Mexican Coca-Cola and Zen

If Zen Buddhism were Coca-Cola, Western Zen would be like the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) type served in a plastic bottle. The real Zen, still found in some parts of China and Korea, would be like Mexican Coca-Cola made with cane sugar and served in a thick glass bottle that has a real old-fashioned metal cap on it.

Those, my age, who can still remember drinking Coca-Cola back in the good old days (before 1980) say Mexican Coca-Cola is the real deal; authentic to the last drop.

I find it interesting how we turn away, or are easily led away, from tradition, all for the greater profit and glory of the company or the institution, when it doesnt have to be this way. In the case of Western Zen it turned away from the mystical side of Zen, that is, realizing our nature and becoming Buddha (C. chien-hsing ch'eng-fo) deciding, instead, to go the route of self-help psychology which, frankly, has nothing to do with the tradition (C., tsung) of Zen Buddhism.

I am sure not everyone will agree with me. There is a big market in self-help Zen which essentially teaches that zazen is a panacea for all of our worldly troubles. Just sit! But I prefer the old fashioned Zen of Tsung-mi and Huang-po, to mention just two names. Their Zen is spiritually more satisfying just like Mexican Coco-Cola is more satisfying than the HFCS kind in the plastic bottle.