Interesting fact: Buddha was an accomplished sport wrestler.
Another interesting fact: Bodhidharma was a champion sport wrestler.
I find this very interesting.
By the way, I don't mean to dwell on the horrible things in life. That is not what I am like. The point of this blog is to provide some support for a long-term project of mine, where people could meditate together in a simple, cooperative, no-nonsense, non-devotional format.
Part of this plan involves an optional challenge/response period, during silent retreats, where participants sit in a circle and challenge each other with purposefully difficult questions. A simple example is asking a monk who speaks of no-self "well then, who is 'monk'?" or "how can one teach 'emptiness' and devote his/her life to promoting 'Buddhism' at the same time?"
The point is, someone who claims "insight" really should be able to explain himself. Likewise, a visitor whose bullshit meter starts flashing should have an opportunity to present a challenging question.
I'd like to record and transcribe these interactions, and put them online, for each retreat. This way, prospective participants, investigating online, might be stimulated into showing up (or not!).
Because I have really done some traveling, and such a format doesn't exist.
Why is it necessary?
All four of the first-generation Zen centers in the U.S. have suffered through extended periods of malicious deceits on the part of the "masters". Always, these deceits involved sex, or money. Always, the ugliest stories come in the wake of the scandal -- politicking, backstabbing, and so on.
AT DBZ and Mt. Baldy, these abuses continued for decades.
Why was that?
In my view, the Japanese Zen tradition is itself at fault, as much of the rhetoric, imagery, and pageantry is designed to evoke deep reverence -- even awe. For newcomers, and for those unfamiliar with the Japanese Zen form, this display usually appears innocent.
But it is actually never an innocent thing, as there is no good reason to manufacture such notions.
In fact, if you are considering the path of Buddha, there are only "bad" reasons to do this.
Which brings me to Karate.
What does this have to do with Karate?
I wrote about my Karate and Zen once before. There are strong similarities between the two practices. I was trying to point out (in that post) that making a big show of something is always done for a reason. That reason is never a benevolent one.
I thought I would look into it some more.
So, it wasn't actually much of a surprise, to me, when I decided to Google "sex scandal" and "martial arts"...
Karate isn't a sport. It is a "martial art", like Aikido. You can't call it fighting, as there isn't any real, live sparring. Like Rinzai Zen, Karate class is full of shouts (Kiai!), and the strict discipline of the students promotes an attitude of strong purpose.
And that leads to funny things.
Like Zen, the Karate "masters" are often described, by their students, in mystical superlatives.
As in Japanese Zen, such reverence is rarely, if ever tested, or challenged.
For me, it is difficult not to call it "brainwashing". If you look at the way most people viewed Karate masters in the 70's, you'll see how effective their marketing was. If you notice that no pure Karate master has ever won a match in a major MMA promotion, you'll see how backward this belief had been.
As I said, it is never an innocent thing. It takes a certain type of character to manufacture such illusion (or delusion), holding himself at the center of it.
Here are a couple of videos listing hundreds of arrests and convictions of martial arts instructors over the last few years:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8iStrTq2hM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejQw7usTnUg
(Notice how many of these are "Karate"... Also notice how few are "Judo").
My point is that there are very real dangers being presented to the world. Wherever there is bullshit being peddled, there is danger. That danger comes not from "tradition", or culture, but from the type of character that would put effort into putting forth such a (seemingly) powerful or intimidating image -- especially in a setting where "traditional" forms dictate that such apparent omnipotence is never actually put to test.
Who would even want to project such an image to others. Why do it in the first place?
I am critical of Japanese Zen, just as I am critical of Karate. But my point is not to put down the Japanese, or "tradition". In fact, there are very few Judo cases on that list, despite Judo being a very popular, international Olympic event since the early 1970s.
Judo is a sport -- big in Japan. Opponents try their best to defeat the other by choke, armbar, throw(s) or pin. Under the given rules, it is "fighting".
Come to think of it, in a Judo class, male Judokas are often wrestling with female Judokas. They are always in very close contact. In fact, the somewhat common (neutral) guard position comes very close to "missionary". (True!)
Yet, Judo only appears on the list a couple of times.
Why is that?
Because it is real. It is a sport. Therefore, there is a simple truth to the practice. Bullshit won't get you very far.
Go ahead. Puff your chest out and scream. You are wasting energy. You'll get tossed around, and choked.
This is a very healthy thing, actually. Some of the best guys I know, I met in grappling gyms. I like to think that, over the years, their excitement and competitiveness dissipated (perhaps with the physical decline of age), leaving only their love of dynamic motion, and sport
These guys would be a big help in any meditation center I have ever visited. They would help cut through nonsense.
But you rarely see these characters in the meditation centers.
In the centers that exhibited the most glaring deceits, you see the very opposite. You see followers chosen, and praised, simply for their commitment to the Zen form (and therefore the master).
And that's too bad, because it turns Zen from an open, investigative practice, to one of simple, dead loyalty.
And that is a dangerous thing.
There simply is no reason for it.
There is no reason why meditation can't be done with the same efficient practicality of sport training. It would be more interesting, more dynamic, and safer. There is no reason not to encourage inquisitiveness and experimentation in spontaneous debate.
There is certainly no reason to preserve an explicit "spiritual hierarchy" ( present in most all traditions) especially with the obvious hypocrisy in such structures, given the stories and sayings of the prophets.
There are many very good reasons to eliminate parts of traditional forms that insulate the "teacher" from scrutiny. There is no reason, at all, why the traditional forms should not be turned upside down, to guard against the formation of personality cults.
That's the idea behind the Challenge/Response period. Sit in a small (first come first serve) circle, so the quieter people will feel more comfortable (they don't have to shout toward a distant "master" up on a high seat, in a full auditorium). Allow anyone to challenge anyone.
There are simple formats one can use to disallow interruptions, etc. Employ these. Make something new. Invigorate the practice.
That would be fun. It would be good, dynamic Zen -- an honorable, healthy Zen -- a sportsman's Zen.
Not like what has happened in the Japanese Zen tradition, or in the Karate schools.
(Perhaps the reader now finds it at least a little interesting that both Buddha and Bodhidharma were decorated sport wrestlers! They were no-nonsense guys!)
Another interesting fact: Bodhidharma was a champion sport wrestler.
I find this very interesting.
By the way, I don't mean to dwell on the horrible things in life. That is not what I am like. The point of this blog is to provide some support for a long-term project of mine, where people could meditate together in a simple, cooperative, no-nonsense, non-devotional format.
Part of this plan involves an optional challenge/response period, during silent retreats, where participants sit in a circle and challenge each other with purposefully difficult questions. A simple example is asking a monk who speaks of no-self "well then, who is 'monk'?" or "how can one teach 'emptiness' and devote his/her life to promoting 'Buddhism' at the same time?"
The point is, someone who claims "insight" really should be able to explain himself. Likewise, a visitor whose bullshit meter starts flashing should have an opportunity to present a challenging question.
I'd like to record and transcribe these interactions, and put them online, for each retreat. This way, prospective participants, investigating online, might be stimulated into showing up (or not!).
Because I have really done some traveling, and such a format doesn't exist.
Why is it necessary?
All four of the first-generation Zen centers in the U.S. have suffered through extended periods of malicious deceits on the part of the "masters". Always, these deceits involved sex, or money. Always, the ugliest stories come in the wake of the scandal -- politicking, backstabbing, and so on.
AT DBZ and Mt. Baldy, these abuses continued for decades.
Why was that?
In my view, the Japanese Zen tradition is itself at fault, as much of the rhetoric, imagery, and pageantry is designed to evoke deep reverence -- even awe. For newcomers, and for those unfamiliar with the Japanese Zen form, this display usually appears innocent.
But it is actually never an innocent thing, as there is no good reason to manufacture such notions.
In fact, if you are considering the path of Buddha, there are only "bad" reasons to do this.
Which brings me to Karate.
What does this have to do with Karate?
I wrote about my Karate and Zen once before. There are strong similarities between the two practices. I was trying to point out (in that post) that making a big show of something is always done for a reason. That reason is never a benevolent one.
I thought I would look into it some more.
So, it wasn't actually much of a surprise, to me, when I decided to Google "sex scandal" and "martial arts"...
Karate isn't a sport. It is a "martial art", like Aikido. You can't call it fighting, as there isn't any real, live sparring. Like Rinzai Zen, Karate class is full of shouts (Kiai!), and the strict discipline of the students promotes an attitude of strong purpose.
And that leads to funny things.
Like Zen, the Karate "masters" are often described, by their students, in mystical superlatives.
As in Japanese Zen, such reverence is rarely, if ever tested, or challenged.
For me, it is difficult not to call it "brainwashing". If you look at the way most people viewed Karate masters in the 70's, you'll see how effective their marketing was. If you notice that no pure Karate master has ever won a match in a major MMA promotion, you'll see how backward this belief had been.
As I said, it is never an innocent thing. It takes a certain type of character to manufacture such illusion (or delusion), holding himself at the center of it.
Here are a couple of videos listing hundreds of arrests and convictions of martial arts instructors over the last few years:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8iStrTq2hM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejQw7usTnUg
(Notice how many of these are "Karate"... Also notice how few are "Judo").
My point is that there are very real dangers being presented to the world. Wherever there is bullshit being peddled, there is danger. That danger comes not from "tradition", or culture, but from the type of character that would put effort into putting forth such a (seemingly) powerful or intimidating image -- especially in a setting where "traditional" forms dictate that such apparent omnipotence is never actually put to test.
Who would even want to project such an image to others. Why do it in the first place?
I am critical of Japanese Zen, just as I am critical of Karate. But my point is not to put down the Japanese, or "tradition". In fact, there are very few Judo cases on that list, despite Judo being a very popular, international Olympic event since the early 1970s.
Judo is a sport -- big in Japan. Opponents try their best to defeat the other by choke, armbar, throw(s) or pin. Under the given rules, it is "fighting".
Come to think of it, in a Judo class, male Judokas are often wrestling with female Judokas. They are always in very close contact. In fact, the somewhat common (neutral) guard position comes very close to "missionary". (True!)
Yet, Judo only appears on the list a couple of times.
Why is that?
Because it is real. It is a sport. Therefore, there is a simple truth to the practice. Bullshit won't get you very far.
Go ahead. Puff your chest out and scream. You are wasting energy. You'll get tossed around, and choked.
This is a very healthy thing, actually. Some of the best guys I know, I met in grappling gyms. I like to think that, over the years, their excitement and competitiveness dissipated (perhaps with the physical decline of age), leaving only their love of dynamic motion, and sport
These guys would be a big help in any meditation center I have ever visited. They would help cut through nonsense.
But you rarely see these characters in the meditation centers.
In the centers that exhibited the most glaring deceits, you see the very opposite. You see followers chosen, and praised, simply for their commitment to the Zen form (and therefore the master).
And that's too bad, because it turns Zen from an open, investigative practice, to one of simple, dead loyalty.
And that is a dangerous thing.
There simply is no reason for it.
There is no reason why meditation can't be done with the same efficient practicality of sport training. It would be more interesting, more dynamic, and safer. There is no reason not to encourage inquisitiveness and experimentation in spontaneous debate.
There is certainly no reason to preserve an explicit "spiritual hierarchy" ( present in most all traditions) especially with the obvious hypocrisy in such structures, given the stories and sayings of the prophets.
There are many very good reasons to eliminate parts of traditional forms that insulate the "teacher" from scrutiny. There is no reason, at all, why the traditional forms should not be turned upside down, to guard against the formation of personality cults.
That's the idea behind the Challenge/Response period. Sit in a small (first come first serve) circle, so the quieter people will feel more comfortable (they don't have to shout toward a distant "master" up on a high seat, in a full auditorium). Allow anyone to challenge anyone.
There are simple formats one can use to disallow interruptions, etc. Employ these. Make something new. Invigorate the practice.
That would be fun. It would be good, dynamic Zen -- an honorable, healthy Zen -- a sportsman's Zen.
Not like what has happened in the Japanese Zen tradition, or in the Karate schools.
(Perhaps the reader now finds it at least a little interesting that both Buddha and Bodhidharma were decorated sport wrestlers! They were no-nonsense guys!)
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