That was very interesting! As a female non-Zen-practioner I’ve always considered Zen to be a very masculine practice. The disclipline, the stoicism, the hierarchy, the silence, the self-torturing aspect, :) It was interesting to hear you speak about the masculine and feminine qualities you both need to cultivate in Zen. In the end they’re two sides of the same coin.
Man and women feels like clunky labelling to me. It will always be important to have these explorations of self identification and how they impact our experiences and behaviour, thanks for your work!
Loving these reflections, and then a conversation with Brad also on his chanel, a great way to enjoy a Spring morning (in Australia). Thanks so much Jack. Peace to all ♥️🙏🌺
"What makes a man, Mr. Lebowski? Is it being prepared to do the right thing, whatever the cost? Isn't that what makes a man? " "Hmmm... Sure, that and a pair of testicles."
17:29 I actually use drugs for other reasons. So I noticed a long time ago that people who have never used drugs can be quite... rigid. But I noticed that when I would hand them weed they would immediately begin to relax once they got over their paranoia or fear or illusions concerning the drug of choice I utilized which is weed. Afterwards there would be a noticeable difference in their behavior. They would be more relaxed more open less angry. It's as if I had shocked the system itself into a slightly different patten then the one it had been adopting. I think sometimes people need something to alter their mental state in order for them to move past certain intractable positions. More importantly the more highly they regarded me the greater the change. I think this had to do with their conception of what is and is not acceptable behavior. So maybe the thinking if I do smoke weed I am a bad person can be circumnavigated when a good person does a drug and remains a good pperson. It causes a Crack to appear in their solidified view of what is and is not acceptable. I am surprised he did not partake with you. If he had it would have caused you to come to a different conclusion other then buck up. The conclusion could have been ok sometimes I just need to drink and let the drug remove me from my previous trajectory into a new trajectory. Of course in addiction this will present itself as escapism. But for an individual that is not addicted it is not escapism it is therapy. What occurs during the use of the drug in my opinion is superfluous my reaction to it though can be beneficial. This of course is merely my opinion on the benefits of drug use and its detriments. We can't avoid that addiction is possible. But then again one can be addicted to things other then drugs so it's not neccesarily a drug that causes the addiction. It's why I don't offer alcohol when I need to change someone's fundamental perspective as to what is and is not acceptable behavior. I chose weed because it's not neccesarily chemically addictive unlike alcohol or Crack. It is on the other hand mentally addictive but so is alcohol and Crack. Also alcohol tends to inhibit higher functions which can help dull pain. But also can have many deleterious effects such as greater emotionally a propensity for violence or unacceptable behavior. Not to say that marijuana is free from this just that marijuana doesn't actually inhibit higher functions as greatly as other drugs do. Nor does it actually cause a person to become more violent. Weed courage is not a thing. It is a mild hallucinogen though but most of the deleterious effects that arise due to marijuana in my opinion aren't actually about the drug itself but about how we view the drug. I.e. people who are paranoid when they smoke aren't paranoid because the drug makes them so. They are paranoid because their whole life they have been told that if they smoke weed they will be arrested. If their parents or peers find out they will be judged. If their employer finds out they will be fired. The more they fear being arrested judged or dismissed the more paranoid they will be especially in public settings. So when I introduce marijuana to an individual for the first time I have to take it with them and it has to be in a private safe and secure setting until the time comes when they no longer accept what others have told them about the drug. I can smoke all I want and it doesn't really do much for me. Then again I have no mental baggage surrounding it. I get a little happy and a little lazy and sometimes very hungry. That's about as far as it effects me. Someone who has been raised in a strictly religious and puritanical setting that is not in a safe space may exhibit any number of behaviors that could be considered unacceptable but that is an issue of perception not medication. That being said drugs tend to effect people differently based on their on their genetics so this won't hold true across the board but generally speaking it will hold true for most.if you google spiders on drugs you will see images of webs made under the effects of different drugs. If we replace webs with neurons it will better fit the model I am presenting. I'm also not saying that is why he did it. More that's it's why I do it. I use drugs to dislodge the proverbial stick some people may find shoved up their ass when talking or practice cannot do it. In my search to alleviate the suffering of others I show no mercy and leave no stone unturned.
I am a female Zen practitioner. I was curious to see where you were going with this talk. Your explanation of "gender" is along the same lines of what I understand to be true. I deeply wish that more people, especially those who struggle with gender, could understand this. I think it could bring a lot of peace to folks.
Thank you. I'm curious, how is what I said along the same lines of what you understand to be true? I.e., what's your take on this? I'm assuming that you're younger than I am, and gender is a big issue with the younger generations, so I'm curious what your take is.
@@zenconfidential25 I doubt that I'm younger than you are. I'll be 55 in April. It depends on what definition we're going to use. The definition of Gender separating it from biological sex is a construct, so it's no more "real" or permanent than the "self" we have constructed from infancy. Our society tells us (generally speaking) what "feminine" means vs "masculine". These expected traits are not the same for all cultures, as you seem to have encountered. In my Practice, and through just being alive, it has become obvious to me that most of what our culture tends to think of "Gender traits" or roles, isn't such a concrete thing. Sadly, the expectations for "men" are more strict than they are for "women". As an example, in most places a woman can go about in public dressed in comfortable clothes that she purchased directly from the "men's" clothing section. The reverse is not true for "men". This has a lot to do with our patriarchal society. When "men" choose to look or act more like "women", they experience far more disgust than the reverse.
Great insights, I think those gender traits and roles just keep shifting and moving and morphing over time (moment to moment) and from culture to culture and even from city to city. What's cool for the boys in Vienna is seen as "girlish" in nearby Varajdin, and so on.
The "whiskey sutra" is one of my favorites you tell. Ive told it to a couple friends. Oh by they way, im including it in my Baldy Cliff Records book of koans based on your life... dont get mad, i checked with my extremely expensive team of lawyers and as long as i add a taisho, it's considered fair use. Cha-ching🙏🤑💰
That's a very funny Roshi story : when life isn't going your way, take a Xanax. In fact all your stuff about politics and plumbing at the beginning was a real roller coaster of a ride.
As a white woman who has said that very thing about white men, it was good to get your perspective. We all see things differently because we all landed here in a body and had to conform to society. I have that same ANGER that you do but for different reasons. I often relate back to the Bhagavad Gita and let go of my attachments and try not to make sense of it all but continue on the path that apparently I was put here to fulfill. AND STOP JUDGING. Thank you again! (Also I have 2 sons, 39 and 43, so I try NOT to think the way my conditioned self wants to)
Well told but even a famous german musician named Dieter Bohlen once said he wouldn't bother his friends with his problems, one has to take care of them oneself. I think zen isn't needed either to understand that we have both (or more) genders in us. That is a rather common experience.
The Zen monk's attire is so well finished off with a gay biker's leather peaked cap with chain. Yo! You mentioned 'spiritual bypassing' in a previous post, and I get what you mean (I think) in your cautioning against this, but isn't that really what we're doing in Zen practice, like 'bypassing' getting involved in the self that frets and buys into the same old ideas and stories about ourselves, the same old views and opinions, not getting involved in thoughts and feelings but letting them 'pass by' / 'by-pass'...? You guys sit with the breath and the body, but us Dogen purists don't even do that - we 'drop off body and mind' and the instruction is to let it all come and go while doing zazen. In some practice places I've been there seems to be not much emphasis on anything outside of that. 👍 👍
Maybe so, but not always so. I know from my own practice that I've used it as a place to hide, to zone out and switch off, as life in the real world burned down around me. Thankfully, the mind of practice doesn't like getting stuck for too long however, it seems.
That was very interesting! As a female non-Zen-practioner I’ve always considered Zen to be a very masculine practice. The disclipline, the stoicism, the hierarchy, the silence, the self-torturing aspect, :)
It was interesting to hear you speak about the masculine and feminine qualities you both need to cultivate in Zen. In the end they’re two sides of the same coin.
Thank you!
I think that i never will forget the teaching of the "whiskey sutra". It is a good lesson and koan. Thank you for that!
🙏🙏💡
Thank you! 😃
Man and women feels like clunky labelling to me. It will always be important to have these explorations of self identification and how they impact our experiences and behaviour, thanks for your work!
Great point! It is kinda clunky. Alternatives?? That's tricky too.
Loving these reflections, and then a conversation with Brad also on his chanel, a great way to enjoy a Spring morning (in Australia). Thanks so much Jack. Peace to all ♥️🙏🌺
"What makes a man, Mr. Lebowski? Is it being prepared to do the right thing, whatever the cost? Isn't that what makes a man? "
"Hmmm... Sure, that and a pair of testicles."
Great movie, great line, not necessarily true, though.
But hey, at least no one cut off his Chohnson.
Greatest comment of all time on this UA-cam channel.
Nice teaching! One question sir: Are you a fully ordained Dudeist?
@@ThichTamPhoMinh No, Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Thank you Zen Confidential
Thank YOU Wharton Bizzo!
17:29 I actually use drugs for other reasons. So I noticed a long time ago that people who have never used drugs can be quite... rigid. But I noticed that when I would hand them weed they would immediately begin to relax once they got over their paranoia or fear or illusions concerning the drug of choice I utilized which is weed. Afterwards there would be a noticeable difference in their behavior. They would be more relaxed more open less angry. It's as if I had shocked the system itself into a slightly different patten then the one it had been adopting. I think sometimes people need something to alter their mental state in order for them to move past certain intractable positions. More importantly the more highly they regarded me the greater the change. I think this had to do with their conception of what is and is not acceptable behavior. So maybe the thinking if I do smoke weed I am a bad person can be circumnavigated when a good person does a drug and remains a good pperson. It causes a Crack to appear in their solidified view of what is and is not acceptable. I am surprised he did not partake with you. If he had it would have caused you to come to a different conclusion other then buck up. The conclusion could have been ok sometimes I just need to drink and let the drug remove me from my previous trajectory into a new trajectory. Of course in addiction this will present itself as escapism. But for an individual that is not addicted it is not escapism it is therapy. What occurs during the use of the drug in my opinion is superfluous my reaction to it though can be beneficial. This of course is merely my opinion on the benefits of drug use and its detriments. We can't avoid that addiction is possible. But then again one can be addicted to things other then drugs so it's not neccesarily a drug that causes the addiction. It's why I don't offer alcohol when I need to change someone's fundamental perspective as to what is and is not acceptable behavior. I chose weed because it's not neccesarily chemically addictive unlike alcohol or Crack. It is on the other hand mentally addictive but so is alcohol and Crack. Also alcohol tends to inhibit higher functions which can help dull pain. But also can have many deleterious effects such as greater emotionally a propensity for violence or unacceptable behavior. Not to say that marijuana is free from this just that marijuana doesn't actually inhibit higher functions as greatly as other drugs do. Nor does it actually cause a person to become more violent. Weed courage is not a thing. It is a mild hallucinogen though but most of the deleterious effects that arise due to marijuana in my opinion aren't actually about the drug itself but about how we view the drug. I.e. people who are paranoid when they smoke aren't paranoid because the drug makes them so. They are paranoid because their whole life they have been told that if they smoke weed they will be arrested. If their parents or peers find out they will be judged. If their employer finds out they will be fired. The more they fear being arrested judged or dismissed the more paranoid they will be especially in public settings. So when I introduce marijuana to an individual for the first time I have to take it with them and it has to be in a private safe and secure setting until the time comes when they no longer accept what others have told them about the drug. I can smoke all I want and it doesn't really do much for me. Then again I have no mental baggage surrounding it. I get a little happy and a little lazy and sometimes very hungry. That's about as far as it effects me. Someone who has been raised in a strictly religious and puritanical setting that is not in a safe space may exhibit any number of behaviors that could be considered unacceptable but that is an issue of perception not medication. That being said drugs tend to effect people differently based on their on their genetics so this won't hold true across the board but generally speaking it will hold true for most.if you google spiders on drugs you will see images of webs made under the effects of different drugs. If we replace webs with neurons it will better fit the model I am presenting. I'm also not saying that is why he did it. More that's it's why I do it. I use drugs to dislodge the proverbial stick some people may find shoved up their ass when talking or practice cannot do it.
In my search to alleviate the suffering of others I show no mercy and leave no stone unturned.
I am a female Zen practitioner. I was curious to see where you were going with this talk. Your explanation of "gender" is along the same lines of what I understand to be true. I deeply wish that more people, especially those who struggle with gender, could understand this. I think it could bring a lot of peace to folks.
Thank you. I'm curious, how is what I said along the same lines of what you understand to be true? I.e., what's your take on this? I'm assuming that you're younger than I am, and gender is a big issue with the younger generations, so I'm curious what your take is.
@@zenconfidential25 I doubt that I'm younger than you are. I'll be 55 in April. It depends on what definition we're going to use. The definition of Gender separating it from biological sex is a construct, so it's no more "real" or permanent than the "self" we have constructed from infancy. Our society tells us (generally speaking) what "feminine" means vs "masculine". These expected traits are not the same for all cultures, as you seem to have encountered. In my Practice, and through just being alive, it has become obvious to me that most of what our culture tends to think of "Gender traits" or roles, isn't such a concrete thing. Sadly, the expectations for "men" are more strict than they are for "women". As an example, in most places a woman can go about in public dressed in comfortable clothes that she purchased directly from the "men's" clothing section. The reverse is not true for "men". This has a lot to do with our patriarchal society. When "men" choose to look or act more like "women", they experience far more disgust than the reverse.
Great insights, I think those gender traits and roles just keep shifting and moving and morphing over time (moment to moment) and from culture to culture and even from city to city. What's cool for the boys in Vienna is seen as "girlish" in nearby Varajdin, and so on.
The "whiskey sutra" is one of my favorites you tell. Ive told it to a couple friends.
Oh by they way, im including it in my Baldy Cliff Records book of koans based on your life... dont get mad, i checked with my extremely expensive team of lawyers and as long as i add a taisho, it's considered fair use. Cha-ching🙏🤑💰
Bro, I am in! I’ll write the introduction.
@zenconfidential25 lol
That's a very funny Roshi story : when life isn't going your way, take a Xanax. In fact all your stuff about politics and plumbing at the beginning was a real roller coaster of a ride.
Nicola Tesla was a good masculin Serbian person, I believe. J.P.Morgan knew.about that fact.
As a white woman who has said that very thing about white men, it was good to get your perspective. We all see things differently because we all landed here in a body and had to conform to society. I have that same ANGER that you do but for different reasons. I often relate back to the Bhagavad Gita and let go of my attachments and try not to make sense of it all but continue on the path that apparently I was put here to fulfill. AND STOP JUDGING. Thank you again! (Also I have 2 sons, 39 and 43, so I try NOT to think the way my conditioned self wants to)
Thank you for that, it’s a great perspective and I’m glad you shared it. Deep bows.
From what you said, Buddhists seem similar to Libertarians in outlook, as much as a secular group can look like a religious one.
that’s interesting, I need to ponder that one.
Well told but even a famous german musician named Dieter Bohlen once said he wouldn't bother his friends with his problems, one has to take care of them oneself.
I think zen isn't needed either to understand that we have both (or more) genders in us. That is a rather common experience.
amen brother! (amen sister!!)
The Zen monk's attire is so well finished off with a gay biker's leather peaked cap with chain.
Yo! You mentioned 'spiritual bypassing' in a previous post, and I get what you mean (I think) in your cautioning against this, but isn't that really what we're doing in Zen practice, like 'bypassing' getting involved in the self that frets and buys into the same old ideas and stories about ourselves, the same old views and opinions, not getting involved in thoughts and feelings but letting them 'pass by' / 'by-pass'...?
You guys sit with the breath and the body, but us Dogen purists don't even do that - we 'drop off body and mind' and the instruction is to let it all come and go while doing zazen. In some practice places I've been there seems to be not much emphasis on anything outside of that. 👍 👍
I think it’s the opposite of bypassing, it’s total and complete immersion, and then passing through. yeah, true! the sotos know how to sit!!
@@zenconfidential25 👍
Maybe so, but not always so. I know from my own practice that I've used it as a place to hide, to zone out and switch off, as life in the real world burned down around me. Thankfully, the mind of practice doesn't like getting stuck for too long however, it seems.
Ok, I've done that too. I hear you
If Andrew Taint is a man I'm a woman, if they'll have me.
How can you tell the sex of your viewers?
UA-cam is able to tell, how?
It has a metric that gives you the sex of your viewership. That’s UA-cam for ya!
Yin & Yang. Relaxed energy is Ki.
Yes!
Taoism
@@AwakenZen Early Chan (Chinese Zen) freely adopted Taoist terms and concepts.
See Hinton's (2020) _China Root: Taoism, Ch'an, and Original Zen_
Awesome, thank you.