« One nation under God? | Main | I get mail »

September 17, 2005

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

If memory serves me well, Stephen Bachelor was a student of Korean Seon (Zen) Master Ku San of Son Kwang Sa Monastery who died around 20 years ago. Korean Zen is very traditional in it's approach which led Japanese Rinzai Zen Master Joshu Sasaki to comment that Korean Zen was "Stuck Zen" although I'm not at all convinced that his opinion is correct.
The point of all this is that each commentator is coming at Buddhism from the level of understanding they have and the tradition they have trained in.
Not to have trained in any tradition is however even more fraught with pitfalls in attempting to get an understanding of what Buddhisnm is about. One Master who has trained under the best that China could produce in the two main Chan (Zen) lineages
ie.T'sao-Tung and Lin-Chi, and has also conducted retreats in USA England and Europe is Taiwanese Chan Master Shen-Yen. He has several books on offer(one "Illuminating Silence" has a foreword by Stephen Bachelor) which give the reader some idea of the seriousness with which training is conducted in these traditions.
My point is this, to venture into a discussion of the more esoteric aspects of Buddhist Dharma outside of the frame work of a Buddhist tradition whether Zen or otherwise is just as unhelpful now as it was back in the days of Beat Zen and even the later commentaries of Alan Watts and the like. You can get lost in that stuff without the disipline and hard work that goes with it in the traditional practice of Buddhism whichever school or sect is chosen. To quote one Japanese Roshi "Do you think Zen is taught with words? why worry about words?"
I feel the same as Brian about reading books for spiritual inspiration and haven't been able to enthuse about anything of a dogmatic nature for some 20 years or more. Not since I attended retreats conducted by Joshu Sasaki back in 1980's in fact. Even the Abbidharma based lectures of a traditional Burmese Vipassana teacher left me cold. Although at present I'm reading Brian's "Return to the One" about Plotinus and finding some simillarity with what strikes a chord with me, whoever "me" is.

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Working...
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been posted. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Working...

Post a comment

Your Information

(Name is required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)

Welcome


  • Welcome to the Church of the Churchless. If this is your first visit, click on "About this site--start here" in the Categories section below.
  • HinesSight
    Visit my other weblog, HinesSight, for a broader view of what's happening in the world of your Church unpastor, his wife, and dog.
  • BrianHines.com
    Take a look at my web site, which contains information about a subject of great interest to me: me.
  • Twitter with me
    Join Twitter and follow my tweets about whatever.
  • I Hate Church of the Churchless
    Can't stand this blog? Believe the guy behind it is an idiot? Rant away on our anti-site.