Western Zen has basically turned into SOYA ZEN (sit on your ass Zen) and for a plausible reason. Western Zen traditions, for the most part, really do not understand the bulk of Chinese Zen literature, including koans, because they do not understand what Mind actually means. In light of this, many Western Zen teachers, who might be deeply sincere, are basically useless bags of shit. Until Mind is taught in Zen, what we have is not real Zen—let's call it SOYA Zen.
SOYA Zen is somewhat like climbing a simulated rock face in a climbing gym. If you’ve ever done rock climbing (and I have) climbing in the environment of a gym and in Yosemite, for example, are quite different. What most people don’t realize is that when you climb on granite faces, huge rocks are daily exfoliated from the surface of the face (we used to call them “flakes”!). Some of the rocks are in the tons! On my last climb years ago, a granite rock the size of a ‘55 Chevy missed me by several feet (not yards). My climbing helmet back then consisted of one beret with padding in it (my socks). After that, I realized that real climbing demanded nerves of steel—nerves that I didn’t have (yeah, I quit climbing—then I took up bicycle racing).
Don’t get me wrong, joining a climbing gym is beneficial—such climbing is great exercise after you get over the initial headache (the eyes are constantly looking upwards which strain the muscles). This leads me to say that SOYA Zen is beneficial, too, which is really Bonpu Zen intended for the common person (prithagjana) who is only interested in using meditation to improve their mental health. SOYA Zen can help to stabilize the monkey mind which is helpful for everyone from a hard charging U.S. Marine to a parent trying to deal with their toddler. But it will not open the door—not even slightly—to Buddha Mind.
Like real rock climbing, real Zen is a whole different world. Just like a real rock climber has to be adaptive and open to the unexpected and, yes, prepare for the catastrophic—that one killer flake—the Zennist has to, also, enter the world of the unexpected where their whole being is put on the line. By trial and error, the Zennist must adapt to Mind in order to behold Mind. And since we do not know the exact nature of Mind in our quest, this proves a difficult ascent.
For those unwilling to meet and adapt to Mind’s challenging demands there is SOYA Zen just like a climbing gym is there for those who have no intention of ever climbing the north wall of the Eiger in Switzerland where killer flakes fall on a regular basis.
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