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Good stuff here
I am posting what I saw online, please read and digest for yourself, Metta!
Edict number 133 issued by the Meiji government in 1872 decreed that all Buddhist monks in Japan should be free to “eat meat, take wives, and shave their heads” as they chose.
American Zen is primarily modified Japanese Zen. Many beginners are unaware of this. They also assume that all Zen priests take many precepts one of which is celibacy. This is not true with regard to a Zen tradition from Japan. In this tradition, a Zen priest can do just about anything, in other words. Perhaps one of the more closely guarded secrets in American Zen circles is the frequency of sex between Zen priests and their students.
So what kinds of precepts or rules do these American Zen priests generally take? It is the Bodhisattva precepts rather than the traditional Hinayana precepts, the latter of which have definite prohibitions against sex; the violation of which can lead to expulsion.
By comparison, the Bodhisattva precepts almost amount to lay persons precepts but, more importantly, Bodhisattva precepts are for Bodhisattvas—a fact overlooked by almost everyone. Zen priests are not, as a rule, Bodhisattvas which means thay are not first stage Bodhisattvas who have attained Bodhicitta which is a rather rare accomplishment.
The most important part of the Bodhisattva precept is the commitment to magnify the initial awakening (bodhi) of Mind (citta), i.e., Bodhicitta. Such precepts, therefore, are for unfolding the great depth of pure Mind. This idea is embraced, for example, in the vow to bring all of the spirit (sattva) to maturity by skillful means. Such a vow, it needs to be stressed, has nothing to do with the rescue of humanity—it has everything to do with completely spiritualizing oneself and becoming a Buddha. Indeed, “no one who is himself in bondage can release the bonds of others” according to the Vimalakirti-nirdesha Sutra.
The only serious transgression for a Bodhisattva lies in doing things out of hatred and ignorance whereby they lose the Bodhicitta or, the same, the initially awakened Mind. In this light, desire is not a serious transgression. Even if one his having sexual intercourse, as long as Bodhicitta is maintained, and the spirit of the other is sensed, there is fundamentally no wrong being committed.
On the other hand, not to have sex because of hatred towards it or hatred towards those who strongly arouse it in us, breaks the Bodhisattva’s vow. It then becomes a grave offense. But even worse than hatred towards sex is to have sex out of ignorance as it binds one to the flesh directly blaspheming the spirit or sattva.
Another point worth mentioning about the Bodhisattva’s precepts, the true Pratimoksa has nothing whatsoever to do with one’s obedience to certain rules or regulations. The word actually pertains to the spirit as having (pra) the highest (ati) deliverance or moksha. From a commentary to the Pali canon it says:
It is the Patimokkha since it is the fallen that it frees (mokkheti) from the suffering of samsara. For it is due to the release (vimokkhena) of the mind (cittassa) that a being is spoken of as ‘liberated’” (UdA 223—224).
Taking altogether, there is no great spiritual crime in Edict number 133. The great spiritual crime is to hate spirit (sattva) or willingly remain ignorant of it even confusing sexual passion with spirit, which is often the case these days.
Anyway, this forum needs some excitement, not everything is dead you know, he heh he
Paladin
Edict number 133 issued by the Meiji government in 1872 decreed that all Buddhist monks in Japan should be free to “eat meat, take wives, and shave their heads” as they chose.
American Zen is primarily modified Japanese Zen. Many beginners are unaware of this. They also assume that all Zen priests take many precepts one of which is celibacy. This is not true with regard to a Zen tradition from Japan. In this tradition, a Zen priest can do just about anything, in other words. Perhaps one of the more closely guarded secrets in American Zen circles is the frequency of sex between Zen priests and their students.
So what kinds of precepts or rules do these American Zen priests generally take? It is the Bodhisattva precepts rather than the traditional Hinayana precepts, the latter of which have definite prohibitions against sex; the violation of which can lead to expulsion.
By comparison, the Bodhisattva precepts almost amount to lay persons precepts but, more importantly, Bodhisattva precepts are for Bodhisattvas—a fact overlooked by almost everyone. Zen priests are not, as a rule, Bodhisattvas which means thay are not first stage Bodhisattvas who have attained Bodhicitta which is a rather rare accomplishment.
The most important part of the Bodhisattva precept is the commitment to magnify the initial awakening (bodhi) of Mind (citta), i.e., Bodhicitta. Such precepts, therefore, are for unfolding the great depth of pure Mind. This idea is embraced, for example, in the vow to bring all of the spirit (sattva) to maturity by skillful means. Such a vow, it needs to be stressed, has nothing to do with the rescue of humanity—it has everything to do with completely spiritualizing oneself and becoming a Buddha. Indeed, “no one who is himself in bondage can release the bonds of others” according to the Vimalakirti-nirdesha Sutra.
The only serious transgression for a Bodhisattva lies in doing things out of hatred and ignorance whereby they lose the Bodhicitta or, the same, the initially awakened Mind. In this light, desire is not a serious transgression. Even if one his having sexual intercourse, as long as Bodhicitta is maintained, and the spirit of the other is sensed, there is fundamentally no wrong being committed.
On the other hand, not to have sex because of hatred towards it or hatred towards those who strongly arouse it in us, breaks the Bodhisattva’s vow. It then becomes a grave offense. But even worse than hatred towards sex is to have sex out of ignorance as it binds one to the flesh directly blaspheming the spirit or sattva.
Another point worth mentioning about the Bodhisattva’s precepts, the true Pratimoksa has nothing whatsoever to do with one’s obedience to certain rules or regulations. The word actually pertains to the spirit as having (pra) the highest (ati) deliverance or moksha. From a commentary to the Pali canon it says:
It is the Patimokkha since it is the fallen that it frees (mokkheti) from the suffering of samsara. For it is due to the release (vimokkhena) of the mind (cittassa) that a being is spoken of as ‘liberated’” (UdA 223—224).
Taking altogether, there is no great spiritual crime in Edict number 133. The great spiritual crime is to hate spirit (sattva) or willingly remain ignorant of it even confusing sexual passion with spirit, which is often the case these days.
Anyway, this forum needs some excitement, not everything is dead you know, he heh he
Paladin
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