"Not Conventional" number 65 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.
There are a wide variety of Zen teaching styles. The differences are mostly emphasis. Some emphasize silent mediation, some koan study, some chanting or even singing the sutras. In some styles of teaching the arts are important and in others the physical aspects of training are emphasized. Some teaching styles incorporate our modern technologies. Some deemphasize most all technologies. Some are traditional and some lean a bit towards 'new-age'. Some teachers use poetry as a vehicle and some use psychology. Some teachers are a unaccessible because of the size of their following and and some are inaccessible because of the details of modern life.
This doesn't mean that Zen is 'willy-nilly' any thing goes. It is just that teaching styles are widely varied to match the widely varied student. Teaching styles evolve and devolve. Are they any more effective today than in Dogen's time?
Here are a few videos that relate to today's miniature. They are very geeky and in a nice way, technically eloquent. The teacher here is Shinzen Young.
Any error or confusion created by my commentary on Miniatures of a Zen Master
is solely a reflection of my own delusion and ignorance.
Any merit generated by this activity is solely the result of
Aitken Roshi's clear teaching and is dedicated to
all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time.
There are a wide variety of Zen teaching styles. The differences are mostly emphasis. Some emphasize silent mediation, some koan study, some chanting or even singing the sutras. In some styles of teaching the arts are important and in others the physical aspects of training are emphasized. Some teaching styles incorporate our modern technologies. Some deemphasize most all technologies. Some are traditional and some lean a bit towards 'new-age'. Some teachers use poetry as a vehicle and some use psychology. Some teachers are a unaccessible because of the size of their following and and some are inaccessible because of the details of modern life.
This doesn't mean that Zen is 'willy-nilly' any thing goes. It is just that teaching styles are widely varied to match the widely varied student. Teaching styles evolve and devolve. Are they any more effective today than in Dogen's time?
Here are a few videos that relate to today's miniature. They are very geeky and in a nice way, technically eloquent. The teacher here is Shinzen Young.
Any error or confusion created by my commentary on Miniatures of a Zen Master
is solely a reflection of my own delusion and ignorance.
Any merit generated by this activity is solely the result of
Aitken Roshi's clear teaching and is dedicated to
all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time.
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