We say that because traditionally it's called patriarchal Zen, but we're trying to get away from patriarchal Zen. And I'm certainly hoping that women take over Buddhism in this century, starting with my translator. Which is that there are, because this is a human practice, that understanding that's come to with another person is more powerful than understanding that's come to just through practice. and can be more powerfully transmitted and shared in a society than Tathagatism. So that's the two ways that teachers understood in Zen Buddhism, which is one to show you the mind that teaches you, And the other is to show you the mind directly.

[01:26]

And actually practice is a pulse or a relationship between these two. Okay. Yes. What do you think of the relationships between Buddhism, cultural habits and Christian religious contents? Can you say that again? What do you think of the relationships between Buddhism, cultural habits and Christian contents? Christian contents? Well, how much time do you have? Do you want to say that in Deutsch?

[02:28]

Yeah. It's not possible to do justice to the question like that in a short time. I spent a week in Crestone recently with Father Theophane and some Christians, various woman abbot, and yeah, we had interesting discussions. I don't think we answered anything. I think the simplest thing for me to say is what I... I very often say to show the difference between cultural views, which is also a very basic practice, is that we tend to, by definition, see space as separating things.

[03:33]

I'm here and you're over there. But that is a mental position, that's a view. I can also assume that space connects. And if I assume that space connects and you keep practicing with that and reminding yourself of that, your world can change gradually and suddenly. And that's one of the differences, that kind of difference between a body culture and a mind culture. Western culture tends to be a mind culture. And yoga culture, at least in the way it operates, tends to be much more of a body culture. Another way to look at a simple view is Plato says, or Platonic ideas are, this glass is an insufficient replica of an ideal form.

[05:09]

It has little bumps in it. There's a bubble in it and stuff like that. But the ideal one held in the world of forms has no bubbles and no imperfections. And that's a very useful and interesting idea and has informed Western culture for 2,500 years. But yogic Buddhist culture assumes that this is perfect. It's your perception of it which is the insufficient replica. So the emphasis in this way of looking is always on developing your perception, not on dealing with this.

[06:11]

The material world is in its dustness just as it is. And when you get a very basic view change like that in a culture, it very rapidly moves throughout the culture. People don't even know where it came from. But it spreads very rapidly because it's such a basic shift in perception and yet so immediately understandable once you hear it. But when you start living in a world where you feel experience space connecting, it's very different, and yet it's rooted in the shift of views. Anything else?

[07:18]

Yes. I would have two questions. First, as you mentioned, it's about chaos and self-ordering processes, really. And I'm wondering if what is going on for Yugoslavia and in other universal worlds, is this also a self-ordering process, which means that I can watch and let go? Yes, in German. Please, in German. Yes. Who is in? Yeah, well, this sense of an own organizing process that goes on is always going on.

[08:28]

It's not a moral point of view. It's just a fact of how our body and mind works. The millions of things going on right now in your body, all the peptides, everything mixing, you have very little to do with your controlling thinking function. And that process is going on in this room in various ways. But doesn't mean you don't decide to go out and have dinner later. And you can allow a self-organizing itch to be on your cheek or you can scratch it. That's up to you. But certainly we also have our feelings. We love some people and don't like other people and we want the world to be a certain way.

[09:52]

So if we can do anything about what's happening in former Yugoslavia, we should. If you can't do anything about it, you shouldn't crucify yourself for it either. But the way the world is doesn't mean that you don't also have likes and dislikes and moral action. Is that enough for tonight? Yes? You mentioned Western Buddhism earlier, or in the beginning.

[11:01]

What is your view of Western Buddhism or Western practice? Do you think about bolster or less rigid sessions? What is the idea? What could help make a transition to Western Buddhism? Yes, Deutsch. I feel that my feeling is to teach Buddhism as clearly as I know how to do. And to teach what's worked for me and for the people I've practiced with. And to teach what I learned from my teacher. And if this, whatever, I can't do more than that really.

[12:03]

But I can see that if I teach, my feeling is that if I, if you can understand the dynamic of Buddhism well enough, for example, seeing how this paradigm of big mind works, actually works, this allows a cultural change and practical interaction with Buddhism at a level of craft or a level of way we do things. So the only thing I can do is to try to teach Buddhism in a way that the society can make use of it. Well, at the same time, trying to teach Buddhism so that we can each realize ourselves.

[13:20]

And I experiment to some extent with the Sashin schedule. It's sometimes more difficult and sometimes a little easier, but basically I feel that Sashin should be what it is traditionally. I don't think there should be three-day Sashins, for instance. Three-day practices are fine, but they're not Sashins. So I'm pretty traditional in this point of view. Okay. Yes. There's a tradition in Japanese tradition that if you cause abuse, like Robin or Tony Packer, they have the feeling that there are certain parts of Zen training and practices, which is typically Japanese, has nothing to do with Chonba Zen, and imitating these forms would discipline, would put the real...

[14:38]

the real basics of them, because there is no Polish-Taxian pact that I'm clear. I wondered, maybe quite difficult for any teacher in the first generation of Western Buddhist teachers to find out which tradition is important with the new approach, and which is here. What I know about Tonya Pecker is that she, she has told all the children about the circus, and when she was lower, encourages the students to, as much as possible, to find their own, the Americans or the Austrians or Europeans. Yeah. Well, I don't know Tonya Pecker. And I, so I can't comment on what she does. I know very well. He's a close friend of mine and has been a good teacher to me too.

[15:42]

And he's also went to Kyoto University in Buddhist studies, so he's quite an expert at Buddhist philosophy and he's very good at Buddhist ceremonies. Yeah, and he has his way, and I think basically maybe our way, his and my way is a little different, but basically I think we're in fundamental agreement. I'm certainly not too interested in teaching either cultural Buddhism or religious Buddhism. And the religious Buddhism I do teach, as much as possible, arises from the practice of Buddhism. And the cultural forms I feel, I feel some of them are not Japanese culture, but are actually Buddhist culture that may look Japanese, but it's Buddhist culture.

[17:04]

So I made a pretty careful study of Buddhist culture in Japan and Asia and chose and kept what I think is essential for our practice, but is Buddhist culture not Japanese culture? I'm very clear about that. I may be wrong, but I'm very clear about it. You sure have got the Buddhist name from your teacher? Do I have a Buddhist name from my teacher? You got the name from your teacher?

[18:05]

Yes. Good question. What is your name, your Buddhist name? What does it mean and why don't you use it? My Buddhist name is Zentatsu Myoyu. And I use it sometimes. And I forget what it means. Okay, thank you very much.

[18:27]

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