Who are we going to trust?

One of the extraordinary implications of Dogen’s insistence of the inseparability of one's understanding and one’s expressions is his assertion that we can accurately evaluate someone’s understanding simply by examining their expressions. I say "we" to preclude any arguments that Dogen was referring only to the ability of "enlightened" beings. This is clear from Dogen’s own experience. Even before he had traveled to China and resolved his quest to accomplish the "task of a lifetime," he granted greater authority to written texts than he did to certified "Dharma heirs." In the Zuimonki Dogen explains how his reading of a text brought him to the realization that his own "distinguished" certificate-holding teachers were teaching something vastly different from the classic records. Base on the words of that text, his "Great Teachers" were seen as "worthless", and Dogen says that his "whole life was changed completely":

"I came to realize that they differed from what my teachers taught. What is more, I realized that thoughts such as mine, according to their treatises and biographies, were loathed by these people. Having contemplated the nature of the matter at last, I thought to myself I should have felt rather humbled by ancient sages and future good men and women instead of elated by the praise of despicable contemporaries… In view of such a realization, the holders of the title of Great Teacher (daishi) in this country seemed to me worthless, like earthen tiles, and my whole life was changed completely."
Zuimonki, V:8 (Hee-Jin Kim)

It seems to me that there are many "Great Teachers" active in our own time whose teachings differ widely from the "treatises and biographies" of the "ancient sages." When the classic records say one thing and contemporary "Dharma-Heirs" say another, who are we going to trust?

Ted Biringer

Author of The Flatbed Sutra of Louie Wing

Unskillful rant on Teaching Zen

I think there is a lot of arrogance out there in the realm of so called “Zen” teachers.
I read words like “Doctrine” and “Transmission” and feel it could easily mislead others.
I grow more and more suspicious of some of the “Ideas” I hear on Zen.
While I do feel the responsibility of figuring things out ultimately rests with the seeker. There is allot of bad gouge out there. That makes the path a little trickier.

*side note* YES there are good “teachers” out there, I have even met a few, and conversed with a few more. And even the worst of teachers and scripture masters can be helpful! Do find a good “teacher” if you can! And DO NOT take what I am saying here as the gospel, YOU have to figure it out for yourself.

Anyone who has an inkling for teaching Buddhism or “Zen” might after a short or long amount of time practicing might feel compelled to “teach” “Zen” And I think there is a bit of helpful “Doctrine” out there that should be taught. For example: I like Master Dogen’s rules for meditation quite a bit for this I just think it is useful.

Actually I think there are a lot of devices that can be useful. But few recognize when they are beyond being useful. The problem with these “Doctrines” is that people do what people do. They get attached to them. Any scripture master can pull doctrine out of their backside but when it comes down to it, doctrine can become a hindrance to actual liberation. (Yes I accept that such a thing exists) Being a true person is what is important. Not knowledge of Koans or scripture.

The basics are OK. And they are important as training wheals. But the training wheals have to come off and the seeker has to be able to ride on their own. Otherwise there is no point and the seeker just gets hooked on another tether.

Personally, I don’t really have much faith in the so called zen teachers of today.
Most of the very best teachers I have found don’t sell zen at all. They actualize it in their daily lives both work and play (often it seems they are lucky enough to have them be the same thing). They may teach the flute (no, not me, I am not that good!) they may sell tea, they might even make skirts for men, who knows! The applications may be as limitless as the universe.

Me, yeah, I may seem pretty arrogant too, but I am not a “transmitted teacher” either. I just enjoy planting seeds and pulling weeds.

May you be free from suffering,
Jordan

Thank You All for your views on Zen teachings/teachers

I would like to thank everyone for posting their views concerning my last post here (--deleted--). Everyone has expressed ideas that have been helpful in seeing the issue with freshness.

Rather than responding to each comment, I would like to just give my own current thoughts on this issue (I say current because it is bound to change-again).

In the early days of my own practice and study, I spent a fair amount of time looking for a teacher, and "tried" a half dozen or so. Eventually, I did find one teacher that "worked" for me (though we "agreeably" disagreed in some areas). I also found a couple of teachers that became friends, rather than "teachers." Others, I came to respect as "authentic" teachers – whatever that means! Some, I found offensive for a number of reasons.

As a merchant marine I had lots of time for reading. I loved the Zen and Buddhist sutras, records, etc. But much of the "contemporary" teachings seemed to say things that directly contradicted the classic translations. Often I read "modern" teachers attributing teachings to the Zen masters like "Rinzai did this…" or "Dogen believed that…" or "Hakuin taught such and such…" And I would think "Where did they say that? I sure did not read it in their records…" Every time I had the chance for dokusan, or in public meetings, I would ask about particular discrepancies. Sometimes I got explanations that cleared things up. Most often, I found that they had no valid explanations.

All in all, I have found it good practice to "question" things I find trouble accepting. Also, I am personally grateful if someone points out a false or questionable teaching or teacher with some argument or evidence as to why I might want to look a little deeper before putting my trust into something.

As most of you know, Dogen’s teachings (or at least those records that are attributed to Dogen) have been especially helpful in my own practice and study on the Zen path. But I do not consider even these to be "authentic" teachings until I have actually "put them to the test" through actual implementation. Once I "try" them, and personally discover whether they "work" then I consider them valid. If not, I do not dismiss them, but they remain in the "possible" zone—perhaps I do not understand them, or the translation is not quite right, or whatever.
One of his teachings has been quite valuable to me in this regard. It has been to at least partially try to "evaluate" teachings by comparing them to the traditional teachings. As you may have seen my posting elsewhere:

Even before Dogen had traveled to China and resolved his quest to accomplish the "task of a lifetime," he realized that the authentic teachings of written texts were more valuable than inauthentic teachings of certified "Dharma heirs." In the Zuimonki Dogen explains how he came to realize this fact when he compared the teachings of his own "distinguished" title holding teachers to those of the "eminent Buddhists" of the past:

…I came to realize that they differed from what my teachers taught. What is more, I realized that thoughts such as mine, according to their treatises and biographies, were loathed by these people. Having contemplated the nature of the matter at last, I thought to myself I should have felt rather humbled by ancient sages and future good men and women instead of elated by the praise of despicable contemporaries… In view of such a realization, the holders of the title of Great Teacher (daishi) in this country seemed to me worthless, like earthen tiles, and my whole life was changed completely.
Zuimonki, V:8

To many people outside of the Buddhist community Dogen’s observation might seem like little more than common sense. Very few people, especially in the West, would even allow someone to repair their car simply because they possessed a certificate or title, much less trust them as their guide on the "great matter of life and death." Yet, I have witnessed many "Zen Centers" are filled with members that never question the credentials of a "Dharma Heir" whose title and/or certificate is granted by a single individual human being in an esoteric ritual of "mind to mind transmission."

The reasons for my "aversion" to some "teachers" is not so much because of "what" they did, but because of what they did and said "in the name of Zen." Like some of the "Christian" leaders, --Falwell, Robertson, Baker, and their ilk—I could care less what they thought, or believed or did in their own personal lives –I am a pretty extreme liberal—it is their "this is what God told me" suggestions, aimed only at exploiting their "followers"? "Students?" or whatever, for their own personal gain or agenda, and all in the name of religion.

People turn to "religion" for many reasons—but a large percentage of them look to religion because of difficulties, suffering, problems, fears, etc that they are experiencing in their lives—this was true in my early days. Hence, many of these people are vulnerable to predators that would exploit their fears, their pain and anguish simply to satisfy their own agendas of politics, prestige, power, money, sex, etc. This is simply one of those things I cannot seem to ignore. I may be overly sensetive to this, but when I smell something with a whiff of "shit" in it, I want to tell my friends, and those that may be suffering and looking for a genuine "way" to approach life, to be careful where they step...

Thanks again for all of your thoughtful comments…
Please take care,
Ted