Hi Ed, I like this I want to share it in another forum where I belong. Thought I should ask for your permission in case this gets published :-)
siska -----Original Message----- From: Anthony Wu <wu...@yahoo.com.sg> Sender: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:45:15 To: <Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com> Reply-To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Zen] The Teacher-Student Relationship: Genpo Roshi & Andrew Cohen ED, I would like to acclaim your words of wisdom(not joking). When are you going to publish your Guide to Teacher-student Relationships? You can ask Dalai Lama to edit it when he is in a humorous mood. If he lost his sense of humor for the time being, don't let him touch your book. BTW, you are influenced by Tibetan theory of grades starting from hinayan-mahayana-tantrayana. I think that leads to very likely sexuality that cannot be helped. Anthony --- On Thu, 18/11/10, ED <seacrofter...@yahoo.com> wrote: From: ED <seacrofter...@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Zen] The Teacher-Student Relationship: Genpo Roshi & Andrew Cohen To: Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com Date: Thursday, 18 November, 2010, 10:50 PM Kristy, Each comment I make concerning the teacher-student relationship does *not* necessarily apply to all. Here are some comments: You must be at least 21 years of age, and be willing to be accountable to yourself for *all* your choices and all that happens to you, before engaging in spiritual training with a teacher. You must make yourelf aware of the teacher's traditions, teaching style and recommended practices, and check the Internet about his reputation. You must feel that you have something to learn from your teacher. You must explore and discuss with others any uneasy feelings you have about your teacher. You must feel inspired by your teacher. You must hold on tight to your wallet/purse and your pants/panties, if that feels right for you. Who they *really* are and all their foibles are irrelevant if you are learning and growing by being with them. Take whatever of his/her teachings that you like and can assimilate, and ignore the rest. Be particularly careful if you have a 'powerful' or 'famous' teacher, and if you know yourself to be or you have been told that you are a psychologically/emotionally vulnerable person. If perplexed, one can look for a local zendo, preferebly with an East Asian roshi, whom you feel good about, and join the sangha, practice zazen, listen to teishos and read what the teacher recommends. One must not engage in sexual relations with the teacher. At all times study and practice Theravadin buddhist texts. --ED PS1: I have not studied Genpo Roshi's current teaching and practices sufficiently. My educated or uneducated guess is that it is 20% zen and 80% psychological/human-potential-movement-like (20% 'tough love', 20% est-like, 40% 'voice dialog'.) PS2: The teachers mentioned at the end of your message I think are well grounded in Hinayana Buddhism's introspection, ethics and morality. Without an *aboslute* minimum of 5 to 10 years of Theravadin buddhist practice, Mahayana-and-beyond buddhist teachings/practice (and zen too) are being built on sandy ground. --- In Zen_Forum@yahoogroups.com, Kristy McClain <healthypl...@...> wrote: > > Ed, > > So do you have a comment about this? > > To amplify my comment to Bill. When I watched Gempo say this to a student, > I do not believe he was saying this in such a way as to confront the student > with his own reality, a.k.a. "tough love". > Gempo was visably irritated, and his body language, tone of voice and entire >behavior indicated that he, himself, had simply lost control. As for Andrew Cohen, frankly-- I cannot understand this guy. He can talk non-stop for hours. My ears hurt when starts rambling on and on with what I perceive as psycho-spiritual-intelli-babble. Hailed as brilliant, I cannot understand most of what he says. > > I do understand the point of this video, but I can't see Jack Kornfield, TNH, > Cheryl Hubbard and so on, behaving this way. But perhaps it is also telling > to note that this is a teaching style I avoided as not right for me. > > Kristy > > The Teacher-Student Relationship: Genpo Roshi & Andrew Cohen > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VsnVFVF2Xs (8:44)
