Mr. Mike Cross's Criticism
(Note) Dear Mr. Mike Cross. Even though you told me that you like to erase your criticism against me from my blog, I would like clearly request you should not to erase them for ever. Because the facts that you criticized against me are very important historical facts, and so the criticism is very important data for me to critisize your so-called Buddhism. So I think that you are responsible to maintain your criticism against me for ever. In such a meaning I would like to request you to maintain your criticism against me as a historical data for ever. And if you have erased them already, I think that you should recover them totally as your responsibility.
posted by GUDO NISHIJIMA | 3:25 AM
10 Comments:
Dear Nishijima Roshi,
(1)The direction you gave me with your hands in the Zendo of Tookei-in temple in the early 1980s, pulling my chin and neck backwards, was utterly wrong and misleading.
(2)You have exhibited a fixed prejudice against the teaching of FM Alexander which, over the past 10 years, has proved to be utterly unsusceptible to reasoned argument.
You are only a human being, after all. And who am I to criticize others? A champion of greed, anger, and delusion.
But, since you ask me directly, these are my two main criticisms against you.
Dear Dogen Sangha-
hearty congratulations, you are moving up with the frontrunners for the Steel Pillar 2005 Award- given to the most disfuntional sangha (the Steel Pillar will replace the now worn wooden one which poor old Gudo Nishijima Roshi must be banging his head against).
It may be more appropriate for you all to find some private forum to air out and hopefully resolve your grievances- just a suggestion.
In any case, I am grateful for all of Roshi's teachings in whatever form they come.
i teach fencing, and every so often i'll get a person who comes in and insists that a katana or huge broadsword (or gun, WMD, etc..)would kick the crap out of our wussy rapier-style foils. I can't really disagree. I mean, yes it's all martial, but it's hardly the same thing. I usually have to say something like "look man, those are good points and questions and all, but this ain't kendo class, it's fencing..."
I also get questions why the way i teach something or some attack that is differnt from so and so's way, and I can only say "this is the way I learned it." and I point out that I've modified some things myself that fit me, but that yes there is an appropriate, "correct" way--that way being of course the most direct, simple thrust, the one that scores. The rest of the fight is finding the time and method to execute it.
If people are interested in techniques other than the ones I teach, I honestly tell them they're in the wrong school. If people want to know why we use these weapons instead of that, I ask them why they came to me to learn, and again, if they persist, they are in the wrong school.
Tibetan Buddhism doesn't rock my socks like it used to. In fact I can just about call myself an advocate of the Soto tradition--i'd say i've come a long way. You wont' find me up the road trying to break the concentration of chanters at the Tibetan style dharma center though. I'll be in my room staring at a wall or dropping by these blogs or talking to my fellows who are partaking of this tradition/style with me. The Dalai Lama is indeed wise but in terms of meditation I'm doing pretty well on my own I think.
Maybe His Holiness and I can do lunch when it comes time for a charity drive or something, but other than that, I think we both get on just fine.
Now, it would be foolish of me to go to the Dalai Lama and tell him to change his flag-waving, mandala-reading ways (jk! jk! I jest, I jest!!!), even though I gotta say right when I became enamored of Siddhartha Gautama's discoveries, I was expressly interested in the Tibetan tradition.
I've come to not believe in much of what my perception of Tibetan Buddhism entails, so I basically "left the practice." I did the same thing with Christianity a long time ago.
I consider myself wholly responsible for involving myself in that tradition, and to be honest, without it, I would never have come to Soto Zen, which to be honest, this isn't necessarily the last stop on my way.
But I am thankful for being where I was, and doing the things I did. I've had experiences, I've gained knowledge, I'm familiar with much of what goes on in these traditions simply by participating in one, etc...
I think there's a big difference between a quack and someone you dont' agree with. At any rate, signing up for the course is the student's decision.
I consider myself to teach a blend of "French and American" style fencing.
I'm quite biased against certain "styles" of fencing. Either because they don't seem right to me or I see better solutions elsewhere. At any rate, there are other stylists out there, and all I can really do is teach and use my style and prepare myself or borrow from others if need be.
If another student believes my teaching to be faulty, they should ask why, and then experiment. Believe it or not they should try to accept it. Not adopt it necessarily but understand what is being said and why. If it doesnt' check out after all that, that's great. In fact I would enjoy a student who doesn't take everything at face value, but thinks critically. However, they are learning from me, and if they dont' value that they are wasting their time. If they come to the realization that my teaching is not for them, or even if they believe it is flat out wrong, they should stop immediately, and be thankful for the realization, and go elsewhere. Who knows? they may be back. But staying and arguing with a teacher is not really acceptable. Not with the designation of teacher and student. Not even if the student considers himself a teacher.
It's not about promoting technique or learning then, it's about one-upping the other.
I've actaully had students who learned from other schools badger me lesson after lesson asking why we dont' do things this way or that, or telling me that the way they do it is better. I really really really wonder what they are doing being engaged in receiving my teaching if they dont' want to learn what I have to say?
Some even wonder what the relevance of the weapon is, "Why aren't we using real swords/bigger swords?" They are concerned with either fantasy or an activity outside of the one they are doing in real life.
These questions are not intended to learn anything, and these students, for one reason or another, bless them, are more of a distraction to the class than a help. I will be teaching 10 students how to do a proper lunge or footwork, and 1 will wonder why we can't swing from chandeliers while we fence. The other 10's lesson is harmed. It's not curiousity, it's selfishness.
So, to put the criticisms in perspective: Students who learn from me and feel like I lied, well that's too bad, sorry we wasted our time. I didn't mean to lie, but did you really mean to learn? (there's no right answer to that). And of course, I'm probably going to turn a highly prejudiced ear to the Hungarian style of fencing. I'll listen, but I have a heck of a lot of faith in my own ways.
Better to have a teacher who believes 110% in his own way than "meh" in every way, no?
Oh, and constant prodding in front of the class will eventually lead to being addressed in front of the class. Sometimes that's the only way. Kudos to the teacher who keeps his composure in such a situation.
peace
What I don't understand is why Mike Cross continues to contact Gudo Nishijima. If he does not agree with Nishijima, then why not just let it be, and go somewhere else? Is this not the Buddhist thing to do?
I can imagine that Nishijima must feel like someone who is in a tent with a mosquito constantly buzzing around his ears.
I take offence to the anger expressed in MC's posts. MC, I suggest counseling. Sounds like you have "issues".
Another thing...
MC keeps saying that Nishijima is "only a human being" and Brad Warner is "only a human being". Well, the Buddha was only a human being. Hitler was only a human being. We are all only human beings.
But our actions in this world are not all equal, just becaiuse we are all humans. Some people act in ways that benefit humanity and possibly all life on earth. Others are destructive, and create misery and suffering.
The way I see it, Gudo Nishijima has provided the clearest version of Zen Buddhism that I have ever found. I have been on the path for 25 years. I have read a lot of so-called-Buddhist writings. But when I read Nishijima's Dogen-based writings, everything became clear and straightforward.
So MC, I propose that Nishijima is noy "just a human being". He is a human that has given the world a special gift. A gift thjat should be spread to every corner of the earth.
I have said my peace.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
For Mike Cross San
(1) In the practice of Zazen, when anyone is inclining forward, holding his right and left shoulders with my both hands, I pull his body backward to make his line of the spine identified with the line of gravity.
When some one's neckbones are bent, pulling up his head and pushing his chin backward and downward to make the back of the neck should become more straight.
I have learned these methods in Master Kodo Sawaki's retreats, therefore this method is very common in training the Buddhist practice.
Your criticism is always your own proclamation like "utterly wrong and misleading", and usually you don't indicate any reason. But such a kind of one-sided explanation sounds so much strange to me.
(2) Actually speaking, I do not know about AT almost at all. But if someone identify Buddhism with another philosophy or practice, it might be some kind of slander or blame against Buddhism. You do not know such a kind of delicate feeling, which we usually keep in our mind and body.
Of course I am a human being, and Buddhists are always making their efforts to become true human beings.
(2) I do not know about AT almost at all, but listen
For ReallyNotImportant San
I think that Buddhism is a very philosophical religion, and so without discussion sometimes it is impossible for us arrive at the Truth.
I am only proclaiming the facts, which actually occured on the earth in the past. I do not like to permit for lies to be maintained on the Earth.
For Jundo Jim San
Frankly speaking, I wonder whether human beings are so greedy, angry, ignrant, or generally fool.
After we practice Zazen for year upon year, it will become difficult, or impossible for us to become greedy, angry, ignorant, or generally fool. I suppose that many people will doubt such a kind of too much happy conditions, but I think that such situations are just real facts on the Earth. Because when the autonomic nervous system is balanced it is impossible for everyone to become greedy, angry, ignorant, or generally fool.
I would like to ask you not to think human beings so light, because Buddhism thinks that everyone is just the King of the Universe. Buddhism believes in the dignity of human beings, and such ideas encourage us so much. But I think that many people do not like to accept such a fundamental priciple at all. Because human beings want to live easily. But Gautama Buddha taught us to grasp the holiness by making our autonomic nervous system balanced.
The reason, why I was atracted by Buddhism so much, is just the Buddhist exactness like that. I think that it is conpletely impossible for us to find such a kind of religion, which is so real and at the same time it is so holy. I revere it, and I feel so many thanks for it.
I agree with your idea so much.
For g San
I do not know whether we are crafty, or not, however, what we are doing, is never sparring, but our real life.
For engu San
Thank you very much for your enormously excellent praises, but at the same time I do not like to talk in a private forum, and so I am talking my idea by blog for everyone, who is living now on the Earth just now, if he or she likes to listen to my Buddhist thoughts actually.
For reallynotimportant San
Four Noble Truth
1. Idealism: Because ideal can never be arrived at at all, and so it is perfectly painful for us to pursue ideals.
2. Materialism: Matter is completely boring and unsatisfactory, but necessry.
3. Philosophy of Act: Only act can save us from the painful ideals and boring matter.
4. Reality: Only one happiness for human beings are to act following their own personalities at the the present moment.
Eightfold Path
1. True Viewpoint.
2. True Thinking Method.
3. True Words.
4. True Act.
5. True Livelihood
6. True Efforts
7. True Cosciousness
8. True Balance
The word "True" means "The Middle.
Those are fundamental Buddhist bases.
For J&J San
I also think that it is nice wisdom to bear.
For Matt San
I think that everyone has his or her perfect freedom to select his or her own way.
For Jundo Jim San
I agree with your idea.
For soundchaser San
I also think that why Mike Cross San does not leave Dogen Sangha.
For soundchaser San
Thank you very much for you understanding me. It is my best joy to promote Buddhism on the Earth.
For timbo San
Thank you very much for you understanding me.
Post a Comment
<< Home