The Aitken-Shimano Letters
- slachs
- Topic Author
16 years 1 month ago #53139
by slachs
Replied by slachs on topic RE: The Aitken-Shimano Letters
Hi telecaster,
Part 1
Glad to hear that you read "Shoes Outside the Door" and my paper too and found them fascinating. Thank you.
I too am no fan of Merzil and his sidekick Ken Wilbur . They must be raking in the "greenies" with their Big Mind business. Speak of false promises, they make Zen seem like children's play.
Good to hear that Diane Rizzeto is "honest and real."
Part 1
Glad to hear that you read "Shoes Outside the Door" and my paper too and found them fascinating. Thank you.
I too am no fan of Merzil and his sidekick Ken Wilbur . They must be raking in the "greenies" with their Big Mind business. Speak of false promises, they make Zen seem like children's play.
Good to hear that Diane Rizzeto is "honest and real."
- slachs
- Topic Author
16 years 1 month ago #53140
by slachs
Replied by slachs on topic RE: The Aitken-Shimano Letters
Part 2
I am a Chan/Zen practitioner and have been for a long time- over thirty years. I also find the American Zen scene endlessly fascinating. There are so many facets to it. I did not want to write any more papers like the Aitken-Shimano Letters, but the material literally presented itself. I felt this material has to be out there. It was a chance to see how respected Zen roshi acted and thought in a real life situation in our own time. Shimano is only one part of the story. Soen and Yasutani and Aitken are also part of the story. Unfortunately a number of people seem to miss that part, which is as important as Shimano's behavior and the mind behind it, because of the questions it raises. Maybe I am too fascinated with this material, but I am fascinated and I want other people to share in this fascination and analysis. The contrast between the rhetoric of Chan/Zen and what happens on the ground with the LIVING breathing representatives of the tradition seems so very interesting to me.
I think it just doesn't happen out of thin air or to use Buddhist language, there are "causes and conditions" and they should be looked at. I believe critical thinking is part of Buddhist practice. Chan/Zen is about "seeing things as they really are" which on one hand means seeing into the nature of reality, but I think it also means seeing what is going on around you. I think it is foolish to focus only on the noumenal and forget the phenomenal.
I know this contrast happens with all religions, but focusing on the details of one, and one that has mostly escaped being looked at, one that makes great claims for its living representatives and one that I feel close too, seems to have value, at least to me. Fortunately , other people appear to find my papers of value, interesting and even fascinating.
All the best,
Stuart
I am a Chan/Zen practitioner and have been for a long time- over thirty years. I also find the American Zen scene endlessly fascinating. There are so many facets to it. I did not want to write any more papers like the Aitken-Shimano Letters, but the material literally presented itself. I felt this material has to be out there. It was a chance to see how respected Zen roshi acted and thought in a real life situation in our own time. Shimano is only one part of the story. Soen and Yasutani and Aitken are also part of the story. Unfortunately a number of people seem to miss that part, which is as important as Shimano's behavior and the mind behind it, because of the questions it raises. Maybe I am too fascinated with this material, but I am fascinated and I want other people to share in this fascination and analysis. The contrast between the rhetoric of Chan/Zen and what happens on the ground with the LIVING breathing representatives of the tradition seems so very interesting to me.
I think it just doesn't happen out of thin air or to use Buddhist language, there are "causes and conditions" and they should be looked at. I believe critical thinking is part of Buddhist practice. Chan/Zen is about "seeing things as they really are" which on one hand means seeing into the nature of reality, but I think it also means seeing what is going on around you. I think it is foolish to focus only on the noumenal and forget the phenomenal.
I know this contrast happens with all religions, but focusing on the details of one, and one that has mostly escaped being looked at, one that makes great claims for its living representatives and one that I feel close too, seems to have value, at least to me. Fortunately , other people appear to find my papers of value, interesting and even fascinating.
All the best,
Stuart