Originally Posted by
Jundo
The one place I may disagree with Lynn is that I do not think that Zen Practice necessarily needs many aspects of "the devotional" as the other end of the tunnel, especially if that means a certain kind of "devotional". I am not much for Buddha statues dipped in gold, fancy costumes and robes, or chants that nobody understands (I support losing oneself within a chant, but only after the content of the chant has been understood in heart and mind). I am certainly not for chanting to work magic or to bring about good fortune and the favor of cosmic forces, nor intonations to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas living in some unseen mystical realm as depicted in ancient Buddhist stories (a very big topic I do not want to get into right now). But, yet, I will be devotional if that means bowing down to all of reality, the universe, the mystery that brought us to life ... I just don't need a gold statue and arcane hocus-pocus chant to do that.
Fair enough. What woiks for somes don'ts always woiks for others. Still, I ended up loving the chants as well (which were in English), just because I love to sing and the music was beautiful and nothing in the words (which were based on sutras) was intending harm to another being.
Ummmmm, just so we're square: You
know I don't do magicky, good fortuney, hocus pocus, right Jundo? I'm pretty sure you didn't intend to cast aspersions, insinuate allegations, or start up the rumour mill. :wink:
In Gassho~
Lynn