Question
Hello,
It is more a comment than a question that leads me to ask your opinion.
I am surprised, not to say shocked, that people asking you questions about the Dharma address you with the familiar French 'tu.'
Asking Stéphane for a cigarette using 'tu' may be normal, but addressing a master in the Buddha's lineage informally seems disrespectful and inappropriate to me, in the sense that we should know how to remain humble—for ourselves, not before Stéphane. To me, simply seeing someone address you informally immediately reveals that person's level of consciousness: not much.
Anonymous
Answer from Master Kosen
The master-disciple relationship is a means, not an end in itself. It should express itself naturally. Some call me Sensei, others Master, others Kosen, others Stéphane; some use the familiar 'tu,' others the formal 'vous.' Let everyone do what feels right. What matters is spontaneity. Let everyone find the reflection they need with me.
Kosen