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From: nedludd@ix.netcom.com(Ned Ludd)
Newsgroups: alt.zen
Subject: Re: Rafts and other Metaphors
Date: 6 Oct 1999 12:57:25 GMT
Organization: Netcom
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References: <7te8ri$re$1@nntp1.atl.mindspring.net> <19991006000422.12399.00001255@ng-fq1.aol.com> <7teli2$e3g$1@nntp2.atl.mindspring.net>
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Xref: ultra.sonic.net alt.zen:146585

In <7teli2$e3g$1@nntp2.atl.mindspring.net> Lisa and "Brer Rabbit"
<brerrabbit@kaihan.com> write: 

David asked:
>> If you have no truck with Buddhism, why come to a N.G. that's 
>> about a form of Buddhism?

Lisa:
> Is zen really a form of Buddhism, or is it an entity in its own 
> right?  My understanding is that there are two variations of zen,
> one being more buddhism-oriented and one more tao-oriented (ch'an.)
>

  You are generally correct, Lisa.  Zen Buddhism is a form of
  Buddhism.  Zen (without the 'Buddhism' appended) is a fusion
  of Taoism and Buddhism.  If this group were about Zen Buddhism
  it would be called alt.buddhism.zen (or perhaps alt.religion.zen),
  but it is not.

  And example of a Zen master who did not take Buddhist vows,
  Buddhist ordination, live in Buddhist temples, or shave his
  head is the 8th century Chinese hermit-poet Han Shan.  Han
  Shan was half Taoist and half Buddhist (and equally critical
  of both).  His is fervently claimed as a Buddhist by Zen
  Buddhists and as a Taoist by Taoists.

  There is a small faction here who wish to assert that Zen is
  ONLY Buddhist.  Naturally, they should find an appropriately
  named group (like the two mentioned above) to spew their 
  limited and reactionary views, and not waste their time here.

                                                   Ned