Do you really believe that the Zen monks who served feudal warlords were intinerant hapless indigents who walked around the country side begging for food??
I have seen enough samurai movies to get the feeling that those in power were regarded by the popular culture of Japan as being very arrogant and autocratic. That is another way to look at all those koans where Bankei or some other guy is popping someone on the head with a stick or cutting their hands off. I read this book a long time ago, it was called Was Musashi Murdered? It had a different take on what was going on back in the medieval Japan. It basically took the view that all the same kind of corrupt people have existed throughout time, and that you have to read the history books and records based on the fact that the truth is often hidden under the propaganda. After all, history is written by those in power. Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today! Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/