Question
I know you have had many answers to give, and I asked you a question
that I will ask again.
First, when you perform shoko for Master Deshimaru during the private
tribute you mentioned, please do it on my behalf too, since I will not be able
to enter.
It really seems that the spirit of the times finds a certain frankness
hard to tolerate. Personally, I think you sometimes go
too far, but is that a reason for the other side to be so touchy? Do you
need to give such advance assurances that you will not speak too freely or expose
anyone in your talks in order to be welcomed at this symposium?
Yet reading Deshimaru’s kusens, he certainly did not pull his punches
sometimes! It is a shame to see this dimension worn away by politically
correct formatting, with not a hair out of place, where everyone is
shamefully bored.
Personally, I was interested in going to this symposium, but when I
learned I should plan on a hotel because there was not enough
room for the average practitioner, since so many Japanese guests were being welcomed,
it cooled my enthusiasm.
Seeing the program did so even more. Watching all this,
and all the fuss about attaching the certified label
”Zen Buddhism” to us, a longtime disciple told me that,
seeing how his membership fees were being spent, he doubted whether he would renew
his AZI membership.
That said, the answer is clear for me: for other reasons, I cannot
attend the symposium, but I must say I have no regrets.
Unfortunately.
Still, I find all this petty and regrettable, and wonder what
we are doing with Deshimaru’s mission. Forty years ago, when he arrived
in France, did the Soto Shu accompany him? Did it pay for his train
ticket? Not as far as I know. It is a shame that the universality of
Buddhism means there is no room to house a French or
European monk because a planeload of Japs lands at La Gendronnière. I respect Japanese people,
but aren’t we witnessing the globalization of Soto Zen, which must be developing
so little in Japan that the AZI offers a terrific branch-office opportunity
in France? Now that it works, they come to dip into the till? God
alone knows, but do not take me for an idiot. I have eyes
to see, and I do not want to fool myself.
Discontent is growing at the grassroots, and I have already written here that more and more people
no longer identify with the AZI’s current direction. To me, it is clear
that an association is nothing but a tool, in this case
serving the Dharma, Zen, and that ultimately Zen is zazen. Period.
But if it only functions for its own sake, losing sight of
its purpose, how can we still justify it? Functioning merely
to function is the ego’s game. In any case, more and more people
tell me they are fed up with this circus. I have also heard that
the split between the pro-Japanese tendency and the tendency toward a Zen
with more enjoyment in practice manifested concretely at a recent
meeting of leaders in Paris. Besides, considering that Zen is
beyond pleasure and displeasure, the fact that these tendencies were
described to me in those terms means nothing other than that Japanese-style Zen is
perceived as something with no pleasure at all, and that should raise questions.
Beyond ease, I find deep spiritual pleasure in
zazen practice, and that is where I would say the universal character
of Buddhism lies. That is what I want to share, more than rules
or boring, lifeless formalities.
For me, there is no Japanese-style Zen, anyway. There is only
universal Zen. I simply wonder whether the AZI has a problem
of national identity, and whether a French Zen association
is missing. In Japanese, France means “land of the Buddha.” That is a sign,
isn’t it? Why did Deshimaru not go to Italy, Spain,
England, and so on?
So, I am sorry for you. I thought you might at least have been able to say a few words
as Master Deshimaru’s disciple at this symposium commemorating his arrival.
It seems resentment and stagnation prevail, and that you are being made
to pay for old grudges years later. There is clearly a
difficulty in absorbing a somewhat blunt remark. What a shame that we are
still at that point within a group supposedly conveying true spiritual values
and authentic Zen! Far away are the days when masters like Baso or
Obaku awakened or certified their disciples with a great slap in the
face (oops, sorry!), unless it was the disciple expressing his
understanding by slapping his master! Being stroked the right way
was certainly not what helped me most. And I think that with
Deshimaru, confrontations had substance!
That said, I will ask my question again: can we say that God and ku name
the same reality? And that we could also call it Love?
With Dharmic greetings!
Laurent
Answer from Master Kosen
We can say anything, but silence is more effective for expressing this kind of thing.
Kosen