[Buddha-l] Protestant Buddhists

[James A Stroble]

On Monday 29 January 2007 07:25, Richard Hayes wrote:
> On Sunday 28 January 2007 17:15, Richard Hayes wrote:
> > After sending off my list of attributes that might attract the P-word as
> > a label,
<snip>
> Several years ago I heard a fascinating lecture by Paul Groner on the topic
> of self-ordination. Apparently there was a recognized procedure in Asia of
> being ordained without a formal ordination ceremony. As I recall, it
> involved having a dream of being ordained directly by the Buddha. If
> someone else also had a dream that a person was ordained by the Buddha,
> then the ordination was considered valid, provided the person lived as a
> monk and followed all the vinaya rules.

Hmm, sounds more Shamanistic than Protestant!  Many Japanese new religions 
(some quasi-buddhist) seem to get their start this way.  

>
> Sunim's claim to being a Zen master was that he had received inka in a
> dream from his deceased master. This claim raised more than a few eyebrows,
> but it was not at all unprecedented for hims to claim authority through
> some kind of nocturnal transmission.
>

And much preferable to claiming authority through nocturnal emissions.  
(Sorry, can't help myself)
-- 
James Andy Stroble
University of Hawai'i, Leeward Community College