We received an anonymous comment implicating another teacher as abusive. It is not our practice to publish such a comment without some substantiation. A link to reliable information would be helpful. Thank you for your understanding. -tom aitken
Roshi is pactically an accessory after the fact for failing to put people on reasonable notice of what he knew was an abomination waiting to unfold,(in the shape of Shimano). Why did he do nothing, you might ask? Because he didn't want to endanger the prospect of getting the ring of transmission from Nakagawa / Yasutani / Yamada, or indeed anyone who would give it to him, (he ultimately got it from Yamada).
In contrast Kapleau had enough spine to alienate Yasutani over Shimano's ways and had to go it alone, creating his own lineage.
If you stick your nose into any corner of the world of zen people you will find the most repulsive and disgusting stink my friends. Caveat emptor.
What I don't buy is the claim that Aitken did not take a stand. The evidence is online of activities going back to Eido's silence when Aikten tried to confront him.
Sasaki said use eye drops in the eyes to clear things up. Don't put them where it stinks, that's when all you see...
If you bother to carefully review the files located at shimanoarchive.com I think you will see there is considerable evidence that Aitken was concerned for the reputation of Zen Buddhism as well as the welfare of those negatively impacted by him. What justifies your opinion that his desire for transmission had him hold his tongue? There is plenty of evidence that he was active behind the scenes at various times. Like many of those came later, he had trusted that Soen and Yasutani would control or disenfranchise Shimano.
BTW -- Ultimately Soen did denounce Shimano privately and where it counted publicly. Apparently, he never finalized his transmission to Shimano: he never formally announced Shimano's transmission at Ryutaku-ji, and he never entered Shimano's transmission in the official records. This information can be found in the shimanoarchives as well.
However, I, and undoubtedly others, who would like to know more about what you know about Kapleau's behind the scenes efforts with Yasutani respect to Shimano's behavior and whether, as you seem to imply, that it was this involvement that was a primary factor leading to his break with Yasutani. There are many interesting but painful and, perhaps, instructive stories in the transmission of Zen Buddhism to America.
Re: Anonymous July 29 Thank you. Here is a link re: para 2. http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDF's/19841120_Aitken_Rosemary.pdf BTW don't mean to be nitpicky but para 1 should say "negatively impacted by Shimano" because, as it now stands, it sounds like you are referring to Aitken. Gassho
Congratulations on taking a stand, roshi.
ReplyDeleteNeither abuse nor un-owned hearsay is acceptable
Triangulating, false witnessing, 3rd party whispers & spectator innuendo are not courageous conversations.
Courageous conversations occur 1 to 1 between real people with real names not 1 to anonymous.
"Congratulations on taking a stand roshi"? Ha!!!
ReplyDeleteRoshi is pactically an accessory after the fact for failing to put people on reasonable notice of what he knew was an abomination waiting to unfold,(in the shape of Shimano). Why did he do nothing, you might ask? Because he didn't want to endanger the prospect of getting the ring of transmission from Nakagawa / Yasutani / Yamada, or indeed anyone who would give it to him, (he ultimately got it from Yamada).
In contrast Kapleau had enough spine to alienate Yasutani over Shimano's ways and had to go it alone, creating his own lineage.
If you stick your nose into any corner of the world of zen people you will find the most repulsive and disgusting stink my friends. Caveat emptor.
What I don't buy is the claim that Aitken did not take a stand. The evidence is online of activities going back to Eido's silence when Aikten tried to confront him.
ReplyDeleteSasaki said use eye drops in the eyes to clear things up. Don't put them where it stinks, that's when all you see...
To Anon July 22 3:13pm:
ReplyDeleteIf you bother to carefully review the files located at shimanoarchive.com I think you will see there is considerable evidence that Aitken was concerned for the reputation of Zen Buddhism as well as the welfare of those negatively impacted by him. What justifies your opinion that his desire for transmission had him hold his tongue? There is plenty of evidence that he was active behind the scenes at various times. Like many of those came later, he had trusted that Soen and Yasutani would control or disenfranchise Shimano.
BTW -- Ultimately Soen did denounce Shimano privately and where it counted publicly. Apparently, he never finalized his transmission to Shimano: he never formally announced Shimano's transmission at Ryutaku-ji, and he never entered Shimano's transmission in the official records. This information can be found in the shimanoarchives as well.
However, I, and undoubtedly others, who would like to know more about what you know about Kapleau's behind the scenes efforts with Yasutani respect to Shimano's behavior and whether, as you seem to imply, that it was this involvement that was a primary factor leading to his break with Yasutani. There are many interesting but painful and, perhaps, instructive stories in the transmission of Zen Buddhism to America.
Re: Anonymous July 29
ReplyDeleteThank you. Here is a link re: para 2.
http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDF's/19841120_Aitken_Rosemary.pdf
BTW don't mean to be nitpicky but para 1 should say "negatively impacted by Shimano" because, as it now stands, it sounds like you are referring to Aitken.
Gassho
Anon July 30, 2010 7:29 PM
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link and the picked nit.
Palms Together.