[Buddha-l] Re: recommendations for books on Madhyamika

[Benito Carral]

On Tuesday, October 18, 2005, Franz Metcalf wrote:

> I  wouldn't say that Curt's and Richard's caricatures
> of  Zen  practice  are "plain nonsense." Stereotypes,
> yes,  but not nonsense. I think they are off the mark
> these  days  at  most  Zen centers in the West, but I
> think  that's because Western Zen has grown much more
> comfortable  with  its intellectual heritage in these
> last  ten years or so. Before that things were pretty
> darn anti-intellectual, at least here in California.

   The  question  is  that  Californian  Zen  was not a
faithful  to  of  Zen,  at  least  not  to Chinese Zen.
Californian  Zen  was what Westerners wanted then. They
were  entertained  trying  to  be dharma bums, laughing
with  Alan  Watt's  jokes. And they created (supported)
such kind of Zen.

   If  someone  wants  to  learn  something interesting
about  Zen,  I  would  suggest  to  read  Daoxin's _The
Fundamental  Expedient  Teachings  for Calming the Mind
Wich  Attains  Enlightenment,_  where one can read, for
example:

        When   you  are  first  beginning  to  practice
        sitting  meditation, dwell in a quite place and
        directly  contemplate  your  body and mind. You
        should  contemplate  the  four elements and the
        five skandhas, [the six sense organs, viz.] the
        eye,  ear, nose, tongue, boy and mind, and [the
        three  poisons of] desire, anger, and delusion,
        whether they are good or evil, whether they are
        enemies  or allies, whether they are profane or
        sacred, and so on through all the various items
        (fa)  [of  existence].  From the very beginning
        they  are non-substantial and tranquil, neither
        arising   nor  disappearing,  being  equal  and
        non-dual.  From  the  very  beginning they have
        never   existed,  but  ultimately  are  utterly
        tranquil.  From  the very beginning are totally
        pure and free.

   What  some  people see as Western innovations in Zen
practice are really something as old as Zen is.

   Best wishes,

   Beni