Bodhidharma's Shoe

Americans began to practice Zen in the 1960s under the guidance of teachers from Japan. American Zen practice preserves many Japanese monastic traditions as Tom Davenport's personal account of a seven day intensive Zen retreat, documents. The filmmaker intercuts video of the retreat with drawings by Giei Sato that were published in the book "Unsui: A Diary of Zen Monastic Life" (University of Hawaii Press).

This retreat or "Sesshin" was at Bodhi Manda Zen Center, Jemez Springs, New Mexico --one of the most rigorous and conservative Zen Centers in the United States. The teacher is Joshu Sasaki Roshi who was born in 1907 and came to the United States in 1962. Other American Zen Centers have adapted and changed (using English in the chanting, for example) but the core practices of Zen Centers are similar.

For some healthy criticism of American Zen practice, please take a look at http://www.darkzen.com/Articles/meansofauthorization.htm by Stuart Lachs.

Tom Davenport is one of the founders of Folkstreams and began his Zen practice in the late 1960s. Bodhidharma is the legendary Buddhist monk who brought Zen (Ch'an) practice from Indian to China in the 5th Century.

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[unmaiyan]

Bodhidharma is from 3rd son of great pallava king skandavarma I from kanchipuram. tamilnadu.  Pallava kings holds a title of varma because they were excellence in varmakalai.. which was then followed by pandya kings of tamilnadu. varmakalai means varma-brave,kalai-art. kalaraipayatu means kalari-battle, payattu-to teach. varmakalai is difficult than kalaripayatu. even 5 year kid can do kalaripayatu. but varmakalai you have to learn 10-12 years.

[KARTHIKHUNK1985]

Bodhidharma is from Tamilnadu-INDIA....



[HundredFrogsOne]

This was a good video, thank you.

Although I do not wish to start a fight in the comments here, I do feel it needs saying that Americans did not "begin to practice Zen in the 1960s"; this was simply when Caucasian Americans became interested in what Asian Americans had been doing here for years. To say otherwise, I think, would be a slight to them, as they are Americans too.

_/\_

[jesusyaingay]

Thanks for the info Tilaga... so Shaolin is actually from India. This is what India is all about... we create but we dont teach. Now China is mastering it but whatever it is, the genes of the founder of Shaolin is still in the South.

[vicwon95]

@miamiviceph1, there's no Bodhidharma. there's no Dalai Lama. It's just all figment of your illusion. so just wake up and you'll perceive the Truth. ;-) Be Happy, my brother.

[HelloAgain151]

Thanks for this. Great video.

[miamiviceph1]

BODHIDHARMA NOT dalai-lama , the lama are fake

[EXOSET4000]

@italmia They do smile, fart and joke, believe me ! Hahahaha ! I practice zazen since 2007 and I've met monks and nuns, and a zen master, I've never seen so smiling persons !