[Buddha-l] Re: Filtered Buddhism

[Franz Metcalf]

Richard et al.,

Speaking of Joshu Sasaki Roshi and his teaching, Richard wrote,

> I also see that many people who have benefited from [Rinzai Zen 
> practice]
> are wondering whether there might be some way of replacing
> the old authoritarian forms with something new and different. It is 
> quite
> possible that Joshu-roshi himself is having such thoughts. Perhaps 
> that has
> something to do with why he has never named a Dharma heir. Perhaps a
> roshi-less Zen is part of his vision of an atarashii bukkyou. Perhaps 
> not.

This prompts me to see (at least for fun) Taizan Maezumi Roshi's brood 
of dharma heirs as his own version of what Sasaki Roshi did. Sasaki 
Roshi subverted his own authoritarian lineage by refusing to name a 
dharma heir, thus putting all his senior students on the same level. 
Maezumi Roshi subverted his own authoritarian lineage by naming twelve 
dharma heirs, thus putting all his senior students on the same level.

Of course we can nuance this and find great contrasts between the 
actions of the two roshis. But in a sense both their missions have led 
in the same direction: more autonomy for a variety of teachers and, by 
implication, more autonomy for the students of those teachers. When I 
look at the enormous movement toward egalitarianism at ZCLA, under the 
inclusive leadership of Wendy Egyoku Nakao Roshi, I can't help but see 
an expansion of Mazumi's vision beyond the point where he could, 
himself, go. And I can't help but think that here we are beginning to 
see the sort of new Buddhism Sasaki and Hayes were calling for.

Franz