What is Zen? Apparently at least few people think it's either a snack or a cool doll hangout. I happened to come across these when holiday shopping on the internet. Go figure.
http://www.glennys.com/store/glennys-zen-health-tortilla-crisps.aspx http://www.etoys.com/genProduct.html/PID/3510659/ctid/17/INstock/Y/D/ Thanks, Diana --- In [email protected], "ryhorikawa" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "Bill Smart" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > ... In my opinion it is important to always keep in mind that the trappings > of > 'zen' that we usually discuss in this forum is that which has been shaped by > the Japanese culture, and to a lesser extent Korean and Chinese. In stark > contrast are the Buddhist Sutras sometimes quoted here whose cultural base > and form is Indian. > > I still would like to see some serious responses and discussions to my > previous question: What is zen? For starters I'll ask a simpler question: Is > the > English word 'zen' a noun, verb, adjective or adverb? I've seen it used/mis- > used in all of those word forms. > > Gassho...Bill! > > Thanks, Bill - Great point in your first paragraph. How does one separate a > body of thoughts & beliefs from its cultural garb? As you pointed out, > clearly > Zen and culture are "laminated" together... In a bit of a twist, I'm > currently > reading a novel by the late Japanese novelist Endo Shusaku. Endo, a > Japanese Catholic, has a consistent theme running through his books: What > does it mean to be Japanese and Catholic? Is it possible to embrace > Catholocism without the latter's Eurocentric "packaging". Clearly the same > frame of questions need to be asked by Westerners who embrace Asian > religions/forms of spiritualitiy. > > In your second paragraph, Bill, this is a very minor and trite point but I'm > not > sure how one can determine or judge if the term "Zen" has been misused. To > do so, for me, implies that the speaker knows exactly what Zen is... > > What is Zen? I know this question posed on a listserv evokes a standard set > of responses: Quoting a koan or giving an enigmatic response (e.g., "The > only Zen find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there"); > throwing back a rhetorical quesstion (e.g., "What is NOT Zen?") etc. I'm not > sure what or how much anyone really gets out of these types of responses... > It tends to either shut down dialogue (What then is the point of a listserv?) > or > become a competitive exercise in the demonstration of cleverness (which is > bullsh*t) > > For the sake of dialogue, here's a tentative, "culturally minimized"? > throwout > on my end: > > Zen is a "state" where the boundaries between the phenomenal and the > transcendent have been erased (or, where the realm of the sacred and the > realm of the "profane" are identical or co-terminus) AND where every "act"/ > action resonates with unconditional compassion towards the suffering of all > sentient/non-sentient beings.... > > Gassho, > ryhorikawa > > When the boundaries between the phenomenal and the transcendent have > been "erased"/when the realm of the sacred and the realm of the "profane" > are co-terminus > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Stop an Abortion Today. Give Women Options for Life. You can help change a heart http://us.click.yahoo.com/nfct9A/sp3LAA/i1hLAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Current Book Discussion: Appreciate Your Life by Taizan Maezumi Roshi Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZenForum/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
