In one of my comments on the previous posting I said that I might dissolve Dogen Sangha International but not just yet.
Well, I’ve thought about it some more and I’ve decided that now is the time to put the thing out of its misery. As of today April 20, 2012 at 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (USA), Dogen Sangha International is no more.
Any groups who wish to continue using the name Dogen Sangha may do so. Not that you need my permission anyway. And that’s that.
Phew!
I’ve wanted to do this for a very long time. There’s really no reason to wait any longer. I’m not retiring my position as a monk or discontinuing teaching Zen or anything like that. I’m simply ending Dogen Sangha International.
I don't "look down" at others…
I look across.
"to the beginner's mind…"
Do you have "beginner's mind" Mysterion?
nevermind
I have made perhaps a third to half of the mistakes others will make and I am still looking for the other mistakes to make…
When you start to believe, you have lost your beginner's mind.
When you still have the capacity of fluid thought, you can consider the alternatives. (e.g. Did Dogen go to China?)
An expert knows the truth – or knows that there is no truth. Therefore gnosis, like sophia, is but a myth of perception failing to epic proportions.
“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few.”
– Shunryu Suzuki
The above quote, like 200 scientologists at the bottom of the Challenger Deep, is only a beginning.
MORE Quotes for Sea-Gull Rim-shotie
The assertion that one zen master was the awesomest zen master and that's all we're going to study is not going to fly in America.
I understand the appeal of changing Buddhism so that it's more acceptable to Americans. But if you give people what they want, what you wind up with is McDonalds. Which may be popular, but neither good, nor healthy.
I want Candy
"Could Dogen carry a tune?"
Dogen was the mountain stream and
the birds singing.
A long time coming but not surprising. Good luck. I suspect that the Ghost of DSI will haunt you forever.
Mental constructs like Dogen Sangha
International are the hardest and easiest to get rid of.
i'm sure brad will lose sleep over all the haters. seems so Buddhist to go and belittle someone on the internet. who i happen to think is trying to introduce a whole group of disenfranchised youth the world of Buddhism(I'm sure that was your whole goal too – the whole punk rock band wagon youth market; smart move) A lot of people in history seem to squabble over teachings and teachers and scholars… but some people will just see the flower and it doesn't matter how you get there when you have the will to seek the truth honestly. as i like to say "we all live the same story, we just narrate it differently" – been saying that as long as i can remember, hopefully brads narration of his truth and way will be close enough to lead a lot more Americans to shut up and sit down (see what i did there?) and figure it out for themselves, Buddha is so happy that all these people are here to keep his law im sure!
Fuck in' A!!! They needto find their OWN way 'n stop followin' another. One's own truth is found within. Just fuck in' "BE", people.
wait
Wait
WAIT!
I want to join DSI.
Where do I download the PDF file to sign up?
Here is the Fry's Application for the job seekers among you.*
*humor
For those of you who don't know Frys, see HERE. It's a 'theme' electronics store. Palo Alto is Western Theme, San Jose is Egyptian, Burbank is UFO, and Fremont is just a Big Box ugly store.
Jinzang said, "But if you give people what they want, what you wind up with is McDonalds. Which may be popular, but neither good, nor healthy."
That is so arrogant. Who made you king of correctness? It's none of your fucking business if people want to eat that shit. I don't but IT'S MY CHOICE! We don't need your inpute on every fucking thing!
Knowing that mysterion is a liar like 200 Scientologists……………
mysterion dabbled in Scientology once. Oh yes. He drank the Kool Aid.
Do you guys realize how hilarious a picture this thread and comments give about the whole buddhist zazen thingy? You are supposedly folks who promote "just sitting" and doing your own thing and being compassionate with each other and shit. That sounds awesome. Every time when I try to get in contact with some other people doing this stuff, I run into people telling other people they are DOING IT WRONG and throwing accusations, recommending therapy, and sueing each other.
Gods. I'll just be doing my own thing over in that corner. I have a wall to stare at home.
anon said, "Do you guys realize how hilarious a picture this thread and comments give about the whole buddhist zazen thingy?"
You might be talking to only one suppressive personality in a dwindling spiral who is dismissive of buddhism and never sits zazen? Your scenario might be completely wrong.
Or not.
OMG. The Pretaville babbler WAS Mysterion after all. This last comment proves it. Here comes the flood.
LMAOROF!
LMFAO !!!
Anonymous said…
"mysterion dabbled in Scientology once. Oh yes. He drank the Kool Aid."
I did not.
2 people I know from High School did… (circa 1962-1966)
and one from a TV station in Reno where I worked (circa 1973).
and I rescued a neighbor from the cult a few years ago.
Thus, I LIKE "anonymous"
But it's nice for you to be wrong, so continue…
http://news.yahoo.com/russians-pray-correction-anti-putin-punks-062308383.html
Praying for the Correction of Punks!
I wish someone would dissolve a few more Religious Institutions. You would think they would go away by themselves. I actually read that there may be something in the human DNA that predisposes up to some sort of "Higher Power" belief in our psyche. Maybe it's all a lost cause ehhh?
Cheers
Dale
"L'enfer, c'est les autres."
How many men have facefucked Mysterion?
Pretaville; I wish I was, but I know for a fact that people who in fact do diligently sit (well, more diligently than I do anyhow…) participate in this kind of stuff.
Dale:
Regarding "higher power." As far as neuroscience defines 'god,' it's a primitive death mechanism wherein the chemistry of the brain makes death less than an unpleasant experience.
When prey is captured by a predator, it often 'surrenders' to the will of god (Islam, if you will…)
The old Roman Empire used this chemical brain mechanism (which is somewhat like heroin addiction) to morph control of the people under the new Roman Empire (e.g. the Holy Roman Empire).
This chemical mechanism goes back to the cave paintings and beyond.
Mechanically religion can be summed up in three words: Grand Mal Epilepsy. also HERE
Neurologist Ramachandran talking about temporal lobe epilepsy and god.
There are exceptions – psychotics. I will not provide a list of names but recent notorious examples abound.
see also PDFs:
St Paul and temporal lobe epilepsy
Sudden religious conversions in temporal lobe epilepsy
More sources HERE
As I mentioned, I went back to grad school (having previously attended in 1971) in 1989 as a hobby while my wife earned her BA. She majored in English while I rejoined Jungian Psychology. We graduated on the same June day in 1993 – her with her BA and me with the M.S. She went on to fetch a Master's in English (all without student loans).
Carl Jung was cool. He, and his immediate followers, explored religions, philosophies, and institutionalized belief systems. The myriad myths of man (e.g. religions) have been on the academic radar for 140+ years but it was Carl Young that brought the discipline into focus and to full fruition.
“As a student of comparative religions, I believe that Buddhism is the most perfect one the world has ever seen. The philosophy of the Buddha, the theory of evolution and the law of Karma were far superior to any other creed.” – Professor Carl Gustav Jung
Even the uneducated expressed opinions in the late 1800s.
Buddhism in Relation to Christianity (1885): Richard Collins
The influence of Buddhism on primitive Christianity (1893). Author: Lillie, Arthur.
Buddhism and Christianity
a parallel and a contrast, being the Croall lecture for 1889-90
by Archibald Scott.
The story of Barlaam and Joasaph : Buddhism & Christianity (1895)
Kenneth Somerled Macdonald
John Morrison
Publisher: Calcutta : Thacker, Spink & Co., 1895.
The Sign of the Cross is another ancient myth – far older than Christianity.
For synchronicity, check out the LDS page on Fu Xi and Nu Wa (Nu Wa becomes Noah is the folklore of the Levant).
It's mostly poorly recycled folklore when you explore religion(s).
Does Brad have the authority to dissolve the Mysterion Sangha International?
Did I mention the (Mysterion/Pretaville) flood was coming?
Ah it's the republican hick trolls again. They detest all intellectual discourse. Go back to Sac Hal. Go back to Sac.
Thanks for Fu Xi & Nu Wa, Mysterion- beautiful depiction of above as below, below as above, leaving the great mystery that has curtailed the progress of civilization behind the skirt. Egyptian art showed the knot, and the role of the goddesses behind the skirt, but lacks the differentiation of the forces making up the akh. The compass and the square with plumb, rotation and activity on the diagonals generated by the weight of the body.
Dogen at the sound of a mountain stream, Dogen at the sight of blossoms. Where'd he go!
Maybe he crawled up yer arse, mate. That's why you can't sit straight.
Hee hee, I know I shouldn't laugh, but that really was quite finely crafted.
Regards,
H.
a b c d e f g
h i j k l m n o p
q r s
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*CUMS in Mysterion's mouth*
Hi Jundo !
_()_
In HIS own voice: "the supreme rula goofs the flute"
and Incident two
Australia Waking up
Will DM go postal?
Mike Rinder
Do you believe?
That is so arrogant. Who made you king of correctness? It's none of your fucking business if people want to eat that shit. I don't but IT'S MY CHOICE! We don't need your inpute on every fucking thing!
Sorry you didn't like my choice of metaphor, but if I call an organization "fast food Zen", I don't think anyone will be think I am praising a them for being fast, clean, and efficient. If using this metaphor makes me arrogant, well, I saw it used elsewhere twice tonight, so I've got plenty of company.
On the larger issue, the goal of Buddhism and Zen in particular is liberation from the false concept of ego. Unfortunately, what we're seeing more and more of is "dharma lite", using meditation to make you comfortable with your ego. If you want to use meditation to de-stress and feel more peaceful, you're welcome to try, but that sort of practice can only take you so far.
ROFLMAO
Jinzang: Says you.
91
Blogger Jinzang said…
"Unfortunately, what we're seeing more and more of is "dharma lite", using meditation to make you comfortable with your ego."
Yep.
It's not about comfort. It's about cognitive dissonance.
A similar 'lite version' corruption took place in Calvinism: "using Christianity to make you comfortable with your greed."
While some Xtians are, in the end, cleaning up their act [pun intended], there is no simple answer.
That is why we recognize perfection where and when it exists. Everything else is just performance art.
Nothing, IMO, sums it up better than
Prospero:
Our revels now are ended.
These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd tow'rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind.
We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
The Tempest Act 4, scene 1
– Fr. Bacon
"On the larger issue, the goal of Buddhism and Zen in particular is liberation from the false concept of ego."
That is not the goal of zen or any school of Mahayana Buddhism.
Regards,
Harry.
Shut the fuck up, Harry, you pretentious know-it-all.
Harry:
Sorry, Theravada was slipping it's ugly ancient upstream head into the pollution of the downstream waters (as in mixture).
It slipped out of its box.
Hi Mysti,
Yes, the simple distinction that is often made by Mahayanist body builders is not very satisfactory at all.
I think the notion of Theravada/ 'hinyana' as solely a vehicle for 'personal liberation' only is very unreliable.
Regards,
Harry.
Jinzang wrote: On the larger issue, the goal of Buddhism and Zen in particular is liberation from the false concept of ego…
Do you mean that the goal of Buddhism is to arrive at the opinion that that the concept "ego" is a false concept? Or do you mean the goal is liberation from having a sense of self? Something else? Perhaps liberation from greed, hatred, delusion? I'm never sure what people mean when they say things like "…liberation from ego."
If you want to use meditation to de-stress and feel more peaceful, you're welcome to try, but that sort of practice can only take you so far.
I always thought the goal of Buddhism was to lessen dukkha. "Stress" is a pretty good translation of dukkha.
I disagree!
You should keep it together as you have as a lose but interconnected group of independent sanghas.
So keep Dogen Sangha International together and you are the best person to do that.
gassho
Me: "On the larger issue, the goal of Buddhism and Zen in particular is liberation from the false concept of ego."
Harry: "That is not the goal of zen or any school of Mahayana Buddhism."
The three marks of existence are that all compounded phenomena are impermanent, all afflicted emotions are suffering, and all phenomena are WITHOUT A SELF (anatman). This is Buddhism 101 stuff.
hi, Jinz.
Yes, but be that as it may, it's not the goal of zen, or any other Mahayana school… which is an equally simple and clarifiable point.
Regards,
Harry.
… besides, I think what Buddhism holds to be the 'self' and the many spurious ideas (and unclarified assumptions) as to what constitutes an 'ego' might be quite different at times.
Regards,
Harry.