Results 1 to 3 of 3

Thread: Soto Reform Movement

  1. #1

    Soto Reform Movement

    Reading the always good blog, "Monkey Mind", by James Ford, came into one of his latest postings:

    http://monkeymindonline.blogspot.com/20 ... dhism.html

    People in my circles often think of Brad Warner as a Buddhist radical. Actually beyond his being a bit in your face, and willing to talk about sex and rock and roll (and the occasional monster movie), he's a remarkably conservative advocate of the "shikantaza only" Soto reform movement established by Kodo Sawaki Roshi.
    Is there reading material that can give me more historical context to this?

  2. #2

    Re: Soto Reform Movement

    Quote Originally Posted by chicanobudista
    Reading the always good blog, "Monkey Mind", by James Ford, came into one of his latest postings:

    http://monkeymindonline.blogspot.com/20 ... dhism.html

    People in my circles often think of Brad Warner as a Buddhist radical. Actually beyond his being a bit in your face, and willing to talk about sex and rock and roll (and the occasional monster movie), he's a remarkably conservative advocate of the "shikantaza only" Soto reform movement established by Kodo Sawaki Roshi.
    Is there reading material that can give me more historical context to this?
    Hmmm ... Well, there are many folks in the "Get back to Zazen, Get away from just doing Funerals" wing of Soto-shu (meaning, a return to placing Zazen at the center of Zen practice, and getting away from the fact that most Zen clergy in Japan, Soto or Rinzai, devote most of their time just to performing funeral and memorial services for temple parish members. The vast majority of Zen priests do not even sit much Zazen themselves once they leave the training monastery). Kodo Sawaki Roshi, Uchiyama Roshi, Nishijima Roshi, many many voices in Japan and outside.

    This is probably the best book on Sawaki and Uchiyama Roshis, and some of the other folks around Antai-ji (maybe we could call it Anti-ji) 8)

    http://www.amazon.com/Living-Dying-Zaze ... 987&sr=8-2

    This is also a very good book I mentioned elsewhere today on changes as "Buddhism has come West" ... not just about Soto.

    http://atheism.about.com/library/books/ ... anChat.htm

    Gassho, J

  3. #3

    Re: Soto Reform Movement

    Basically Kodo said this (And I could be absolutely wrong). "We some more Zazen in this place here."


    _/_

Similar Threads

  1. Soto Texts
    By Saijun in forum Archive of Older Threads
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: 12-21-2010, 09:33 PM
  2. Soto Zen crest
    By Al in forum Archive of Older Threads
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 09-10-2010, 02:02 PM
  3. Etymology, nomenclature etc. in Soto Zen
    By anista in forum Archive of Older Threads
    Replies: 16
    Last Post: 06-14-2010, 05:43 AM
  4. Soto and Rinzai
    By Shui_Di in forum Archive of Older Threads
    Replies: 56
    Last Post: 03-27-2009, 08:32 PM
  5. OBC Soto?
    By Skye in forum Archive of Older Threads
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 05-06-2008, 03:32 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •