Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Beyond Sex and Institutions



I have been musing over posts recently by James Ford on his blog Monkey Mind, Zen in the West Sex and Institutions, and Brad Warner’s Hardcore Zen, It’s Not Just About Sex, on the state of the Dharma in the West and felt that this would be an opportune time to expand the discussion just a bit.

Events in my life over the last few decades, along with experiences that many of my Dharma Brothers and Sisters have shared, have motivated me to address the issues of the ultimate power that can be wielded by religious leaders today. This applies to any spiritual path; yet this particular exploration will address modern Zen Organizations in the West. The question of Spiritual Authority is an important aspect of any seeker’s repertoire, and with the failures of many teachers in the twentieth century, this is a valid concern. The short comings of some of the foundation teachers like Kennett Roshi, Baker Roshi, Eido Roshi, Katagiri Roshi, Maezumi Roshi, Trungpa Rinpoche, as well as my grand-teacher Seung Sahn Soensa; students should be wary of their teacher’s behaviors and motivations. It is not my intention to discredit any specific teacher however a few of the students who received teaching authority from some of these foundation teachers have since repeated their own teachers errors, perhaps considering that they have been justified due to their own teacher’s shortcomings.

Some of these pioneer teachers decided that it was within their purview to be able to assign relationships (i.e.: marriages) between students, compel students towards monastic commitments (by abandoning their current relationships) as well as engaging in sexual impropriety with their students which are in violation of their own precepts and positions as Spiritual Teachers. Additionally, some of these teachers granted Dharma Transmission to these students with whom they had intimate sexual affairs.

I am not disparaging the insight of these ‘transmissions’ yet this has proved problematic for some discerning practitioners seeking to enter into a spiritual relationship with a few of these teachers. The spillover of these actions has resulted in numerous failed marriages, failed monastic commitments, and what can be considered the worse case outcome, students mimicking the impropriety of their teachers. Unfortunately, infidelity has become commonplace for some of Dharma Heirs and their students might be cognizant enough to do the appropriate research and to directly address the actions of their potential teachers and ask for an explanation of their errant ways.

It seems that at the forefront, many in the Zen Community are concerned with sexual impropriety, and it is not my intention to downplay its negative impact on Zen in the West. James Ford points out in his article that the San Francisco Zen Center and the Kwan Um School of Zen have officially tried to tackle the sexual impropriety issue. However, there is another problem that is perhaps more wide spread and falls by the wayside in many communities and organizations. This is what happens when well-meaning practitioners are suddenly turned on by their teacher in sudden acts of whimsy or outright aggressiveness. There seems to be outrage by many about the sexual harassment of students, but what happens when students dedicate twenty or thirty years of their lives to a teacher only to be ousted from the group or community they have been practicing in.  The answer is that I know a growing group of individuals who for various reasons are rejected, thrown out and removed from groups that they have served faithfully for many years. Where does this leave them, well frankly nowhere?

The real question in all of this nonsense centers on how vindictive the teacher or group wishes to be with its ex-membership. It also has to do with what control spiritual organizations have over their memberships. In Asia, if a man enters into a Thai Monastery and is ordained with full Bhikṣu status, if that person decides to move to Korea and study Zen they will be allowed to enter into the Korean Monastery with full privileges of a Bhikṣu trained in the Korean lineage. There are at least fifteen hundred years of cultural integration that exists in Asia regarding the subject of Buddhism, Monastics and the societal integration that follows from that. If an individual practices and meets the requirements of any organization, what right does that organization have to attempt to strip that individual of their status without some due process, which is the cornerstone of Western Democracy? This behavior continues today in the West and it is up to our fledgling understanding of the commitments that many people have made in the last one hundred years and try to understand these dynamics within our society.

An organization has every right to disallow an individual’s rights to practice, lead or teach within the confines of that organization; however, they do not have the right to attempt to strip those rights that were earned and issued with full disclosure while a person was an active member of their group. If one is ordained as a Priest or Monk or Nun, then that is what they are whether inside the group or outside and if they choose to continue practicing outside of their groups they have full rights to their investment of time and energy. It is like going to college and getting a degree, let us say in Religious Philosophy, just because you are no longer associated with the College where you received the degree, the degree is still valid.

In a recent interview with Zen Master Barry Magid on the Sweeping Zen Web Site the following statement was quoted regarding some issues regarding two of Joko Beck’s Dharma Heirs. “Question: There is something I'd read about previously and puzzled over, as I've not recalled hearing of any other masters "revoking" Dharma authority from students. The answer is from Barry Magid (who is one of Joko Beck’s Dharma Heirs but not one of the two that Joko Beck tried to rescind her transmission from): I'm no expert on Buddhist canon law, but having sat in on a number of discussions of this issue with members of the American Zen Teachers Association, there seemed to be a consensus among the teachers I've talked to that Dharma authority cannot be revoked.”

What is fair and reasonable in our Western Society, and who has the ultimate rights to control the lives of others? These are important sanctions that need to be examined by the entire spiritual community. Joko Beck left her teacher after his impropriety with a few of his students and yet she felt that she could control some of the teachers that she herself had approved of in public ceremonies. I am not passing judgment here, but what rights do teachers have in the public lives of their students, and where does their involvement enter into the realm of slander and libel?

We are a society founded on Religious Freedom and Tolerance, which also means we have freedom from Religion.  What occurs in the future with the adaptation of many of the forms of Buddhism which have entered into our culture no one knows for sure. The important thing is that we maintain an open and honest approach to our individual directions and find the freedom that Buddha was trying to teach us all. Buddha did not invent Buddhism, his disciples invented it following his death, and it has changed many times over the past two thousand six hundred years. It is important that we all realize when those in power begin to abuse that power with the intention of destroying other people’s lives, and this should not be tolerated just like sexual impropriety should not be tolerated.

I believe that a teacher has every right to his or her opinion; however, in a society based upon due process something must be done to shield out spurious and unfounded claims. So as a cautionary point, be wary of everything and tread lightly when getting involved in a spiritual organization.  If any of the following issues are present in your current organization you might consider finding one that doesn’t suffer from them.

Internal Control:
The amount of internal controls exercised by the spiritual leader over the members; also, a lack of clearly defined organizational rights for members who feel they may have been wronged. The leader maintains absolute control of all policy decisions; in essence the leader becomes the Sole Judge, the Sole Jury and the Sole Executioner. The leader’s decisions are not to be questioned nor are discussions about policy allowed by the members.

External Control:
The amount of external political and social influence desired or obtained; furthermore, this is an emphasis on directing the members’ external political and social behavior. The leader additionally discounts outside teachings from piers and claims to have the true teaching from the previous leader by discounting the other piers ability to teach.

Ultimate Wisdom/Knowledge Claimed by leader:
The amount of infallibility declared or implied about decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations; number and degree of unverified and/or unverifiable credentials claimed. The leader claims that they are the only disciples of their teacher who was transmitted the complete teachings. The others, even if they are numerous, never attained the true teachings from their teacher.

Wisdom/Knowledge Credited to leader by members:
The amount of trust in decisions or doctrinal/scriptural interpretations made by leader; amount of hostility by members towards internal or external critics and/or towards verification efforts. The leader is completely infallible and any external criticism is credited to jealously of the leaders complete and utter attainment which couldn’t be realized by any other pier or follower of the original leader.

Dogma:
The rigidity of reality concepts taught along with the amount of doctrinal inflexibility or “fundamentalism;” also a hostility towards relativism and situationalism. There is a lack of willingness to allow members to pursue other approaches to practice. The leader will make statements that any attempt of members to study any other path will cause problems with their practice; therefore, any member who pursues another path should be removed from the group.

Relation Manipulation of members by leader:
The leader tries to control the relationship of members in terms of organizational commitments, behavior, and/or choice of partners; and those relationships have to become secondary to the members commitment to the group.

Censorship:
The leader attempts to control members’ access to outside opinions on the group, its doctrines as well as its leader. Through limiting the current member’s communication with ex-members and previously associated members of the current group a level of control is maintained in this way.

Isolation:
The leader keeps members from communicating with non-members, including family, friends and lovers about their commitments and responsibility to the group. In addition, by restricting members the ability to study with other teachers the leader may claim that only confusion will arise from listening to teaching from these sources and that they are inferior to the leader’s teachings.

Ex-Member Control:
The leader makes efforts directed at preventing or the returning of ex-members. All those who leave are labeled as wrong and erroneous; they did not really have any attainment so they are evil and should be avoided.

Aggressiveness:
Amount of approval when used by or for the group, its doctrines or leader.

Surrender of Will:
Amount of emphasis on members not having to be responsible for personal decisions; degree of individual disempowerment created by the group, its doctrines or its leader.

Hypocrisy:
Amount of approval for actions which the group officially considers immoral or unethical, when done by or for the group, its doctrines or leader; willingness to violate the group’s declared principles for political, psychological, social, economic, military, or other gain.

LACMA Public Programs August 2010

The LA County Museum of Arts is hosting the following exhibits. Sorry this post is local but I wanted those in the greater Los Angeles area of this upcoming event.


Traditional Korean Buddhist Sutra Painting
Saturday, August 21 | 2 pm
Oegil Kim Kyeong Ho, artist and president of the Korean Sutra Transcription Research Association, will give a lecture and demonstration on the traditional Korean technique of painting sutras, sacred Buddhist texts. During the Goryeo period (918-1392), Buddhism was officially supported by the king and state, which led to a flourishing of Buddhist art. Many exquisite gilt-painted manuscripts, which were both costly and time-consuming to make, were commissioned. Unfortunately this delicate technique of manuscript painting was eventually replaced when printing became popular.  Oegil Kim Kyeong Ho has dedicated his career to rediscovering this past art.  The lecture will be in Korean with onsite English interpretation.
Brown Auditorium | Free, no reservations
This program was made possible by a grant from the Korea Foundation.
Painting Demonstration: Korean Buddhist Sutras
Saturday, August 21 | 4–6 pm
Observe artist Oegil Kim Kyeong Ho demonstrate the traditional Korean technique of painting sutras.
Boone Children’s Gallery, Korean Art Galleries | Free, no reservations
This program was made possible by a grant from the Korea Foundation 

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Monday, July 26, 2010

what is this?


What do I want?
·         We all struggle with this construct.
What is my life?
·         The unfolding of reality sometimes connects and sometimes we really want more.
Why am I here?
·         Wo—ah! This is getting too personal!
Ultimately we don’t have the answer to these questions.
·         In some traditions, we might hit the floor!
·         In others, we may find significance in the unfolding.
Dead word responses do not manifest the ultimate truth.
·         Seung Sahn hit the floor
o   does this mean we should?
·         Línjì shouted KATZ
o   will I be enlightened if I do the same?
·         Dòngshān hit his students
o   does this manifest the Buddha way?
·         Jùzhī only raised one finger
o   if you do this, are you being genuine?
Do not copy those who came before, just see what it is moment after moment after moment.
See your true self, as you are already Buddha.

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Saturday, July 24, 2010

Dàhuì Zōnggăo


No-mind does not mean the unconsciousness of wood or tile. It means that when you come into contact with external objects, your mind is immovable and does not get attached to anything. There is total freedom and non-obstruction. You are not defiled by anything. On the other hand, you should not abide in non-defilement either. While you view the body and the mind as a dream and an illusion, you nevertheless do not abide in the emptiness of dreams and illusions. When you reach this state, you have then really achieved no-mind.

Please concentrate on the feeling of doubt and do not give it up whether walking, standing, sitting or lying down. This one word “Wu” is no other than the knife which can clear away this great doubt of life and death. The handle of this knife is right in your own hand. No one else can take hold of it for you, but you must do it yourself. If you are willing to lay down your life, you will be able to begin the task. However, if you are not willing to lay down your life, you should concentrate on the feeling of doubt and do not let it slip by.

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Friday, July 23, 2010

the Truth according to Puppet-ji


you gotta love it.

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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

the Buddha Patch


The name for the Buddha Patch is Kānhuà Chán or huàtóu meditation, 'what is this?' How do you keep your mind, moment after moment after moment?
 

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Monday, July 19, 2010

Big Meaning

I once said to Zen Master Seung Sahn, "Sonsa-nim, life has not meaning!" He replied to me, "Yeah! Life has no meaning, but no meaning is BIG meaning and you must find this point." It took many years for me to understand this teaching.

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Checking



We are bound by four walls which screen out the truth; those walls are wanting, holding, attaching and checking. If we free our selves from this habit energy the illuminated truth is always right in front of us.

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Prajñāpāramitā Hṛdaya Sutra

Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, when practicing the perfection of wisdom it is possible to perceive that all our five sensations are transparent and also transcend any dissatisfaction or disappointment.

Śariputra, form is no different from formlessness, and formlessness is no different from form. A perception which is form is also formlessness, a perception which is formlessness is also form. The same is true of our feelings, our perceptions, our impulses, and our cognition.

Śariputra, instantaneous perceptions are formless; they do not appear or disappear, they are neither good nor bad, and they do not increase or decrease.

Therefore, in formlessness there is no form, no feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness. There are no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no color, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no object of mind; no constructs of perception... and so forth until no constructs exist within our consciousness.

There is also no ignorance and therefore no letting go of ignorance...continuing until we realize no old age and death as well as no engagement of them. There is no dissatisfaction, no beginning, no stopping, no path, no cognition, and also no attainment with nothing to attain.

Since a Bodhisattva depends upon this perfection of wisdom, cognition is no hindrance; also, outside of hindrance no fears exist; separated, from our perverted views we dwell in Nirvana.

In the three worlds, all Buddhas depend on the perfection of wisdom and attain unexcelled complete awakening.

Therefore, realize that the perfection of wisdom can be a great transcendent mantra, can be a great bright mantra, can be an utmost mantra, can be a supreme mantra which can relieve all dissatisfaction and is true, not false. So why not proclaim the perfection of wisdom mantra, and proclaim the mantra which says:

gate gate pāragate pārasagate bodhi svāhā
gate gate pāragate pārasagate bodhi svāhā
gate gate pāragate pārasagate bodhi svāhā


yes this is my translation!

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Sunday, July 18, 2010

Sunday Morning Teachings

A dog understands dog's job and a cat understands cat's job, only human beings do not understand their job. Zen Master Seung Sahn

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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Garbage Truck Dharma


One day I caught a taxi and informed the driver I needed to go to the airport. As we were driving in the right lane, suddenly a black car backed out of a parking space right in front of us.

The taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car spun his head around and began yelling obscenities at us. The taxi driver just smiled and waved at the person; and I mean, he was friendly in his response. Therefore, I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'  This is when the taxi driver taught me what I now call, Garbage Truck Dharma.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they will dump it on you. Do not take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Do not take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that grounded and centered people do not let garbage take their day. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so ... love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who do not. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!
Have a bless’d, garbage-free day!

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Saturday, July 10, 2010

Firefighters Response Quickly Quells Mountain Spirit Center Blaze

By: Nick Smirnoff, Contributing Writer Tehachapi News

A fast response, coupled with an aggressive attack by county firefighters has contained a brush fire to an area approximately five acres in the Sand Canyon area, at the end of Pine Canyon Road.

Upon arrival just after 3 p.m., firefighters faced down moderately moving flames, one front advancing north and another moving northwest, away from Tehachapi Mountain Spirit Center.

According to the Kern County Fire Department engineer Dustin Llegranza, “A strike team has been ordered,” from CalFire, as the rugged terrain is only accessible by foot and air.

Helitack 408’s handcrew was assisted by an airtanker with call letters Bravo II-76 out of Fox Field, quickly wetting down the ridge to create a defensive line that halted the fire from jumping the canyon walls. 

Two bulldozers are standing by, and Engine 916 from California Correctional Institution at Tehachapi responded to haul hosepacks up the steep terrain.

“It will take a lot of mop up,” Llegranza said,” indicating that the crews will remain on scene until all hotspots are extinguished.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.


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Present Mind

I recently received one of those jokes that find their way around the internet. After reading it, I thought it contained some important points about our way of perceiving our lives. This is the joke:

My name is Alice Smith and I was sitting in the waiting room for my first appointment with a new dentist.   I noticed his dental diploma, which bore his full name.

Suddenly, I remembered a tall, handsome, dark haired boy with the same name had been in my secondary school class some thirty-odd years ago. Could he be the same person that I had a secret crush on, way back then? Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought.

This balding, gray haired man with the deeply lined face was far too old to have been my classmate.  After he examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended Morgan Park Secondary School. ‘Yes, yes I did. I was a Morganner! ‘He beamed with pride.

‘When did you leave to go to college?’ I asked. He answered, in 1965.  Why do you ask? ‘You were in my class!’ I exclaimed. He looked at me closely.

Then that ugly, old, bald, wrinkled, fat arsed, grey haired, decrepit, bastard asked me.... ‘What did you teach?’  

This is a common occurrence within our perception of reality. In the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (Diamond Cutter Sūtra,) Buddha states that past, present and future mind cannot get enlightenment. This joke focuses on past mind. Our past mind exists in our seventh and eighth consciousness. Each time we bring a memory from the past into the present, (a memory) we modify it in the present. Over time, these memories become distorted due to our recreation of the events.

We project out upon the world our ideas of who we are, what we are, and how we fit into our own worldview. The joke addresses the issues, and quite dramatically, that it is not just us, but also others who also live in this realm of cognitive projects.

Buddhism teaches us to not dwell on these manifestations, as they do not exist in our present experience. So if we can just see, then we can go any place with no hindrance. If we carry our baggage then we are stuck in our idea of the truth.


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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Fritz Perls (one of my inspirations on the path)


In my hippie days in High School I had this poster on my wall. I didn't know it at the time that the saying was taken from the Psychology Pioneer Fritz Perls who developed 'Gestalt Therapy' and who eventually led me to study Zen Buddhism. I think we sometimes call this synchronicity



I do my thing
and you do your thing.
I am not in this world
to live up to your expectations,
And you are not in this world
to live up to mine.
You are you, and I am I,
and if by chance we find each other,
it's beautiful.
If not, it can't be helped.

(Fritz Perls, 1969)

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Monday, July 5, 2010

The Buddhist Precepts

Most religions have moral and ethical rules and commandments. In Buddhism there are Precepts, however the Buddhist Precepts are not a list of rules to follow. In some religions moral laws are believed to have come from God, and breaking those laws is a sin or transgression against God. Buddhism does not entertain the concept of a creator God; therefore, the Precepts are not considered as commandments. Conversely, this does not imply that following the precepts are considered optional, either.

Taking refuge in the Three Jewels (the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) is the initial step in formally becoming a Buddhist and following the precepts forms the foundation of all Buddhist paths. Buddhists practitioners throughout the world observe various levels of precepts, depending upon each individual’s level of commitment to the path they have chosen. Consequently, the initial refuge in the Three Jewels signifies the starting point on the path of the eradication of suffering and the awakening of not just one’s own self but all sentient beings. Taking precepts can be compared to military personnel adhering to the rules of military law or citizens of a particular country abiding by the common law of their society. The difference between the first two approaches and the Buddhist approach is that the military rules or the common laws are external restrictions whereas the Buddhist precepts spring forth from a practice of self–discipline which eventually can become self regulated.

Precepts are sometimes divided into lay precepts and monastic precepts, or Mahāyāna (the Great Vehicle) precepts and Theravāda [Pāli: थेरवाद], [Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद Sthaviravāda]; (the Way of the Elders) precepts. The lay precepts of Theravāda practice usually include: the five precepts, the eight precepts and the ten precepts. The lay precepts in Mahāyāna practice include: the five precepts, the ten precepts, the sixteen precepts and the forty–eight bodhisattva precepts. This examination will only concern itself with the precepts taken by lay practitioners of Buddhism. Within this specific context, this exploration also endeavors to explain the various cannon’s of thought, including the Theravāda approach, and the Mahāyāna approach as well as the derivate Mahāyāna practices of Zen and Vajrayāna as well.

The First Five Precepts involve:
·         Not to take life
·         Not to steal
·         Not to indulge in sexual misconduct
·         Not to lie or be dishonest
·         Not to consume intoxicants with the intent to produce heedlessness

According to Chapter thirty–three of the Samyuktāgama Sutra: “The perfection of the Upāsaka  precepts is to stay away from taking life, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and taking intoxicants to produce heedlessness.” It is generally accepted that the Five Precepts are the essential ground of practice for all lay practitioners of Buddhism. There are distinctly different advanced precepts and even further specific precepts for a monastic practitioner; however, it is important to note that all of the precepts, in every form of Buddhist practice, all begin with the Five Precepts. This is why the first five precepts are also known as the “Foundation Precepts.”
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