[Buddha-l] liturgical languages

[Dan Lusthaus]

> Kapleau and Yasutani indeed separated. [...]
> Kapleau gave a detailed reply to Yamada's letter. Kapleau countered just
> about all Yamada said, except stating that he never "claimed" to be an
heir
> of Yasutani. Clearly, Yamada was real upset with Kapleau and seemd to be
> waiting a long time to unload this.
[...]
> One simple way of shedding light on what really was going on would have
been
> for Kapleau to show  Yasutani's letter breaking their realtionship so
there
> could be trustworthy translation for all to see. Kapleau for whatever
> reasons never did this, thereby letting the chanting rumor take hold. If
> this letter still exists, perhaps Kapleau's heirs could provide the
> originals for translation. This has not happened.

If one reads the portrait and activities of Yasutani up to, during, and
after WW II in Brian Victoria's _Zen War Stories_, Kapleau's break from him
might be viewed in a different light, perhaps something to be applauded
rather than denigrated. A fanatical, ultranationalistic, ultramilitaristic,
virulently antisemitic authoritarian, Yasutani turns out to be something
quite different from what most folks fantasize Zen masters to be.

Bravo, Philip!

Dan Lusthaus