[Buddha-l] Zen War Guilt/Zen and the Sword

[Vicente Gonzalez]

Dan L. wrote:

DL> It's interesting how many people who obviously haven't read either of Brian
DL> Victoria's books have prefab immunization slogans for avoiding the issues he
DL> raised.

the V.Brian's work is not very honest. In example he writes:

"When Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the sixth century by Prince
Shotoku, it was introduced as 'nation-protecting Buddhism.' In the
teachings, as we know them, of Shakyamuni Buddha, there is no
suggestion that Buddhism protects the nation. This is the fundamental
error, in my opinion"

However, we can read the same protection in the CakkavattiSihanada
Sutta, in this advice to the king:

"This, dear son, that you, leaning on the Dhamma, honoring, respecting
and revering it, doing homage to it, hallowing it, being yourself a
Dhamma-banner, a Dhamma-signal, having the Dhamma as your master,
should provide the right watch, ward and protection for your own folk,
for the army, for the nobles, for vassals and brahmans and
householders, for town and country dwellers, for the religious world
and for beasts and birds."

Basically, he present many things in the same conspiranoic way.


DL> Just as antisemitism has returned to Europe (Western and Eastern Europe --
DL> Yeshiva boys were beaten nearly to death in the Ukraine, while offialdom
DL> denies the attack was antisemitic), so has Japanese militarism cum
DL> nationalism cum suppression (which will get a Buddhist rubber stamp soon, no
DL> doubt). The 21st century is shaping up to be a lot like the one we just left
DL> behind.

your cocktails are very strange. If I remember well, Japan was the
only country seriously concerned for the luck of Jewish people in the
pre-war. You can read about Jacob Schiff. Manchuria and the
Russian-Japanese war. 

What V.Brian denounces it's not a problem of monasticism, a western
or eastern Buddhism. The defence of some Buddhism which must be far of
eastern influences, the monasticism, etc... today this is as asking
for a beef vegeburger. Moreover, it is not the point

In example, in past days appeared a Christian preacher inside all the
TVs of this funny world. This man advises to the USA government to
kill the elected president of Venezuela, wishing a "cheap war" and
similar things. This man is a lay preacher, not a monk. He doesn't
have bonds with "foreign" Christianism. He is a typical product of a
traditional anglo-protestant way to conceive the religion.
Such way implies the isolation of foreign influences so the religion
can have an independent and national personality. But regarding bad
things, there is no difference. Today, this lay preacher defends the
benefits of some corporations in South America as in the Heian period
there were armed monks to protect temples and the establishment.
In those times, a good part of the institutional Zen was mixed with
ruling powers. And today we see the same thing with some lay religious
groups in the USA. 
It is just the human condition. In any time there is people who wish
to be millionaire, having better prostitutes or feeling his power
over the rest. It is very simple, indeed. So I fear that line of
thought is far of some improvement of Buddhism; in the West or in
alfa-centauri. 

I fear that people don't want to be detached of Buddhist eastern
influences because also they know about Ryokan or Ikkyu. Until know,
we cannot talk about similar figures in the West. Eastern Buddhism
posses an universal component in his long background. Absorbing the
best of this background is a good thing and an enrichment for the
person. 

Maybe for an implicit elitism, some scholars ignores that today,
anyone can fly to Asia to check some absurdities, as "today, Japanese
Zen is not Buddhism". These suspicions about the actual Japanese Zen
monks being heirs of the war slogans of the WWII, it doesn't surpass
the requisites of any cheap Manga comic.

Therefore, there is an special caution when reading papers in a
tendencious style, as happens with the V.Brian stuff. 
No intelligent person can judge a very long film with a few isolated
photograms.



br,