[Buddha-l] Re: Filtered Buddhism

[curt]

Franz Metcalf wrote:
> When I look at the enormous movement toward egalitarianism at ZCLA, 
> under the inclusive leadership of Wendy Egyoku Nakao Roshi, I can't 
> help but see an expansion of Mazumi's vision beyond the point where he 
> could, himself, go. And I can't help but think that here we are 
> beginning to see the sort of new Buddhism Sasaki and Hayes were 
> calling for.
>
>
The idea that westerners have any "egalitarianism" to offer that Zen 
does not already possess is rather nice example of the smugness that I 
was talking about earlier. Egalitarianism in it's true sense, in not 
recognizing artificial and superficial titles, offices, honors, etc, has 
always been central to the Zen tradition - from Bodhidharma's famous 
encounter with  the Emperor down to the present.

If one wishes to find Asiatic Despotism in Zen then that is what you 
will find. If you wish to find uncompromising anti-authoritarianism you 
can find plenty of that too. Anti-authoritarianism is not some great 
gift that white people have to confer on our poor oppressed Asian 
Buddhist co-religionists. Anyone with any sense of history knows that 
western "egalitarianism" is a mile wide and an inch deep - if that.

- Curt