Zen Buddism?

Jen122121

So I heard something about Zen Buddism, and was wondering: What is the difference between Zen and regular? (if there is one)

The thing I heard was something to do with being able to uptain nervina in this life, and not being/beliving in reincarnation, do you know if thats true?

(I have so many questions.. But thats ok!)

A couple more things!

Are people, if buddists, able to get married?

And what are the looks on gays in buddhism? Like is it wrong? I really have no idea why I ask, its just some relgions think its completly wrong, some don't care, don't don't have rules on sexual relationships and some thing that sex is wrong except for reproducting. (thats how buddism is right? That what I read)

I'm a very question full girl... )

NirvanaNoob

All I know about Zen is that its main focus is medatation and not study.

Jen122121

That helps a little bit. So thanks.

NirvanaNoob

Im not exactly sure but yeah I think Buddhists can get married. And as for homosexuality in buddhism, Buddhism does not discriminate.

Jen122121

Yeah, but are you sure? Isent there something like "A happy medium between pain and pleasure" that buddists search for?

federica

Buddhists attempt to follow what is commonly classified as 'The Middle Way' that is to say that they attempt to neither be too rigid in their approaches or opinions, nor too relaxed.... I have never investigated the possibility of a Buddhist wedding, but I'm open to it. However, living in a western predominantly Christian country, I would further have to investigate whether it would be recognised. France does not, for example, recognise a church marriage only, as either legal or binding. There HAS to be a civil ceremony conducted by the Mayor, for it to be a legal union..... you can then tag a religious church ceremony onto it, if you so choose....

As for homosexuality, this is again, up to the individual.....you examine the 8Fold path, which outlines different aspects of Life and how you approach them (Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, etc....) and furthermore, the third of the five precepts advises refraining from sexual misconduct.... But it would largely depend on you what you would interpret that to be.... and you'd perhaps determine that by examining the 8Fold path....

Brian

There are so many questions that will melt away if you first try to grasp that the notion of duality - the "this is right and this is wrong..." is basically a load of crap.

Buddhism is not a religion. It is a set of instructions on how to achieve perfection.

Therefore, there is no moral authority saying this-and-that are right or wrong. That is not for any person to decide but yourself. By virtue of having to make that choice in every moment of your life, you are becoming closer to your buddha-nature. Therefore, if the choice is taken away from you, and you are told "do this, don't do that" then how can you become perfect? Someone else has told you what to do!

You are responsible for your own actions and the consequences that they bring.

Whoever told you, or wherever you read, that buddhists believe that sex is "wrong" unless for reproduction, is ignorant and incorrect.

Homosexuality, sexual intercourse, marriage, what to eat for breakfast, what movie you watched, what music you are about to put in your CD player - these are meaningless conventions that are dictated by an infinite variety of variables. They have really nothing to do with your search for the end of suffering, do they?

Buddhism is a guide. Buddha says, "you want to become perfect? you must let go of everything - all attachments" for attachment to things that are ultimately impermenant is what causes us to remain heavily burdened with all this suffering!

Welcome to our site!

Jason

Well said Brian!

Simonthepilgrim

*Gassho* Brian

sufferer

wooooooooooooooooooo go brian!!! go brian!!!!
:mullet:

NirvanaNoob

nicely said brian!

Jen122121

Brain seems smart, but I also like what federica said. SO I will take both of your advices, and thanks for the welcome, I feel happy here.

Brian

Ha! Believe me, that "seems" is the key word!

Jen122121

Is it really? Thats funny. No offence.

Jason

Perceptions, perceptions. The way in which we judge the world around us:

"There are these six kinds of perception (mental labels): the perception of form, the perception of sound, the perception of aroma, the perception of flavor, the perception of tactile sensation, the perception of ideas."

It is also my perception that Brain seems smart. As a matter of fact, if I were to use my discernment on the matter I would say that beyond seeming, beyond mere speculation, he IS smart.

He's cute too.

:bowdown: "Brian" :bowdown:

Jen122121

So, is there no more on teh difference between Zen and regular? ... if there is a regular?

:-/ :-/ :-/

federica

Jen122121 wrote:

So, is there no more on teh difference between Zen and regular? ... if there is a regular?

:-/ :-/ :-/

To Pick up on Elohim's post.... what do you "Perceive" to be 'regular'?

There are many different schools of Buddhism; But I heard them described more as different ingredients to a cake than different utensils in a kitchen.... The Buddha is at the Heart of every Buddhist Train of Thought. The Foundation to Buddhsim was - and I'm open to correction, please - the Four Noble Truths, followed by careful attention to the Eightfold Path. This is the 'regular' Buddhism... everything that follows will be like looking at a sparkling diamond through the different facets... colours, shine, clarity, brilliance - but always pure, no matter the angle....

Simonthepilgrim

The first and the last Dharma talk given by the Buddha during his life was on the subject of the Noble Eighfold Path. This, even above the Four Noble Truths, appears to me to summarise everything else that the Tathagata taught.

ajani_mgo

Simply meaningless to ask these questions, but they do bring out a point.

Homosexuality is a big YES. Why try to kill yourself with that naughty gene of yours which shouts for same-sex sexuality when Buddhism stresses on Middle Way. If you force yourself to be a heterosexual you are simply hurting the other sex. If you try to curb all sexuality that's even worse. You hurt yourself.

Marriage is an anything. The main reason why some schools of Buddhism ban marriage in their sanghas is because of the need of celibacy and less attachments. But I think that well, if you can resist the urge for attachment, go ahead. No one tells you you can't mate like a rabbit and have 400 children but still survive a week without sex.

ajani_mgo

Anyway Zen teaches that we rae already enlightened, just that we must realize. The "regular" on, which I think you are referring to the Thereveda school, teaches that we are not, and we need to become enlightened.

moontriangle

Jen122121 wrote:

So, is there no more on teh difference between Zen and regular? ... if there is a regular?

I don't think there is any "regular" Buddhism. Instead, there are many different paths up the same mountain. Each takes a slightly different approach and covers different terrain up the mountain. Each form of Buddhism has a different emphasis and a different focus on different practices, but the goal seems to be the same. And, I think in the last 10 to 20 years there has been a lot more connecting of different paths. This has particularly happened in the west because people there are exploring different traditions and bringing together methods that traditionally had never been practiced together. This connecting is also happening between Buddhism and other religions, such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Zen puts a lot of emphasis on meditation. There is study, but probably less than in some other forms of Buddhism. The approach in Zen is much more focused on directly meeting experience and the moment. Also, Zen meditation is different in that you meditate with your eyes open and you don't meditate on anything in particular. You just sit and face your mind. This is what the original Buddha did, so Zen believes. Zen isn't about escaping from the world, but rather about realizing that you are one with it, that in fact you can't be other than one with it.

I hope this helps you understand.

Simonthepilgrim

The following is by Sogyal Rinpoche, a practitioner of Dzogchen, the Tibetan variant of Ch'an/Zen:
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[font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif]The masters stress that to stabilize the View in meditation, it is essential, first of all, to accomplish this practice in a[/font][font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif] special environment[/font][font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif] of retreat, where all the favorable conditions are present; amid the distractions and busyness of the world, however much you meditate, true experience will not be born in your mind.[/font]

[font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif]Second, though there is no difference in Dzogchen between meditation and everyday life, until you have found true stability through doing the practice in[/font][font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif] proper[/font][font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif] sessions, you will not be able to integrate the wisdom of meditation into your experience of daily life.[/font]

[font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif]Third, even when you practice, you might be able to abide by the continual flow of Rigpa with the confidence of the View, but if you are unable to continue that flow[/font][font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif][font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif] at all times and in all situations, [/font][/font][font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif][font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif]mixing your practice with everyday life, it will not serve as a remedy when unfavorable circumstances arise, and you will be led astray into delusion by thoughts and emotions.[/font][/font]

buddhafoot

This is what I've been able to find out about Zen Buddhism after a little searching...

In 520 CE an Indian monk and scholar named Bodhidharma arrived in China. He brought with him a new interpretation of the Buddha's teachings that was both fresh and original. His teachings are encapsulated in the following oft-repeated verse:

A special transmission outside the scriptures;
Depending not on words and letters;
Pointing directly to the human mind ;
Seeing into one's nature, one becomes a Buddha.

The word Zen derives from the Chinese Ch'an which in turn derives from the Sanskrit word dhyana which means meditation. It is not surprising then that one of the distinctive features of Zen Buddhism is the importance it gives to meditation or, more specifically, zazen (or sitting meditation).
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Traditionally, Zen has placed great importance on the master disciple relationship, and the significance of the teacher's role in the disciple's spiritual development. This is the 'special transmission' referred to in the verse, that cannot be derived from scriptures on their own. Zen puts emphasis on direct experience, flashes of insight that pierce through the concepts and thoughts that words embody. Zen sees this 'direct pointing' as having its precedent in the Buddha's flower sermon, when he held up a lotus and the monk Kasyapa was instantly enlightened.

The Buddha Nature

Zen talks of the Buddha-nature - what we are when we are truly awakened. Paradoxically, it is not something that can be discovered because it has never been lost - it exists and can be experienced through various practices.

Most significant amongst these is meditation. In Zen, this is a means of waking up to what we are by clearing the mind of attachments, concepts and habitual thought processes. The experience of awakening is known as satori, which comes from the Japanese word satoru 'to know'. Other practices include the consideration of koans - Zen riddles that can only be understood by by-passing the rational mind - and mondos - questions and answer exchanges between master and disciple that have the same purpose.

In Zen there is also a rich cultural tradition which encompasses art, poetry, gardening and drinking tea! There is no doubt that this form of Buddhism has a distinctive approach which is at once challenging, provocative and engaging.

Buddhism also moved northwards, entering China as early as the first century CE and thus began a fascinating period in Buddhist history. The prevalent ideology of China at that time was Confucianism, after the philosopher Confucius (551-479 BCE). Confucianism placed great emphasis on social harmony and filial piety. The more mystical tradition of Taoism derived from the teachings of Lao-tzu (b. 604 BCE) and his classic book the Tao Te Ching. In Taoism, the Tao is 'The Way', a profound, ineffable force beyond opposites but which sustains the universe. In practice, it fostered living in harmony with nature and looking within, features that had much more in common with Buddhism than the Confucian concern with social order.

Pure Land Buddhism

By the late fourth century CE, Buddhism was firmly established in China, both with the aristocracy and the masses. One of the populist movements which emerged was Ch'ing-t'u or Pure Land Buddhism. Its founder is said to be Hui-Yuan (334-416). Pure Land Buddhism has Amitabha Buddha ('the Buddha of Unlimited Light') (See image) and his western paradise of Sukhavati as its central focus. The aim of the Pure Land Buddhist is to be born in the Pure Land where the perfect conditions are in place for the attainment of nirvana. To achieve this, the follower must lead a good life and express, through the recitation of the mantra Namo Amitabha Buddha (Homage to the Buddha of Boundless Compassion and Wisdom), a sincere desire to be born in Sukhavati. This required faith in and reliance on the power of Amitabha.

Ch'an Buddhism

The founder of Ch'an Buddhism was the Indian monk Bodhidharma who arrived in China in the sixth century. Bodhidharma reaffirmed the importance of meditation, as opposed to scriptural knowledge. Indeed, the term Ch'an derives from the Sanskrit word dhyana (meditation). Principally a meditation school, enlightenment was to be found by piercing through conceptual understanding to experience one's true (Buddha) nature within.

By the eighth century, two Ch'an schools had emerged - the southern school of Hui-neng (638-713) which taught 'sudden awakening' and the northern school of Shen-hsiu (606-706) which taught 'gradual awakening'. The latter, however, was relatively short-lived and had faded within a hundred years of Shen-hsiu's death.

By the end of the ninth century, two branches of Ch'an Buddhism were in the ascendant. The Lin-Chi school - after Lin Chi (d.866) - and the Ts'ao-tung school - after Tsao-shan (840-901) and Tung-shan (807-869). The Lin Chi school used ostensibly more vigorous methods for achieving awakening, such as striking students with sticks, shouting at them and kung-ans (for example 'What is the sound of one hand clapping?), all of which were designed to jolt the student out of habitual thought into an intuitive awareness of the Buddha nature. The Ts'ao-tung focused more on sitting meditation.

To The Present

In the following centuries, there was a resurgence in the popularity of Confucianism, with Buddhism and Taoism co-existing with it. With the rise of Mao-Tse Tung and Communism in 1949, there began a period of repression and persecution with monasteries sacked or destroyed. The period of the Cultural Revolution (1965-1975) had a particularly devastating impact. However, today, Buddhism is still practiced in China but is small in comparison to the cultural hold it once held before the days of Communism.

Hope this helps some.

-bf