Good morning Bill,
Mayka's answer typifies one of the major difference between a Chinese Linage
and wester Zen. This is what I have discovered after learning about Zen in
English.
Most of the Chinese Buddhists believe our Buddha nature are within us, but only
through Chan practice can we rid of karma and let it shine through.
A Chan practitioner means in Chinese to cultivate Bodhisattva Heart and to act
in Bodhisattva way - a cycle fine-tunes each other until "everything" is
consummated, satisfied and fulfilled. Which is the Third Practice in our
school.
While a meditative practice based on Chi enable the practitioner to be
connected with the universe, it constantly feeds the practitioner with life
force and wisdom far beyond his mental capacity.
Chi foundation seems to be another major difference between a Chinese Chan
practitioner and a western one. When BodhiDharma taught for the first time in
China, at Shaolin, both Motion Chan and Sitting Chan, the only common thread of
the two is the cultivation of the Chi/Qi/Ki.
Without Chi, there is no power to transform a person. Without Chi the entire
practice becomes a mental interpretation of the experience instead of the
experience itself.
This may be why the foundamental Buddhism of karma and cause and effect is not
a major teaching in western Zen, because there is no practice to support it.
These are just my personal observations after discussion with several western
Zen priests.
Do let me know your comments.
_/\_
Donald
Mayka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Bill Wrote:
> Why do you believe you are not a living Buddha yourself, and that
there is
> nothing else that you need to become? .Bill!
>
Mayka answers:
A real living Buddha has free his/her mind and I haven't achieved that
yet. So, I can not call myself a living Buddha but someone with an
aspiration of being a real living Buddha.
Mayka
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