(ok so the pic gets a little cut off- here's the linkage)So there's this podcast called "zen is stupid" which doesn't have a lot to do with zen, but meanders away from buddhism every few minutes. But I appreciate the sentiment. I don't necessarily think that zen is stupid, but I might agree to say "zen is weird." But since I'm greedy with my knowledge, I've been trying to read about zen so I have a better idea of whether the RZC is "normal" or not. I'm currently reading HardCore Zen, which is another one of those books like Noah Levine's which are geared at the late teenager, early twenties type, and use normal language and pop cultural references. Each book has its strengths and weakness, and Levine's is certainly more of a "i was a huge asshole and i did all these terrible things and meditation saved me from a life of drugs and sex." There's relatively little Buddhist philosophy in Levine's, but more of a bio. Brad Warner's book, however, is roughly half and half, and I really appreciate his cynicism and skepticism. He's someone who questions authority, doubts his zen master teachers, and continually analyzes the zen teachings. I think if he was running a zendo, I wouldn't feel quite as awkward as I did this weekend. Here are some of the points in his book that I thought were worth noting:
On Buddhism and drugs: "Drugs won't show you the truth. Drugs will only show you what it's like to be on drugs." and later..."Why does an expanded consciousness (due to drugs) include the inability to operate a motor vehicle?"
"Ultimately it's always better to make people see how they can heal themselves...Real Buddhist teachers don't tell you about reality, they teach you to see reality for yourself, right now."
"Buddhism is about letting people know they do not need to follow any authority. If you need an authority figure, go somewhere else."
About lofty causes and day-to-day life: "Stop the racist, gay-bashing Nazis from going to war to club baby seals in the burning South American rainforests if you want-but also clean your room." and earlier "When you decide that helping feed homeless transgender crack addicts to the baby whales-or whatever- is somehow more worthy than helping your mom clean the dead squirrel out of the gutters, that's when you get in trouble." His point here is not that we shouldn't do philanthropy, but that it should affect all of our life. We shouldn't be saving the world and then bitching our friends out or leaving messes everywhere. I like that idea. It's the idea that all good work is important and we are all connected.
And then lastly, on death: 'A guy walks up to a zen master and asks, "is there life after death?" The zen masters says, "How should I know?" The guy replies indignantly, "because you're a Zen masters!" "Yes," says the Zen master, " but not a dead one."' The point he makes here is that no one in any religion KNOWS where we go after life, and as humans, we are constantly looking for the next step rather than the present. But Warner suggests that we should instead think of the present as the only life, since you don't know what's next. He also counters this by saying later in the book that we are all always part of the universe, no matter what. So it's really not that bleak.
Anyway, that's all my kernels of wisdom for today. Now off to study the Renaissance.
Currently listening to: Renaissance polyphonic vocal music and dharma talks.
