can also be adjusted by moving the bowl nearer or farther from the plunger that shoots out to strike the bowl. You can set the clock to run silently, go off at a specified time, or set it to chime on the hour.

Usage:

Setting the alarm is essentially the same as on any other digital clock. The ringing of the alarm is a little unusual, since there is just one long chime rather than the constant chatter a regular ringing alarm clock would make. When the alarm goes off, the bowl gongs once. Then it does it again 3 minutes and 48 seconds later. Then again at 2:21, 1:28, :54, :34, :21, :13, :08. and then repeatedly every 5 seconds. This Golden Ratio Progression is explained in the instructions, and you can Google Golden Ratio for more of an explanation of the mystical significance. More practically, it’s the bowl-striking equivalent of the sleep mode on a most standard clock. They call this progressive awakening. I have mine set to ring on the hour, every hour, so I end up sleeping through single gongs all night long.

Other than the regular alarm mode, it also has a countdown timer, which is pretty straightforward. You set the number of minutes and seconds, and the counter counts down to zero and chimes. There is also a repeat feature that you can set to count down for however long, chime, and then do it again. This is the meditation timer feature, which you can use during meditation. Overall, it’s easy

to set up and use, and the booklet has many interesting suggestions for how to use the clock in meditation, dreamwork, and progressive awakening.

Zen Timepiece in Cherry
Zen Timepiece in Cherry

The Good & The Bad:

There is one major drawback to the clock, and that’s the bowl placement. The bowl has to be placed reasonably close to the plunger in order to strike, but not too close. It’s meant to be adjustable, and that’s OK, but any movement of the bowl away from the plunger, which is not fixed down at all, will keep the chime from sounding. I can imagine several unfortunate scenarios for someone relying on this clock to wake them in the morning. It wouldn’t take much of a jar for the bowl to slip just a little, leaving the alarm silent.

The biggest feature of the clock is the chime. The solid brass bowl has a great resonance to it, and just tapping it with a fingernail makes a great sound. There’s no reason you couldn’t use the bowl in any kind of group meditation for a bell or gong sound. When the clock’s chime strikes, the deep bell resonates for 10 to 15 seconds, and you can imagine you hear it long after the sound has actually faded.

The price is steep for a clock of this size, but it is a very well-designed clock, and the sound is unique to my knowledge. It’s a Buddhist luxury toy if there ever was one. The unusual design and bowl are bound to be conversation starters, if nothing else.

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Podcasts

Paradoxes and Being in the Present

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Podcast Episode 59: Paradoxes and Being in the Present

Announcements:

The all-new Monthly Buddhism PDF Magazine for the month of June will go on sale tomorrow, and future issues will be available regularly on the first Sunday of each month. The June issue has Just under 50 pages of great material suitable for reading onscreen or printing. The cost is $5 and can by purchased at http://www.monthlybuddhism.com.

And now let’s get on with this week’s show!

[Read the past five blog posts or emails for contents of the show]

This Week’s Links:

Paradoxes
http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/1357

What Do I Need to Do?
http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/1358

Joshu’s Zen
http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/1355

Bring in the Present
http://www.dailybuddhism.com/archives/1353

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