Dear Al and all,
Wow! a tempest in a teapot!! Why does this sound like kindergartener's talking about sex? Al Wrote: "Where are the Zen and/or Buddhist Soup Kitchens? Where is the Buddhist Mother Theresa who is actively in the trenches helping the poor and the sick? Where is the social work for the benefit of others?" One might look at What Glassman Roshi is doing if you really want a answer and are not just pissing in the wind. In case you missed the point....you are the cow. The Soto-shu has had a mission to the US for many years. There still is a Soto mission to the US (duh this is one of the places like in Europe and in South America, and in Africa, and in many other places around the world where there is a mission. I am here, I was trained by a missionary, and am starting to function as a Zen missionary ..this is the frontier...right here in America, and Australia, and in Europe and in South America...those uncaring Japanese have been doing it for quite a while...just because no one wrote a book about it does not mean it is not happening.) There is a Bishop to the US Mission, there have been several over the years. The current Bishop is Akiba Roshi. He is at Zensuji in LA. He is not about writing books or publishing articles in fancy glossy magazines, but unlike most of those who write books and publish in glossy magazines..he is the real thing. Zen is not pure and holy..something special and different from other ways. Like some other religions that followed conquering armies into defeated or disputed lands, Zen went with the Japanese into China, Korea, and every place else the Japanese Soldier went during WWII. Just like the priests who smiled as the inquisition and the Crusaders burned heretics, and the Conquistadors murdered and raped the natives, the Zen priests gave comfort to those who raped and murdered in China, and who sent the POWS on the death march to Bataan. Not all efforts as missionary work are to be applauded If I said I was Catholic, because I read a book about it, and I even went to a Cathedral one time, but I did not like all the kneeling. So I am a Catholic in spirit, and all that Baptism, and Mass, and kneeling a stuff is just some crap that is not really necessary, Most would view me as a bit off my rocker. If I said I was the Pope, I would be locked up in Mental institution. (In fact I met the Pope in one one time). Yet this list and what passes for Zen in America and much of the west is exactly that...some slightly off kilter people (and some way off kilter) folks pretending they are Zen Buddhists, or Zenist, or whatever they think might be zen today. We have many people who are not only Buddhist or Zen in their mind..they are a *blanking* Buddha. What they really are is one card short of a full deck. Maybe half a dozen cards short. UMM folks, There really is a Zen Buddhism. It is not something you made up...or someone who wrote a book made up. It is a real stinking hairy thing ..with warts, and sometimes it is in desperate need of a bath. Just because you have not heard of it, or though you heard if it does not mean it is not really there. Just pretending you are a Zen Buddhist is more more honorable than pretending you are Catholic. If one would pick up a copy of the Buddhist Peace fellowships magazine "The Turning Wheel" one might just learn there really are Buddhists in the Middle east. They are right now doing what they can for the suffering peoples there, just like there are real Zen Buddhists in America doing what they can for the suffering people here...and in Europe, Australia and Africa. These are all missions of Zen Buddhism and the Soto-Shu in particular, I am sure the same can be said of the Rinzai-shu, Jodo Shin-shu etc. There are not that many it is true, but this is still a mission here in this country, and in Europe and in South America. We are the cows, not the Buddha's. There are not that many of US here...but we do what we can. 98% of what passes for Zen in America is just crap. Do not make the mistake of thinking that what Zen is is some folks playing solitaire with a deck of 50 cards. (some of what passes for lineage in the west is all made up)...Katagiri Roshi, and Suzuki Roshi both knew they were country priests...they sent their students to Japan to Practice with people they respected as their betters, but most of the arrogant Americans came back before their training was complete due to culture shock. These Roshi's were fine people, who did amazing things, but they were not the flower of Soto Zen. There still is a flower of Soto Zen in Japan. One might just want to see it someday. Perhaps if you bothered to check out the real thing. It might just be to your taste. If it is not, then it would be better to go find something else real that is to your taste, rather than keep on pretending you are something you are not. In the process, you just might find out something about what you are talking about. (Hint if you were not baptized and confirmed you are not Catholic) Be Well Fudo ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Livelihood Yahoo! 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