A ZEN LIFE - D.T. Suzuki (Out-takes)

Parts of the feature documentary "A ZEN LIFE - D.T. Suzuki," that were left out of the final edit.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Daisetz
• Suzuki
• Zen
• Buddhism
• Shin

[frompaulatoyou]

Capture the wise Women of our time alive!

[JapanInterCulture]

Good point. Part of the NBC "Wisdom" series, done between 1957 and 1965, was called "Conversations with Elder Wise Men;" in another part the title was "Conversations with Distinguished Persons." Among those interviewed (in the latter, I assume) were Eleanor Roosevelt, Nadia Boulanger & Margaret Mead. I wouldn't say the (mostly) men running the network at the time were sensitive to women's rights, nor that D.T. Suzuki was disrespectful of women. It IS true that Zen lineage was patriarchal.

[throwpopcorn]

So time is imaginary. Makes sense as he explains it. Looking at ourselves in time involves a great deal of imagination and effort.

[JapanInterCulture]

Daisetz Suzuki was very practical, and wore a watch. The point he was making is that, in Zen, one lives every infinitesimal moment to the maximum. The past is gone, and the future is not yet here. Objectively, only the present "really exists," or perhaps better put, we exist IN it. "Reality" is a question that philosophers have struggled with over the ages. Zen warns us that much of what we take for granted as "true" or "real" is subjective and illusory, including the concept of our "self."

[chokerry]

You know, I live in rural Japan. Every year the rice gets planted and, almost to the day, harvested. After this, we eat 'new' rice. Jesus said, "observe the lilies, they do not strive etc." I observe the rice. I can literally see it growing at its natural pace. So shall I slow down and grow and live at a natural pace.

[JapanInterCulture]

Cassyan, I was truly dismayed when one Torrent "libertarian" announced he had "created the rip" of my documentary and uploaded it. This rip-off is a slap in the face of the real creator (me). "Giving it away free will lead to MORE sales, TV producers and film distributors will come knocking on your door, and we'll make you famous," the Webmeister argued. I'm not a Hollywood producer, and need DVD sales to get out of debt. Please don't support Torrent uploads of independent productions.

[superyak2000]

A Zen Master once said, " To know Buddhism is to know yourself, to know yourself is to forget about yourself."

[wewantsainty89]

@frompaulatoyou do you know that behind every great man is an even greater woman. me neither.

[catandpiddle]

@MrJami123 I cannot agree. See for yourself the caution, wariness the ordinary Japanese feel towards 'any' buddhism. It's a business, and a lucrative ones as tax free institutions for funerals and the ongoing visits to the homes of the bereaved (for many years) to offer prayers and deliver earnest homilies on 'dharma'. Something nobody quiet believes anymore ... You're right, Japan was cautious about western imperialism. But that's the only point and certainly it didn't justify the evil mayhem.

[MrJami123]

@catandpiddle I am mildly amused that modern Japan see 'Zen' as a tradition for misfits, neurotics etc. Perhaps these are ahistorical, hedanistic, liberal elements in this very modermised culture. As to Victoria's thesis, it is shockingly superficial as a historical study. Japan's famines, poverty; the country's reasonable fears of Western Imperialism; none of this is mentioned. His new edition weakens his case: it shows that the 'Buddha' himself ws not entirely against a just 'War'.

[proyectohispanaya]

Excelente presentacion de D.T. Suzuki, conjunta la filosofia oriental con la occidental en los conocimientos de Emanuel Swedenborg. Muchas gracias por estos mensajes.

[proyectohispanaya]

Excelente presentacion de D.T. Suzuki, conjunta la filosofia oriental con la occidental en los conocimientos de Emanuel Swedrnborg. Muchas gracias por estos mensajes.

[catandpiddle]

@MrJami123 well, my opinion is that both the rinzai and soto schools prefer that westerners remain in the dark about this period of their histories, 'zen at war' smashed the illusion of zen-as-pacifists wide open.

zen is held at arms length by contemporary japanese in this society. something for neurotics, misfits, malcontents. in the west, we've given them way too much respect without examination.

[MrJami123]

@catandpiddle Mr Victoria's book is weak to the point of misleading. 'Zen At War' ws in fact Japan at war. State & Buddhism is sometimes an unhappy alliance. In Burma, the monks tend to be against the State, in Sri Lanka for the State. In Japan, a few Priest (Soto sect) were socialist, even radicals. Most were pro-Emperor. The War against the 'White Imperialist was regarded as a defensive one. Suzuki's views clearly were nuanced, logical, and persuasive.