Buddhism, Race and Class in the West

Well, Nathan addressed that 500 pound gorilla in the room in his recent post on encouraging youth engagement in Buddhist sanghas. Well, if he's gonna throw it out there, I might as well comment on some of it. It was a very large post so I am just going to touch on...

Large Issue 1. Collectively, Buddhist communities in the "West", especially "convert" ones, need to address issues of race and class more head on.

Ok, yes, I suppose we do but I do have to admit that when this is addressed "head on" it gathers so much momentum that we begin and end with discussing race rather than Buddhism. So while this needs to be an ongoing discussion "in-the-flesh" and on-line, it really needs to be contained somewhat into a discussion that actually produces results. So, other than arguing back and forth, what do we do?

A. We need to change the way our sanghas appear in the physical world.

I just think it is funny that all of the points that Nathan brings up here...

that people of color don't attend these sanghas in great numbers is that they have had "no say" in the space itself, and do not feel at home in it. For many of you, this might be pretty abstract sounding, but lets bring it into the concrete right now. Have you ever been in places where you felt something was off, but couldn't put a finger on it? Or maybe a place where you almost instantly felt "out of place" right away, despite how the people there acted towards you? In our busy, distracted lives we forget how much physical space effects us. We forget, for example, that one of the main reasons we love our homes (when we do) is that we were able to create it in a way that expressed ourselves, who we are and what brings out the best in us.

..are the exact reason that I don't utilize a mostly Asian congregation as my primary place of practice. I love and respect the Asian culture but sometimes (actually, most of the times) I feel "out of place, right away" even though the practitioners are friendly and proactive towards the fact that I am (sometimes) the only white person there. So how much say should I have in the way a primarily Asian congregation chooses to organize their practice space? Holy Shit, I can just imagine if I went in and suggested that there should be less golden Buddhas or a more "comfortable" space for me. Would I have an equal say? We always assume that "western" Buddhism does not include Asian congregations and it does. So would a Jodo Shinshu sangha in a Japanese community alter their appearance or layout easily because a few White folk (or any person of color) don't feel comfortable? [I do understand that some Shin temples have changed at great amount of tradition to accomodate Western palates (mostly for meditation) but I sit back and wonder...why? B/c of a few whiny non-Asian practitioners a long tradition is altered? It seems to me to be sad. Or was it to drum up more enrollment? Either way, and my personal opinions aside, it was a difficult choice to change the standard and one I am sure was not taken lightly.]

I agree with the statement that the layout of a sangha will turn away some people and not others but I am somewhat at a lost concerning what should be changed. My sangha meets and practices in the backroom of a yoga studio. Four walls, a ceiling and some shelves for mats. Is this too "white-washed"? Most of the sanghas I have sat with (with the exception of my current one) have a distinctively Asian motif. Usually the standard reductionist, austere Zen set-up. How is this "white-space" other than the fact that white people are present? For the most part it seems to be an "Asian-space".

Perhaps my experience is limited or perhaps I am just lucky but any experience I have had in any sangha has been welcoming regardless of my race or the racial/social make-up of the sangha.

B. We need to address the costs of practice better.

Ah! No argument there. I love my small sangha just for this reason. I work two jobs and weekend shifts so the chances of me getting to a retreat is almost none but the sangha will provide financial help to anyone that needs it. Unfortunately my issue is half with money and half with time so I'm screwed either way.

But just looking at the "dues" that are required at some places exclude me from ever practicing there. So I can imagine that they do limit the practitioners at those specific temples or Zen Centers to a certain racial and economic bracket. This also excludes many "casual" practitioners. People that are only able to practice once or twice a week or month due to family or work obligations. Obligations that do take precedence (despite what others may infer) over any time staring at a wall or chanting.

On-line retreats like the ones offered by Wild Fox Zen is a great way to supplement your practice without having to shell out huge amounts of cash or time. While not the same as an intensive weekend or wekk-long retreet, this medium of practice is much more palatable to those pesky youngsters thateare trying to finish college, start a career or a family.

C. We need to diversify how the dharma is structured and taught.

Dharma does not need to be particularly dense or structured in order for it to be understood. The reason why many of us are attracted to Zen, whether college educated or not, is because we are not primarily interested in the scholarly pursuit of Buddhist teachings and thought. Rather, we are interested in the practice and experience of it.

I think the emphasis on retreat and extensive meditation practice is a huge barrier for many people, and could be one the things that keeps Buddhism in the "West" a small, marginal movement.

I agree completely. We are committed to the aspects of Buddhist practice that we can fit into our daily lives not into the aspects that alienate us from our family, friends and livelihood. A few days ago I had the option of practicing one morning with the local sangha or sitting at home with a beer and my little samsara baby. The choice was easy and obvious. The beer was delicious and samsara baby and I had a great time at the park.

Cheers,

Practicing our Faults in Zen

In a recent post by Jaye over at digitalZENDO he mentioned that...

1. There's only one barrier to not Awakening the Mind. Ourselves. Intellect can be a nice prize, but it doesn't work out to well in Zen. I'm not sure if I mentioned this but it's possible to be "too smart," in Zen. Sometimes we are so intellectual that it makes it impossible to connect and express our intuitive, non-analytical nature. Put another way, intellectualizing is like having a hurricane force wind and then trying to shoot an arrow though a keyhole that's 300 feet away. Good luck with that.

...and while Jaye had a myriad of good points over there and I would love to comment on all of them, I am going to stick with just the concept of over-intellectualizing Zen practice.

When we read too much and attach to much to the philosophy of Buddhism I think we lose touch with the practical, day to day practice of Zen. This is not to say that study is bad or detrimental but it can not be our sole understanding of Buddhism. If we only understand Buddhism through the written record of the sutras or recent commentaries we are limiting ourselves to the understanding of how others practice rather than how we practice.

So...how do we practice? [I am taking a quick break to play in the dirt with Eliza] The quick answer is - we strive. That is it. We strive to be better parents, neighbors, workers, bosses, spouses and offspring. How we do that is completely up to the individual and that individual's history. When people start tossing out terms like "enlightenment", "Luminous Mind" or "Buddha-Nature" they are over-intellectualizing it. We need to move away from the actualizations of those concepts and more towards the actions we take. Those actions will be determined by our faults. If we need to intellectualize anything - we should intellectualize how much we suck in the Three Worlds (I sucked in the past, I suck in the present and in all likelihood I will suck in the future).

To borrow the metaphor introduced by Jaye: We need to stop staring at the keyhole and start paying attention to the actual crafting of our arrows and the stringing of our bows. Without which we will never even have a ghost of a chance of hitting that keyhole.

In the words of Suzuki Shosan:

I don't know the value of the Buddha Way but when it comes to my faults, I know them all too well...you'll have to be prepared to hear over and over about my regret...I know of nothing else of value. You may think that I'm just being humble, but I'm actually sinking into the lowest pit of hell.

I agree. All I know are my faults and those faults craft my present and future practice. I am striving to better myself and remove those faults. Only then can I fashion an arrow to hit that keyhole.

Cheers,

Booze and Buddhism

Since everyone had so much fun discussing the topic of the 5th Precept - I thought that I would line up some of the articles for easy reference (in somewhat lazy chronological order):

• Compassionate teaching of Zen with Beer - Sweep the Dust, Push the Dirt
• Suramerayamajja-pamadatthana-veramani - Marcus's Journal
• Dharma Drinks - Sweep the Dust. Push the Dirt
• Booze and suramerayamajja pamadatthana - The Reformed Buddhist
• Discipline of Sobriety - Marcus's Journal
• Comments of the 5th Precept - Dangerous Harvests
• To Brew or not to Brew - Home Brew Dharma
• One more thought on the 5th Precept - Home Brew Dharma
• To Drink or not to Drink - Barbara's Buddhism Blog
• Proud Fundamentalist Buddhist Scholar - American Buddhist Perspective
• Comment on the 5th Precept - Angry Asian Buddhist
• Dharma Police - The Buddhist Blog
• You're No Buddhist - Love of all Wisdom
  

I don't really have anything more constructive to add on the subject. I thought that the opinions provided in the above posts varied from a literal and concrete interpretation of the precepts to a more adapted view to complete and utter drunkenness.

If I missed any interesting contributions; feel free to include in comments along with your favorite drink (with or without the alcohols).

Cheers,

Zen Inklings

Just a few recent interactions that got my Buddha-Mind rolling...

To a roaming couple of Mormons:

• Mormons: You're Buddhist?


• Me: Yes. You're Mormons?


• Mormons: Yes.


• Me: Wonderful! [hands raised in air for hug] We now understand each other!


• Mormons: [laughing] Is it that easy?


• Me: [hug not received] Should it be more difficult?

The Middle Way:

• Seated at a Booth at a college Community Resource Fair between previously mentioned Mormons on one side and on the other side the local Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Alliance. The Mormons' table had pamphlets and Bibles. The GLBTA table had flavored condoms and purple tubes of something (they were promoting an AIDS fundraising walk). My only thought was that I truly AM the middle path in this case. [No offense to either GLBT or the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Both groups were delightful.]

Twitter conversation with a Viking:

• @ZendirtZendust: Ok, Ironic that a buddhist would talk about moderation while getting blotto.


• @PaganViking: Everything in moderation, including moderation. [of course pagan viking is an alias. Why welcome anyone else on board a sinking, depraved ship such as this?]

Hope you learned something.

Cheers,

Secular Meditation and Youth

With some recent talk about how to attract the younger generation to Buddhism, this article popped up with a great, new, innovative approach. Actually advertise what Buddhist practice does and what results one can expect to find from intense meditative practice. Then present it to that age group in an easy-to-access manner (example - Read The Zennist and then do the exact opposite). No dramatic alteration of the Buddhist canon needed, no comments on how "Hardcore" it is - just simple, direct meditation and results. A few examples from the article:

• the Insight Meditation Society, a Buddhist nonprofit, introduced the retreat specifically for 18- to 32-year-olds in 2004, the number of young adults attending to practice vipassana has steadily risen, said Bob Agoglia, the organization’s executive director.


• The Cambridge Insight Meditation Center, a nonresidential nonprofit, has also seen a stream of curious young adults at its weekly vipassana, or “mindfulness,’’ meditation sessions for beginners, said Peggy Barnes Lenart, the center’s operations coordinator.


• Harvard’s Humanist Chaplaincy, a community for agnostics, atheists, and the nonreligious, started a free, open-to-all group this year that practices different forms of meditation, including Buddhist and Quaker.
  

In all of these examples, Buddhist practice is presented as a process-based, inclusive and/or secular in nature. And it should be presented as such to those who are unfamiliar with the basic practice of Buddhism. If anything, most of the presentation of Buddhism is far too complex and steeped in ritual, philosophy and dogma for most of those completely new to it.

Nothing turns off a person from something new more than the feeling that they don't belong [disclaimer: this is not targeted at Asian congregations or temples. Rather, I am talking about any congregations that have a regular and sometimes intricate liturgy that can make a neophyte feel uncomfortable. That is all]. So rather than bemoan the state of youth or insist that the young are not spiritually ready for the Path that Buddhism sets in front of us, we should be adjusting the presentation so that it is actually useful to that demographic.

In the words of one retreat goer:

“No one’s asking me to profess anything or asking me to call myself Buddhist,’’ said Beckmann, a public health researcher at Boston University who was raised Catholic. “I really appreciate the opportunity to explore.’’

An opportunity to explore the benefits is what needs to be provided. A chance to delve briefly into a practice that while strange or unfamiliar may be able to provide a positive outcome . How do we do this? By providing a secular and inclusive environment for which people of any age can "open up this new way of being". The secular aspect is not meant to take away from Buddhism but rather to provide a more comfortable atmosphere to those of different faiths or no faith what-so-ever. From there one can walk away with a better understanding of Buddhism and a healthier outlook.

Secular meditation - The gateway drug of Buddhism. I started out this way as I am sure many of you out there did as well. The biggest mistake I ever made in my practice was to actually take a class in Buddhism in college. All the heady philosophy and rules thrown at a beginner turned me off from organized practice for almost 5 years.

Cheers,

Homebrewing Sake Mindfully

The following is a beginner's recipe for making sake. There are other, more difficult recipes but this one will produce a nice, smooth, cloudy sake.

What You Need

• A Sieve


• A big, deep brewing pot w/a lid


• A primary fermenter (old glass wine jug. You know the ones...cheap stuff. I like to make my own. The instructions are simple. Purchase cheap jug o' wine. Drink jug o' wine. Save empty jug.)


• Some sort of airlock (you can buy one from whatever store near you that sells brewing supplies)
  

Ingredients

• A little more than 3 lbs of rice (I like Jasmine but any medium or short grain rice will do)


• A little less than 1 lb of Kome-Koji (Some call it Malt-Rice but in reality it is rice with mold growing on it). Some can make it themselves but I usually get the pre-made variety (kindly provided by a friend when she visited Denver) and available at most Asian markets.


• One teaspoon of citric acid (lemon juice) or 4 grams of hops (I have never tried with the hops)


• Almost one gallon of purified (chlorine-free) water


• 5 grams of yeast (wine/champagne yeast or brewers yeast)
  

Process

• Wash all equipment with sanitizer


• Wash rice (NOT with sanitizer) in water until water runs clear. Soak rice for 1-2 hours. Steam rice. When done, let rice cool to 80-90 degrees F.


• Dissolve citric acid in one gallon of water in your brewing pot.


• Add your Komi-Koji. Mix.


• Add steamed rice. Mix.
  
• Transfer to primary fermenter (wine jug). But in rubber stopper and valve (valve will let gasses escape).
  

I should mention that fermentation will be vigorous. I was unprepared for this on my first attempt. I placed even mixtures into mason jars and then sealed them. The resulting build up of gas caused several of the tops to bubble up and eventual pop in a glorious explosion of semi-fermented rice, fungi, yeast and abandoned practice. The resulting smell, while not really bad, was however...strong and pervasive.

Just like ultimate realization, fermentation needs to be allowed to release some pressure.

Imagine each grain of rice as containing a small Buddha. A whole brew pot full of small, identical, unrealized, oblong Buddhas. Each deserved to be treated with the same amount of reverence and respect. Without the fermentation process changing each of those starches to sugars and then those sugars to a fermentables and those fermentables to alcohol the realization of the rice would be unfulfilled and would spend their existence as a starchy side-dish. Thus, I like to think of the fermentation process as the process of each grain of rice realizing their innate Buddha-Nature. Only when the bubbles begin to rise and the rice begins to release that nature do we see the extent of the transformation. If too many fermentables the process stops; if too much yeast the result is murky; if contaminated then the result is ruined. But of main importance is time and balance.

Back to the recipe.

Once secured at room temperature and in a dark cabinet, you need to agitate the mixture daily. You could open your fermenter and stir it with a sanitized spoon but I would rather not take the chance at contamination. I usually just shake the fermenter enough to get the mixture inside to move around a bit. After two days, the rice-Buddhas forget about their individual natures and meld into a chunky white slurry. Small bubbles of Buddha-nature will peculate through the slurry and in approximately two weeks the fermentation will cease.

Strain the resulting slurry into a decanter or if you would like to preserve it for long-term storage you can pasteurize it by slowly heating the liquid in a saucepan for 5 minutes at about 130 degrees F. It will stay for up to 3-5 years bottled at this point if remained unopened. I usually put my whole bunch into one large bottle and then store it in a dark place for a month to age. (unpasteurized is by no means a bad sake. It will be cloudier, smoother and yeastier when unpasteurized and will need to be refridgerated.)

Just remember how many grains of rice realized their true nature through this process and respect their months of striving and diligence. I use my homebrew sake for toasting ancestors, offerings to the Three Treasure as well as offerings to the six directions. Feel free to do the same or something different.

Cheers,

Dharma Drinks

Marcus was nice enough to let me know that he mentioned me in a post about drinking and the Precepts in Buddhist practice where he quoted a past post of mine. Which is fine. It is a well written post and, as with all posts of merit, it made me think. I would recommend everyone check it out. Here is the quote about me...

Just two weeks ago, in an otherwise excellent blog, a zen practitioner wrote, beneath a photo of two people at a bar, that "sometimes 'skillful means' requires oyster shooters and grotesque amounts of wheat beer". Maybe. But this sounds less like 'skillful means' than 'a skillful excuse' to me. I prefer the advice of Master Thich Naht Hahn: "To persuade one person to refrain from drinking is to make the world safer for us all."

First off, thank you for the complement. "Excellent" is a descriptor I rarely get to hear. But my post was mostly on compassion and positive teaching and very little on beer or drinking so I take some exception on the "otherwise" part of your comment.

Actually, the comment about drinking was simply meant to express the need to expand our understanding of teaching beyond temples, zendos, monasteries and meditation halls. We need to approach all aspects of our lives through a lens of compassion. That even includes drinking and celebrating (which are occurrences in any householder's life) and which are, frankly, aspects of the lives of many Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike so why not apply the same lessons of the Dharma to those situations (Hell, seems like they would be right at home there). I still go to a happy hour every once in a while and sometimes even meet up with some Buddhists and talk Dharma. It is non-traditional but hardly bad. But this does punctuate some points recently made by some other bloggers - That much of our practice is up to our own interpretation and insight rather on what others insist as the proper or "real" way of practicing. The 5th Precept is a great example.

While some approach the precepts from the view of prohibitions I prefer the following view:

The Precepts
The precepts are a condensed form of Buddhist ethical practice. They are often compared with the ten commandments of Christianity, however, the precepts are different in two respects: First, they are to be taken as recommendations, not commandments. This means the individual is encouraged to use his/her own intelligence to apply these rules in the best possible way. Second, it is the spirit of the precepts -not the text- that counts, hence, the guidelines for ethical conduct must be seen in the larger context of the Eightfold Path.

The first five precepts are mandatory for every Buddhist, although the fifth precept is often not observed, because it bans the consumption of alcohol. Precepts no. six to ten are laid out for those in preparation for monastic life and for devoted lay people unattached to families....

The above phrasing of the precepts is very concise and leaves much open to interpretation. One might ask, for example, what exactly constitutes false speech, what are untimely meals, what constitutes sexual misconduct, or whether a glass of wine causes heedlessness (from the 5th precept to not take intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness.).

I prefer Buddha's conversations with householders as opposed to the ones to monks. These conversations revolved around the need to be moderate and careful in the indulgences of worldly life. If you need to drink, at least drink to the benefit of all sentient beings (OK, I made that one up but it makes a great toast) and keep your wits about you. If you decide to make the choice to not drink as a part of your practice then great, but remember that your choices are not meant for everyone. There is a fine line that we walk between the reading and interpreting the Dharma and fundamentalism. The moment you say that someone is not a "real" Buddhist for some reason - you start straddling that line

Much of what the Buddha taught to the Householder revolved around happiness in this present life:

There are four things that lead to the welfare and happiness of a family man in this very life. What four? The accomplishment of persistent effort, the accomplishment of protection, good friendship and balanced living...and what is balanced living? A family man knows his income and expenditures and leads a balanced life, neither extravagant nor miserly, so that his income exceeds his expenditures rather than the reverse...by so much the scale has dipped down by so much it has tilted up, so the family man knows a balanced life.

The wealth thus amassed has four sources of dissipation: womanizing, drunkenness, gambling and evil friendship. Just as in the case of a tank with four inlets and outlets, if one should close the inlets and open the outlets, and there would not be adequate rainfall, a decrease rather than an increase of the water could be expected in the tank so that these four things bring about an increase...

For me this reads less of prohibition and more along the lines of balancing out one's life. The sources of dissipation are negatives when brought to a specific extreme. The analogy of rainfall and the tank infers (to me at least) that there is a definite balance to be struck with the vices listed. "Womanizing" doesn't preclude sex and neither does "drunkenness" preclude anyone from drinking. Instead it serves as a lesson in the balancing of extremes. A warning to keep things moderate. While these dissapations are hardly positive (they are framed as something that dissapates happiness, after all) in nature they are only viewed as a negative when they are abused or harm others.

So the point from my original post...

So what happens after we spend all that time gaining knowledge and staring at a wall? Someone comes to learn from us and what do we do? We grab all that knowledge and force it upon the person. We toss quotes and terms and postures and chants. That is not teaching. That is throwing information and hoping that some will get lucky and stick. A good teacher needs to approach a student and determine his/her ability, intent and drive. Then from that assessment we teach to the individual and not at him. That is compassionate teaching and that is Zen.

With those thoughts in mind try to focus how you can practice from day to day without implicitly stating that another teaching is incorrect or unbalanced...and that sometimes "skillful means" requires oyster shooters and grotesque amounts of wheat beer.

If you drink, ensure that you do no harm to others or to yourself when you drink. It is as simple as that. If you wish to take the precepts of a monk and renunciate all worldly pleasures and attachements, then by all means take those on yourself. For me, I am a householder and I try to keep the balance.

Cheers,