[Buddha-l] Filtered Buddhism

[Jackhat1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/26/2007 11:18:19 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
twin_oceans at yahoo.com writes:


As I  said before, I had started sitting here in Costa
Rica in a Zen group  affiliated with a well-known group
in the U.S.  After ten years of  sitting "the (mostly
Catholic) Costa Rican way," I went to the U.S. to  sit
"the Calvinist way" for five years.  (After that,  I
left.)  The difference in the attitudes and approach
to Buddhism  in the two sanghas, and how the two
sanghas socialized (or didn't) was  **astounding**.  I
often wonder if the extra ingredient that made  the
U.S. Zen center so exceedingly harsh was the  Calvinist
inheritance--the Calvinist filter, so to speak.  It
was  quite the repressive, guilt-ridden,  Puritan
experience. 


======
I understand the differences you bring out but am not sure why one is  
filtered Buddhism and the other is not. Can you say more?
 
I have had a similar experience but within two US Buddhist groups. For  years 
I went to a Zen sangha. I wouldn't say they were harsh but there was  no 
socializing and little discussion. Retreats were all about meditating.  Then I 
started to go to other sanghas including ones that were Thich Nhat Hanh  
orientated. Here there was a lot of socializing and discussion. So, my  experience is 
that the difference you bring out has nothing to do with the US  but with 
other causes.
 
Jack



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