Path: shell.portal.com!svc.portal.com!uunet!in2.uu.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.internetMCI.com!darwin.sura.net!blaze.cs.jhu.edu!RacerX.mse.jhu.edu!news.jhu.edu!news From: Joe Harkness Newsgroups: talk.religion.buddhism,alt.zen Subject: Re: What is NOT zen? Date: 4 Apr 1996 17:57:41 GMT Organization: JHU Lines: 40 Message-ID: <4k12il$8v5@news.jhu.edu> References: <4itlq7$7vm@news1.halcyon.com> <4j81eh$g4v@nadine.teleport.com> <3157ecc7.4782646@ixnews1.ix.netcom.com> <4jcase$edu@news1.halcyon.com> <4jfhne$6vd@nadine.teleport.com> <4jhge9$klg@news1.halcyon.com> <4jp5q1$k3e@nadine.teleport.com> <4jpe12$38 <4jvkkh$jvg@news1.halcyon.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.220.45.19 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 1.1N (Windows; I; 16bit) Xref: shell.portal.com talk.religion.buddhism:19099 alt.zen:28400 anon@coho.halcyon.com (Guru Busters) wrote: >: >: This is not to say that Zen Centers which operate under the >: restriction of ethical guidelines should not exist. They do serve >: a certain need. But in the true Zen centers to come, students will >: have to be willing to forego such rules -- or they can simply go >: elsewhere. Voting with one's feet has been the standard practice in >: this regard. And there's no reason to change it. > >But can a zen center without ethical guidelines murder, molest children, >etc? No, they are subject to the law of the land and in this case, it >would be wise for them to outline Ethical Guidelines. One such ethical >guideline which is appearing everywhere is that there is no consent in >power differential relationships. > But I *agreed* that ethical guidelines are useful if some zen center wants to present itself as an "official" religious center offering some kind of spiritual healing and advancement. My point was rather that there will be home-grown teachers to come who won't give a hoot for officialdom and will strike out on their own to teach in their own unique styles. Zen has always been rather anarchic in this way. So students will have a choice. If they wants rules and regulations, they will have that option. But if they are willing to take the risk of running on empty with Crazy Wisdom, they will have that option, too. (And many more options besides.) >But you sound like a man with a good set of boundaries and maybe you do >not agree. I don't think it's a matter of agreement or disagreement. It's more a matter of having some understanding of what Zen is about and being realistic as to what can be controlled or not. There is room in this world for something to suit every taste. Joe