Zen Comes of Age with Shinzen Young

Seth Auberon, Amber Dorrian, Wisdom Quarterly; Shinzen Young (basicmindfulness.org)

Wisdom Quarterly is often asked, "What is the best form of Buddhism?" We have to say, after examining the entire field of forms, there is no absolute "best." Best is what suits the practitioner at a given time.

  

When eating soup, a spoon is most useful; when eating tofu, a fork. But when eating crow a mask, a bib, and a b*rf bag are best.

  

However, Zen as practiced in the US is surely the "coolest." Why? People without knowing much about the actual tradition imagine a bevy of iconoclasts doing whatever they want in gorgeous spartan monasteries, with kung fu for exercise, riddles (koans) and aphorisms (slogans) attributed to the Buddha no one really understands or worries much about.

• What is Zen really like or why Zen is not zen

American master Shinzen Young

For example, What is the sound of one hand clapping? Probable correct answer: Spontaneously place a sandal atop head and exit room.

  

So it is that the vipassana (insight meditation) favored by the Dharma Punx at Against the Stream in Santa Monica had the beloved Shinzen Young over for a full day's retreat. Retreat is a bit strong for a day of meditation, jokes, socializing, academic analysis, and Q&A. But Young delivers a nitty gritty approach some Westerners can really get a handle on.

  

And the fact that Zen Master Shinzen traversed Theravada, Shingon (Japanese Vajrayana or esoteric Tibetan form), Mahayana, and Zen landscapes to arrive at his unique languaging and description for elevated and ordinary states of consciousness. As a linguist and polyglot, his nomenclature adds to the tradition rather than detracting from it. (Ahem, take note, Tan Geoff).

   

The day began in stifling heat with fans blowing all over the packed house. It was morning, and this was the beach, and it was still too hot for most to sit comfortably -- but that didn't keep anyone from trying.

• TAKE HOME MESSAGE: If one were to say, "There is nothing to be gained by meditating, so just sit zazen" that would be killing the teacher, Shinzen explained. What's the point of sitting? However, if one were to say, "Okay, there is something, but don't strive for it as that will only get in the way," that is killing the student. (Such a desire/idea as something to strive for will ruin the meditator). We are lucky to have the choice. Zen students of olde were luckier not to. The entire talk was recorded by long time Shinzen student Stephanie Nash (nasharts.com).

Meditation was interspersed by a lecture of sorts, answers to practical considerations (such as pain and posture, see posture-pedia), jokes, anecdotes, and lots of socializing and informal networking or sangha-building for the creation of a sense of "community"). Then Shinzen held up a copy of this past week's Los Angeles Times featuring his teacher:

Zen Comes of Age
Kate Linthicum (Los Angeles Times, Sept. 20, 2012)

The Zen master would not stop talking. Several times he began to draw his teachings to a close, explaining to his students that he was tired and in poor health. Then he would burst down another path. He discussed the difficulties of raising children. He lingered on the subject of death. Eventually, he raised a small fist in the air. "Everybody is together at one point," he said. "We cry together; we love together. There is no moment in which we are not together." More + Photos