RAF,
A funny but interesting thing that the late Father Patrick Hawk Roshi told us
in Tucson relates to an experience or observation that Robert Aitken Roshi had,
or had made, when he, Aitken, studied and practiced under Harada and Yasutani
Roshi in Japan in monasteries there which welcomed Western students.
Now, Harada and Yasutani were considered rather renegade Zen teachers in Japan
among their peers, simply BECAUSE they taught to any Westerners. Yet, it was
clear that they had conservative ways, too. For example:
There, Harada and Yasutani seated everyone in the zendo in order of the date of
their Kenso, their date of awakening. The ones "older" in awakening sat closer
to the altar. Those newer, further from it. And those who had not awakened
yet really got the cheap seats.
This was brought out by both Aitken and Hawk Roshi in their teaching in the USA
as an indication of how even THAT sort of, well, probably laudable or natural
hierarchy, was *not* being practiced nor established in Zen practice centers in
the West, nor would it likely be, here.
In fact, Aitken himself almost never talked about "kensho", and I think never
recognized it publicly nor announced it publicly, should someone awaken, say,
on Sesshin. And, I think he expressed instead that there is no need to DO
that, anyhow, since, "It would be obvious to everybody, anyway!".
Pat Hawk Roshi, Aitken's Dharma successor, who taught us in Tucson for over 20
years, conducted his teaching like this, too, and that's the way we ran our
zendo, without special seating, and without announcing awakenings. We (sangha)
ran our own zendo democratically, and had Pat Hawk Roshi as our Sangha Teacher
on a contract basis. We made the rules, and could hire and fire. ;-)
Bernie Glassman, when he was asked by someone publicly if he "was different
since he awakened", said, "Ask my Wife".
Just a few dry tidbits, from a dusty, desert mind, here in Trail-Dust town... .
--Joe
> R A Fonda <rafonda@...> wrote:
>
> On 12/9/2012 11:10 AM, Joe wrote:
> > There are confirmatory signs which a teacher can recognize
>
> Might you, or Bill, share with us some
> instances you have encountered in your time immersed in the American zen
> scene? You have mentioned Bernie whatshisname and Aitken, for instance;
> what did they do or say that stands out in your memory? Of course, I
> don't mean to confine such observations to them, and what did they or
> their heirs say in regard to their awards of inka?
------------------------------------
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