Student B: You were
talking about non-sectarianism in Sung China. What does it mean in America?
SR: In America, first of all, you have no tradition of Buddhism. And we are start to establish some Buddhist activity here. And intellectually you study many things and you have various understanding. I think some of you already studied under many teachers. So the situation is quite different. In Japan, mostly Soto students study Soto only. Between Rinzai and Soto, some Rinzai students study Dogen Zenji, and we study Rinzai practice too. But mostly Rinzai student is Rinzai and Soto students from beginning to end are Soto students.
But here the way you study is not same as we do in Japan. And this is, I think, something like the situation in Buddhism or Zen Buddhism started in China after the Sixth Patriarch. They recommended their students to some other teachers. Actually there was not much sectarianism, but there were various kinds of practice or way of giving instruction. And I think we are in America, under the same situation as they had in China. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-21 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC
SR: In America, first of all, you have no tradition of Buddhism. And we are start to establish some Buddhist activity here. And intellectually you study many things and you have various understanding. I think some of you already studied under many teachers. So the situation is quite different. In Japan, mostly Soto students study Soto only. Between Rinzai and Soto, some Rinzai students study Dogen Zenji, and we study Rinzai practice too. But mostly Rinzai student is Rinzai and Soto students from beginning to end are Soto students.
But here the way you study is not same as we do in Japan. And this is, I think, something like the situation in Buddhism or Zen Buddhism started in China after the Sixth Patriarch. They recommended their students to some other teachers. Actually there was not much sectarianism, but there were various kinds of practice or way of giving instruction. And I think we are in America, under the same situation as they had in China. -------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture - 68-07-21 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC