Life in a Zen Buddhist monastry in Japan in 1959 禅

[shellybirdy]

love the video man

[1991lastresort]

タバコ吸っとるｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗ­ｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗ

[boogiebuddy01]

smoke weed make art, creative life

[808SoulRebel808]

next thing they need to do is get out to the world to live and spread there teachings

[kiriakos2012]

this monastery is  cool!

[riverjp]

I cant believe the monks were smoking! You would never find that now days at a Zen Monastry.Very strange,lol:) Love these videos,thanks for posting.

[SuperZhaolu]

Is monks smoking ? Where ? Very interesting. The best video.

[kiriakos2012]

@SuperZhaolu it's the time of  relaxation , i like it

[yozeroz]

lol the smoking monks

[Tsumanne]

I actually study at this temple every once in a while so it's really interesting to see what Soji-ji was like 50 years ago. I've never seen anyone smoke there before so I'm going to pester the priest next time I'm there and see what he says lol.

[MichaelRogge]

@Tsumanne Thanks for your comments. I have always wondered whether anyone in the Sojiji temple ever saw my clips. The image of one of the novices adorns the jacket of JanWillemvan de Wetering's books 'The empty mirror'and so one (although his experiences were at the Rinzai temple in Kyoto.) Does anyone recognize the people in my movie? At the time the ill effects of smoking were hardly known. They also drank beer at the departure of a sensei to Soto Zen communities abroad.

[claytonian]

@Tsumanne can you tell me the name of the temple in kanji? I can't find it on Google maps so far...

[Tsumanne]

@claytonian Daihonzan Soji-ji (大本山総持寺) is the proper name for the temple. google maps might just have it as just Soji-ji (総持寺) though.

It's less than a 5 minute walk out the west exit of Tsurumi Station (鶴見駅) on the Keihin-Touhoku Line. It's on a hill so look for a hill with lots of trees and large buildings, that's the place. There are large gates at the entrance.

[spiralcosmosart]

I would've never thought they smoked. Then again 1959 wasn't long after Japan got nuked, Americans based there were probaly importing lots of cigarettes. I imagine cigarettes were a little too popular then.

[MichaelRogge]

@spiralcosmosart . Soto Zen Buddhism is far less strict than Rinzai. I have seen Zen masters drink beer.

[BluePittbull666]

pacifists , i like meditation but this is too extreme.

[14Srb88]

Im unpleasantly surprised to see those monks smoke..

[tobesograteful]

Quitting smoking allows less distraction.

[taiflint]

zen cigarette-smoking ceremony

[LEVRAIVRAIZEN]

stupid monks...

[MountAnalogue]

Hahaha he's smoking reefer. Well peraps it comes from the Hindu practices of the Sadhus who smoke Charas (balled hashish) in their chillums before meditating.

[doodovf]

hope they don't allow you to smoke in the temples these days...

[MichaelRogge]

I haven't been there in fifty years!

[greatvowvideos]

@doodovf Some Zen Monks still do smoke. We allow it here at Great Vow Zen Monastery But It is discouraged. But the again we're in Oregon not in Japan.

[PermaWrath]

My goodness could their lives be any more, BORING?!

[gjerrildkro]

why waken, if you are not sleeping ?

[MichaelRogge]

Some say that we all are sleeping and Zen serves to wake you up!

[WKRPinCINN]

THATS CRAZY! I'M BRIAN FELLOWS!!

[ytcomposer]

@WKRPinCINN: LOL you get 5 points for resurrecting Fellows. ^_^

[GanDyPoop]

today's guest is... A PARROT!!

[WKRPinCINN]

HUSH UP THAT DIRTY TALK!!

[KalterStien]

I knew it! they MUST smoke some weed everynow and then to comprehend it all/take it all in. It was a common practice in shinto so its not surprising.

[MichaelRogge]

I think that they smoked pure tobacco. Weed was not common in Japan in those days.

[dekar003]

i think it is weed, the smoke is too thick and the cigarette/joint the monk o the right is holding is too small, it appears as if there is no filter.

[02barberd]

in the film it says they are trying to become enlightened, this is not right, the practise of shikantaza the core of soto zen buddhism, isn enlightenment itself, there is no goal.

[sumimahen]

Yes, you can still find monks who smoke. I have seen them puffing away and drinking beer. As long as they are not attached to it, it is okay.

[hceggeberth]

Well...I imagine they are "attached" to smoking and drinking...but that too is ok. It's ok to be human. Buddhism/zen Buddhism is often, mistakenly, thought of in terms of enightened perfection. Silly.

Still, smoking is not good for you. And neither is too much drinking, whether you're "attached" to it or not ;-)

[MichaelRogge]

I´m not smoking, and dislike drinking. I´m 80 years old now and most of my friends who smoked have died.

[Mrgyn]

MichaelRogge:

I bow to the 80 years of knowledge you have acquired.

[MichaelRogge]

and I bow the the freshness of your unclogged mind!

[soben001]

Drinking Alcohol is Strickly prohibited by the precepts. I wouldn't follow any monk who drinks (or smokes.)

[Yosh997]

@sumimahen Hmm. Not really.

[dereshishishishishi]

birds in little cage ah... son of bitches.

[jyu0824]

monks who have pets and smoke cigarets, and the whole documentary... really captures the "on the ground" view of zen practice.

[gormlessgoddess]

This film was made in 1959 - novices don't smoke anymore, though the monks can and do still have pets, not sure if that would include birds in cages though!

[Plantman67]

lol, smoking monks at 1:55, probably wouldnt see that these days! Good vid.

[sraddawa]

That's why they are called novices

[demonAnarchy]

thanks 2

[Sparven77]

thanks!