When it comes to learning Buddhism there are many interesting and novel ways for someone to believe they are practicing Buddhism without ever being familiar with the underlying principles contained in the Buddhist canon, not caring to read or study much of it.
One clever means of avoidance is to just sit in meditation. Just believe that enlightenment will take care of itself if you sit on your zafu long enough. You can also join a Zen center and play follow the leader. Practice being the best of the obedient Zennies at the center. If you are a teacher teaching to beginners at a Zen center, or writing a book especially for beginners, why bother with studying what the Buddha actually taught? Beginners are not interested in learning this heady stuff anyway. Okay, enough of this.
Looking back at my own life when I first began my study of Zen, I think I spent more time making my robe and doing other things at the temple than being familiar with the underlying principles of Buddhism. For a while I was happy with the superficial stuff. So was my teacher who seemed to enjoy the duties of an abbot which had nothing to do with real Buddhism. But if you have a heaven soaring spirit, life in a birdcage soon gets old.
Nosing through the books in our small temple library it didn’t take me too long to figure out that my teacher was a dufus when it came to really grasping what the Buddha taught. Not once did he stress the importance of seeing pure Mind or having Bodhicitta or entering the stream.
Eventually, I left this dump (among other things, I found out that my teacher was gay; who didn’t have much respect for my own sexual preferences). Good fortune found me elsewhere where I eventually had my first Zen epiphany! I realized, with the help of a great Nichiren Bishop that I need to look for the pure essence of my mind. Which I did.
More and more I turned to the Buddhist canon, and more an more it began to make sense. Many times I was overwhelmed by just how subtle the teaching was. I became more and more humble as a result. I mean I had no choice in the matter. The Buddha was a freaking spiritual genius.
Eventually, I thought about Buddhism almost day and night. I was addicted to it. I couldn’t wait for another spiritual adventure. Needless to say, I had spiritual adventures. I knew for a fact that Buddhism was one kick-ass religion; deep and profound like no other.
If, at times, I get pissed off at the current state of Buddhism and Zen it is for a very good reason. It is not really going anywhere. At times, I think modern Buddhism has either been cleverly designed to avoid learning what the Buddha actually taught or many modern Buddhist are spiritual morons. Looking at today's Buddhism, which seems to be heading towards secularism, certainly counts as one of the more novel ways to believe that you are practicing Buddhism when, in fact, you helping to turn it into something it is not. What might help is to have better Buddhist writers, ones who have actually studied the canon enough to know the path of Buddhism is a transcendent one.
One day you should write a book against what modern Buddhism has become.
Posted by: Jure | August 01, 2011 at 03:47 AM
Bloody hell, rubbing a piece of cloth in the sun would've done nicely.
Posted by: qbrick | July 26, 2011 at 09:22 AM