Kris,
Mike 'll answer for himself, surely, but I just wonder what part of the
enthusiasm for sharing you may be missing.
Surely some of the impetus to do so comes also with the job description that we
accept when we take the job as "Bodhisattva".
I know what jewels and life-saving aids are in the books, THE THREE PILLARS OF
ZEN, and ZEN TRAINING, and so I recommend them to Merle enthusiastically (and,
well, to you too, why not), and we regularly share appreciations here of novels
that others might like, too.
Why should not a practitioner like Mike, or, me, say, not want to "convince"
dharma friends to see a larger horizon of Practice, especially as it is
practice that is at the foundation of Zen? I think it's not only natural as
Bodhisattvas, or even secular friends, to want to share that, and even to try
to share it energetically (although not breathlessly), just as we may want to
share the voice and genius of authors of novels which our friends may not have
read, yet.
Granted, early or original Buddhist practice has a progressive or gradual
character, and is not aimed toward the "sudden" opening as in Zen; and,
original Buddhism is more dependent on scriptural teaching than Zen the
"special transmission" of Zen is; but, foundations are foundations, and the
original is just that.
I'm a zen practitioner, dyed in the wool or thoroughly bleached-out, by now,
but I appreciate the richness in original Buddhism. I'm a little ashamed I
don't know more about it. I'd love it if a dharma friend would try to
"convince" me of more of it. ;-)
Aitken Roshi taught that Zen practitioners ought to know our roots and
foundations in original Buddhism.
My shifu taught that it is not good to be "a Ch'an ignoramus": we should read
and understand the teachings, as well as practice intensively and every day.
That's what he did, as a reaction to the state of Chan as he found it in China
and Taiwan. That's why he became educated and took a PhD at Rissho Univ., and
that's why he established a huge new training university campus in Taiwan for
monastics and lay people, costing hundreds of millions of US dollars and taking
thirty years to complete. That mission is ultimately what killed him. He was
so dedicated to others' needs, and to establishing the Pure Land on earth. A
"simple Ch'an monk", who wore sandals in winter.
Through his influence, the schools of Buddhism I am most familiar with are
Mahayana schools, and are especially Madhyamika and Yogacara. But since Sheng
Yen's other expertise was methods of practice, we became interested in original
Buddhism, too.
Like Aitken Roshi, Sheng Yen wanted us to be thorough practitioners, and to
know our roots!
Anyway, life is short. Since there is so much in original Buddhism and
original Buddhist practice, why not try to "convince" others of this fact and
of the value of those things, while there's time? I say "why not", not just
rhetorically, but because the teachings are just waiting there, all ready and
waiting to be our friend. ;-)
Ultimately, our friends are the people who assembled and expounded those
teachings; and, the people who recommend them to us.
Best regards! from the desert, now humid and cloudy and promising rain, but
possibly just toying with us,
--Joe
> Kristopher Grey <kris@...> wrote:
>
> On 7/31/2012 7:00 AM, mike brown wrote:
>
> > I just wish I could convince my more orthodox Zen friends of what the
> > Buddha taught.
> >
>
> An understandable, perhaps even noble sentiment. Yet surely you can see
> how approaching them in this way, from an assumption of lack, reduces
> the teachings [snip]
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