Dhr. Seven, Roshi Jeff Albrizze (PasaDharma.org), CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly, The Book of Equanimity, Case 84 "Gutei's One Finger"; The Gateless Gate (Mumonkan)
Alt pop idol Avril Lavigne, following Zen Master Gutei's example but misunderstanding which digit he used, points out the path: middle finger, middle way.
PREFACE TO THE ASSEMBLY
Zen zero (Stanoin/etsy.com)
One hearing, a thousand awakenings;
One understanding, a thousand [results].
A superior person with one realization takes care of everything.
Mediocre and inferior persons, though they hear a great deal, mostly don't have faith.
Let's try to show the most accurate, simple point and see.
MAIN CASE
Attention!
Great Zen Master Gutei, whenever he was questioned, simply raised one finger.
Tenryū-ji(天龍寺)is the head temple of the Tenryū branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism in Kyoto, Japan, founded by Ashikaga Takauji in 1339 to venerate the Buddha Gautama. More
Gutei raised his finger whenever he was asked a question about Zen. A
boy attendant began to imitate him in this way. When anyone asked the
boy what his master had preached about, the boy would raise his finger.
Gutei heard about the boy's mischief. He seized him and cut off his
finger. The boy cried and ran away. Gutei called out and stopped him. When
the boy turned his head, Gutei raised up his own finger. In
that instant the boy was "enlightened."
When Gutei was about to pass from this world, he gathered his monks
around him. "I attained my finger-Zen," he said, "from my teacher
Tenryū, and in my whole life I could not exhaust it." Then he passed
away.
Mumon's comment: Enlightenment, which Gutei and the boy
attained, has nothing to do with a finger. If anyone clings to a finger,
Tenryū will be so disappointed that he will annihilate Gutei, the boy,
and the clinger all together.
Gutei cheapens the teaching of Tenryū,
Emancipating the boy with a knife.
Compared to the Chinese god who pushed aside a mountain with one hand,
Old Gutei is a poor imitator.
It is due to this story that Gutei has commonly become known as Gutei Isshi, meaning "Gutei One-finger."
Author Brad Warner (There is No God and He is Always With You, Hardcore Zen, etc.), an ordained Zen monk and former punk rock musician, will lead a three-day intensive at the Mount Baldy Zen Center in the forest above Los Angeles Nov. 8-10, 2013. Includes zazen (sitting meditation), dokusan (interviews), chanting, hiking. Also yoga with Nina Snow ($350). See videos
Michael the Monk (Ven. Lobsang Yeshe), a teacher and translator at the Tara Institute in East Brighton, has a message for pop idol and child actor Justin Bieber. I love your music and charisma. You have great potential. So please set a good example and steer clear of drugs. And watch out when you turn 18 because that's the time of greatest temptation.
Thank goodness cherub has separated from his adult girlfriend, Selena Gomez. It always seemed like a stunt -- public displays of affection, just like his releasing a song with a rapper or trying to wrap himself. The public image has to generate controversy if the Bieber brand is to make money.
Survivors and their families have been left wondering about the boys' parents in the decade since the 1999 shootings. "You know, I always wondered how she felt and what she went through. 'Cause I know I went through a living hell, and I was always sure she did, too," Michalik told the AP. Michalik, who has never met Susan Klebold, said reading the essay answered some of her questions about the Klebold family. "I applaud her for the courage to talk about this."
1. Buddhism. Any of a series of hand positions expressing an attitude or action of a meditator or deity.
ce·leb·ri·ty /səˈlɛbrɪti/ –noun
1. a famous or well-known person treated like a deity.
(Compiled by Upaya Dayaka; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly) Parents of Eminem (Marshal Mathers) fans can relax -- the rapper may actually be preaching a peaceful Eastern philosophy. In his new book, Buddha or Bust, Perry Garfinkel says the Buddha’s wisdom is cryptically encoded in Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”
The line “You better lose yourself in the music, the moment” mirrors the Buddhist meditative practice of mindfulness (vipassana), in which the practitioner lives in the here and now. “By being present in the moment, he finds himself,” Garfinkel says. Still, he adds, “I highly doubt Eminem would know a boddhisatva from a bodacious babe.” (Source)
It's not like it was back in Helen Mirren's day. Arguably it's worse. But bright lights cast long shadows. And even stars look for a guiding light and sometimes turn to the Buddha, between their misadventures that is.
There's Eminem on the one hand, but the same might be said of other celebrities, whose pop music lyrics leave a lot of room for interpretation. Canadian Avril Lavigne resists labels. However, she is attempting to put up an iconoclastic front.
And Britney Spears' well known head shaving saga was well reported, as well as apocryphal rumors of a conversion to Buddhism and ascetic reform.
Where Britney goes, it's only a matter of time before a few select celebrities follow (even if she didn't really go there outside the rumor mill). Soon squeaky clean Justin Timberlake will resort to Signing vulgarities.
And his sometimes drunk, embittered ex, Cameron Diaz:
And even sweet, down home multi-millionaire Jessica Simpson...
and "Friends" star Courtney Cox (goody two-shoes Monica)...
Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger (RIP) may even go further from Sign language to English.
Lindsay Lohan just committed to another faith -- as she fends for her girlfriend, deals with a death in the family, and blogs about her father -- and Paris Hilton was a jailhouse pre-conversion (or toted the right books and guru to cultivate that impression).
So can Kim Kardashian be too far behind?
One supermodel celebrity, Uma Thurman, is not only a well known Buddhist, she has a great dad to ask questions of (Prof. Robert Thurman, noted scholar and personal friend of the current Dalai Lama).
Kate Moss in "yoga" pose as a blondebuddha.
But it's Buddhist Kate Moss who was recently idolized in the form of a $2.8 million, 110 lb. gold statue reminiscent of the Buddha himself.
Orlando Bloom displaying a refreshingly different mudra
Orlando Bloom practices Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism (according to the World Tribune, a newsletter supporting the practice of Nichiren Buddhism, which featured him on cover). While it was known that he was a Buddhist, few knew that he was a SGI.
Orlando visited president Ikeda in Japan and wrote a poem for him:
"With the sword of the Lotus Sutra at my side, With integrity as my staff, with you and all of the Buddhas of the ten directions as my mentor, With kosen-rufu as my goal, I will climb the mountainous path of the Mystic Law until I gaze out from the peak. There I will ready myself with gratitude for the next adventure. I look forward to climbing many mountains -- lifetime after lifetime at your side.
"Sincerely, your disciple and friend, Orlando."
Nichiren Buddhism and SokaGakai International (SGI), of course, advocate the chanting of the mantra "Nam myo ho rengekyo." SGI has a bigger star and long-time adherent in world famous singer Tina Turner. She is a remarkable chanter (even influencing the likes of Amy Winehouse), as she demonstrates for Larry King:
Megan Fox, rushing through airports to the set of Diablo Cody's ("Juno" fame) new movie, is rumored to be "searching for herself." Then again, who isn't?
Brad Pitt and budding Buddhist mom Angelina Jolie [whose extraordinary familial piety comes in the form of a Buddhist "prayer-of-protection" (paritta) is tattooed on her shoulder in Cambodia's ancient Khmer script] are keeping open minds for all their kids: They celebrate Christmas thanks to Zahara, but also took in a Buddhist Water Ceremony on account of Cambodian-born son Maddox.
As for Madonna, who just turned 50 as she embarked on a new world tour, finding a center by meditating and studying Kabbalah is keeping her together and out of scandals (for the most part).
When all is said and done, it seems Avril Lavigne best sums up the magic of celebrity-mudras.
See related article on "Why People Are Obsessed with Celebrities."
NOTE: WQ loves celebrities, just doing their job of distracting the world and all. It is, however, not fond of the celebritization by the media (e.g., Sarah Palin).
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Michael the Monk (Ven. Lobsang Yeshe), a teacher and translator at the Tara Institute in East Brighton, has a message for pop idol and child actor Justin Bieber. I love your music and charisma. You have great potential. So please set a good example and steer clear of drugs. And watch out when you turn 18 because that's the time of greatest temptation. 
hank goodness cherub has separated from his adult girlfriend, Selena Gomez. It always seemed like a stunt -- public displays of affection, just like his releasing a song with a rapper or trying to wrap himself. The public image has to generate controversy if the Bieber brand is to make money.
This morning People magazine revealed its new cover featuring a photo of a beaming Jaycee Dugard. The image of the 29-year-old Dugard is the first to be released to the public since she was was freed after spending the past 18 years in captivity and reunited with her family. A quote from Dugard accompanies the cover photo that says simply, "I'm so happy to be back with my family." More>> 
Survivors and their families have been left wondering about the boys' parents in the decade since the 1999 shootings. "You know, I always wondered how she felt and what she went through. 'Cause I know I went through a living hell, and I was always sure she did, too," Michalik told the AP. Michalik, who has never met Susan Klebold, said reading the essay answered some of her questions about the Klebold family. "I applaud her for the courage to talk about this."
