Brad Warner is a brilliant Dogen scholar and i think falls in the realm of iconoclastic Zen Master although he doesn't like being referred to as such - been following him for years on youtube and have read several of his books - in the middle of reading his latest - but, go see for yourself... or not 😂
I recently switched to a Pure Land "easy practice" from the Zen "hard practice" - after some research I thought it fit better with my busy, average joe lifestyle and life philosophy- what sold me was reading something in a book by a zen guy (Open The Hand of Thought - titled something like that) that nembutsu (the Pure Land chant) is "doing zazen with your mouth" - just wondering what your take is on Pure Land "easy practice" - and what the peanut gallery might have to say...
Yes, I've heard that teaching about Pure Land chants being "mouth meditation." I was taught that what matters most is throwing yourself into the practice, whatever it is, so that the self dissolves and is forgotten -- this is true practice. Dying into the activity, whether it's chanting, sitting, cooking, peeing, walking, emailing, commenting, etc. If you're doing this you'll be guided where you need to go and what to do. That's what I was taught, anyway.
Thank you. The state of holding two opposites in clear view; The obscuring of that view with the built-in blind spots; And remembering to move your head just enough to see! Easy to say, hard to do! (Had been waiting for eons to use semicolons!) Did your Roshi have female students in Japan prior to arrival in California? If yes, what was going on there? Reason I am asking is Brad Warner's hypothesis that "misconduct" started in the new cultural setting on foreign soil.
Thank you. I've always struggled understanding misbehavior from enlightened masters. To you, your teacher was the most enlightened being you ever met. Do i understand the video correctly ? Do you think that he sexually harassing his female students was he having a blind spot ? Like: I'm enlightened now, i can use whatever method to break their boundaries. (And get some pleasure along the way maybe).
Thanks for thinking this out along with me. Ultimately I really can’t say what was going on within my teacher when he did the sexual misconduct. When I say blind spot I think I mean that for sure he did behavior that had a bad effect on some women, and he just didn’t seem to get that, for one reason or another. I don’t know what was going on in his head. I think that’s really important, because the more I try and interpret his behavior, the more I think I get lost from the main point, which is that this amazing person did these things that were harmful... That’s what I try to sit with and process. It’s my koan. If I go away from that main point, I become judgmental or angry or defensive. I stray from my natural habitat, as the Buddha puts it in one of the sutras, I can’t remember which.
@@zenconfidential25 Thank you, dear Shozan. That goes straight in. May i ask you one more thing. I think i need to clear this up. Is there in Buddhism, such a thing as "it might be harmful now but in the long run it will be beneficial." I'm catching myself playing devil's advocate now cause i still have the image of the perfect flawless zen master in my mind. I just need to hear some Buddhist teacher (you in this case), clarify that : NO. In Buddhism harm is harm. You don't harm someone for their future benefit. The reason I say this, is that in the long run, these students might get a flash of clarity and ask themselves how did they ever agree doing what that old guy told them to do ? And from then on change completely. That is a possibility. In this lifetime or another. Another possibility is that the trauma of the harassment adds up to the already existing pile of traumas and that their situation just gets worse, not better. So, if i stay in my natural habitat, it seems that harm is harm, since we can't predict the future. What's the view of Buddhism on that? Does it look at harm in the present moment or as a potential beneficial future ? (Which would potentially be an easy excuse for the worst things)
I think there are few (none?) who could abuse in the present and it would somehow add up to a “lesson” in the future. Sounds fishy! The teacher just doesn’t have that much real power. If the student learns something in the future from some present abuse they were going to learn the thing anyway imho.
The middle way
This was such a good reminder of what it is to walk the Middle Way. I struggle with that sometimes.
Me too. It's so much easier, sometimes, to just pick a team and play ball!
That was good. But I don't know about this Brad Warner fellow. He sounds like a nasty bit of business to me.
He’s a good egg!
😂
Don’t be a jerk.
Brad Warner is a brilliant Dogen scholar and i think falls in the realm of iconoclastic Zen Master although he doesn't like being referred to as such - been following him for years on youtube and have read several of his books - in the middle of reading his latest - but, go see for yourself... or not 😂
just realized i am "defending" Brad Roshi to himself 😂
thank you for this! You are a breath of fresh air and your videos always help me with insights and reminders :) much appreciated
You are so welcome! Thank you Nina-san!!
I appreciate your videos a lot. I am basically a sangha of 1, practicing zen on my own, and your videos, and a handful of others, are my dharma talks.
Hi Rob, if the videos are in any way helpful to your sangha of one, I am glad that my sangha of one is providing them!
Shout till you pass out. Awesome.
Thank you my friend.
I recently switched to a Pure Land "easy practice" from the Zen "hard practice" - after some research I thought it fit better with my busy, average joe lifestyle and life philosophy- what sold me was reading something in a book by a zen guy (Open The Hand of Thought - titled something like that) that nembutsu (the Pure Land chant) is "doing zazen with your mouth" - just wondering what your take is on Pure Land "easy practice" - and what the peanut gallery might have to say...
Yes, I've heard that teaching about Pure Land chants being "mouth meditation." I was taught that what matters most is throwing yourself into the practice, whatever it is, so that the self dissolves and is forgotten -- this is true practice. Dying into the activity, whether it's chanting, sitting, cooking, peeing, walking, emailing, commenting, etc. If you're doing this you'll be guided where you need to go and what to do. That's what I was taught, anyway.
@@zenconfidential25 I appreciate your comment & insight
+1 for saying nembutsu here, as a dad with 2 little kids. Though I try to get some meditation in early in the morning before everyone is awake, too.
Love your teacup!
It’s a good one!! Very traditional! ;)
Thank you. The state of holding two opposites in clear view; The obscuring of that view with the built-in blind spots; And remembering to move your head just enough to see! Easy to say, hard to do! (Had been waiting for eons to use semicolons!)
Did your Roshi have female students in Japan prior to arrival in California? If yes, what was going on there? Reason I am asking is Brad Warner's hypothesis that "misconduct" started in the new cultural setting on foreign soil.
Well said! I thank you for your insights...and semicolons.
Haha watching your video right after watching a Brad Warner video!
Love that!
Thank you. I've always struggled understanding misbehavior from enlightened masters.
To you, your teacher was the most enlightened being you ever met.
Do i understand the video correctly ?
Do you think that he sexually harassing his female students was he having a blind spot ?
Like: I'm enlightened now, i can use whatever method to break their boundaries. (And get some pleasure along the way maybe).
Thanks for thinking this out along with me. Ultimately I really can’t say what was going on within my teacher when he did the sexual misconduct. When I say blind spot I think I mean that for sure he did behavior that had a bad effect on some women, and he just didn’t seem to get that, for one reason or another. I don’t know what was going on in his head. I think that’s really important, because the more I try and interpret his behavior, the more I think I get lost from the main point, which is that this amazing person did these things that were harmful... That’s what I try to sit with and process. It’s my koan. If I go away from that main point, I become judgmental or angry or defensive. I stray from my natural habitat, as the Buddha puts it in one of the sutras, I can’t remember which.
@@zenconfidential25 Thank you, dear Shozan. That goes straight in.
May i ask you one more thing. I think i need to clear this up.
Is there in Buddhism, such a thing as "it might be harmful now but in the long run it will be beneficial."
I'm catching myself playing devil's advocate now cause i still have the image of the perfect flawless zen master in my mind. I just need to hear some Buddhist teacher (you in this case), clarify that : NO. In Buddhism harm is harm.
You don't harm someone for their future benefit.
The reason I say this, is that in the long run, these students might get a flash of clarity and ask themselves how did they ever agree doing what that old guy told them to do ? And from then on change completely.
That is a possibility. In this lifetime or another.
Another possibility is that the trauma of the harassment adds up to the already existing pile of traumas and that their situation just gets worse, not better.
So, if i stay in my natural habitat, it seems that harm is harm, since we can't predict the future.
What's the view of Buddhism on that?
Does it look at harm in the present moment or as a potential beneficial future ? (Which would potentially be an easy excuse for the worst things)
@@ytonaona if Zen Master Touchy grabs my privates they're gonna get an enlightenment elbow in the nose
I think there are few (none?) who could abuse in the present and it would somehow add up to a “lesson” in the future. Sounds fishy! The teacher just doesn’t have that much real power. If the student learns something in the future from some present abuse they were going to learn the thing anyway imho.
@@zenconfidential25 Thank you Shozan. Much appreciated. 🙏