Matsuoka Day
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
What to keep, what to let go of? What to revere, what to dismiss? When traveling to an additional nation to suggest a dharma, what would we bring? What would we leave behind? we recall a movie or TV show from my childhood where a final scene concerned such a question, if it was a end of a world as good as we were escaping to settle amiability on an additional planet, what single book would we bring?
Rev. Dr. Zengaku Soyu Matsuoka-roshi was one of a initial Japanese Zen Masters who were dispatched by Soto Shu domicile in Japan to face this preference as he entered a United States. In 1949, Matsuoka-roshi determined a Chicago Zen Buddhist Temple, a initial Soto Zen Temple to be determined in a United States.
Zengaku Matsuoka-roshi was a powerhouse Zen Master, a black belt, he often travelled across America introducing Zen Buddhism wherever he could. He determined Zen Centers across a US. Although all of this is true, his colonize work was eclipsed by a later stellar growth of a Zen Centers in San Francisco as good as Las Angeles.
Matsuoka-roshi tried to remain loyal to his goal as he accepted it: to introduce as good as emanate an American form of Zen. He modified a forms as good as ceremonies, making them distant less ostentatious as good as monastic. He recognized a lay nature of Zen in America. He suspicion a temple forms in Japan were correct for Japan yet as good fussy for America (quote from Kozen Sampson).
I fear yet which a enticement of successors who feel a need to demeanour to Japan to bona fide their Zen has, as good as will, result in an desertion of their founders goal here in a US. From my indicate of view, this is an desertion of loyal Zen, as well. We have been not Japanese monastics. We have been American lay Zen Centers. Lay practice in America contingency find itself. Its forms as good as ceremonies contingency have meaning to American hearts as good as mi! nds as g ood as not be dress-up versions of Temples continents away.
So, on this Founders Day, a day we respect the founding teacher, Zengaku Soyu Matsuoka-roshi, we would entice us to demeanour deeply into what we have been actually all about. we entice we to study Matsuokas teachings before we have judgments of him. Recently, a Atlanta Soto Zen Temple underneath a citation of Taiun Elliston published two collections of Matsuokas Dharma talks. They have been a special present to us today. Please cruise grouping one or both of them. Go here: http://www.lulu.com/aszcpublications
Be well.Zen knowledge for daily living.
Good Morning Everyone,
What to keep, what to let go of? What to revere, what to dismiss? When traveling to an additional nation to suggest a dharma, what would we bring? What would we leave behind? we recall a movie or TV show from my childhood where a final scene concerned such a question, if it was a end of a world as good as we were escaping to settle amiability on an additional planet, what single book would we bring?
Rev. Dr. Zengaku Soyu Matsuoka-roshi was one of a initial Japanese Zen Masters who were dispatched by Soto Shu domicile in Japan to face this preference as he entered a United States. In 1949, Matsuoka-roshi determined a Chicago Zen Buddhist Temple, a initial Soto Zen Temple to be determined in a United States.
Zengaku Matsuoka-roshi was a powerhouse Zen Master, a black belt, he often travelled across America introducing Zen Buddhism wherever he could. He determined Zen Centers across a US. Although all of this is true, his colonize work was eclipsed by a later stellar growth of a Zen Centers in San Francisco as good as Las Angeles.
Matsuoka-roshi tried to remain loyal to his goal as he accepted it: to introduce as good as emanate an American form of Zen. He modified a forms as good as ceremonies, making them distant less ostentatious as good as monastic. He recognized a lay nature of Zen in America. He suspicion a temple forms in Japan were correct for Japan yet as good fussy for America (quote from Kozen Sampson).
I fear yet which a enticement of successors who feel a need to demeanour to Japan to bona fide their Zen has, as good as will, result in an desertion of their founders goal here in a US. From my indicate of view, this is an desertion of loyal Zen, as well. We have been not Japanese monastics. We have been American lay Zen Centers. Lay practice in America contingency find itself. Its forms as good as ceremonies contingency have meaning to American hearts as good as mi! nds as g ood as not be dress-up versions of Temples continents away.
So, on this Founders Day, a day we respect the founding teacher, Zengaku Soyu Matsuoka-roshi, we would entice us to demeanour deeply into what we have been actually all about. we entice we to study Matsuokas teachings before we have judgments of him. Recently, a Atlanta Soto Zen Temple underneath a citation of Taiun Elliston published two collections of Matsuokas Dharma talks. They have been a special present to us today. Please cruise grouping one or both of them. Go here: http://www.lulu.com/aszcpublications
Be well.Zen knowledge for daily living.
