Dogen Sangha Blog

  by Gudo NISHIJIMA

Japanese / German

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Dear Leaders of Dogen Sangha

Please let us know what you have learnt by just sitting and listening to Dogen´s teachings.
It´s now time to act without hesitation. Let us know your personal opinion to Master Gudo
Wafu Nishijima´s decision for Brad Warner and tell us about your opinion on Master Gudo
Wafu Nishijima´s life-work on Dogen,Nagarjuna and his results for a future realistic Buddhism.
All your effort for this Sangha, all respect for Gudo !

Sincerly
Siegfried Hohlfeld

Dear Dr Siegfried Hohlfeld,

Thank you very much for your serious questions. The reason, why I have selected Brad Warner as my successor in Dogen Sangha International, comes from that I think that USA is the centrally civilized country through the world today, but at the same time even in my case it is very difficult for me to grasp the so developed civilizations in USA, and so it is necessary for me to select a person, who has ability to understand USA civilization as far as possible. Because of such reason I selected Brad Warner as my successor in Dogen Sangha International.

Relating of my own life, I have become 87 years old already, but I am even now keeping still so many important Buddhist knowledge, which I have to tell to all people on the earth before my death, if it is possible. Because of accomplishment for such a purpose I will continue Dogen Sangha Blog as far as possible until my death. In my case I have studied Buddhism for more 70 years everyday, and have practiced Zazen 2 times a day for more than 65 years already, and so I would like to tell all people, who are sicere to study Buddhism, what I know on it totally relying Dogen Sangha Blog as far as possible.

Looking at the world situations today, I think that the most serious situations of human civilization may be the so blind belief in the two wrong philosophies of idealism, and materialism. Of course I revere so much the two excellent philosophies of idealism and materialism, which have guided human civilizations for thousands of years, but I recognize that the time, when we, human beings, should notice the wrongness of idealism and materialism, has arrived at actually in 21st Century at last.
Now a days by practicing Zazen we can experience the balanced state of the autonomic nervous system, and then we can have the time when there is no consideration and no sense perception actually. In other words we can experience the time of action, which does not have any consideration, or sense perception.
And so by such an experience we can enter into the area of action, and we can notice the clear existence of action, which is completely different from ideas or sense perception. Then we can enter into a new area of Reality, and it is the beginning of Buddhist Realism in 21st Century.

Now if we look at the real situations of the world today, even though we do not recognize them so clearly, we can notice some kinds of so enormous progress in our daily life.
For example among the 7, 8, or 9 powerful countries in the world, the presidents of them have become to have their international meetings several times a year already, and they discuss so many important problems, which have so seriously valuable meaning among them, and those international decisions among them, works actually later in the real international relations of many countries in the world today. Therefore I suppose that even though such a small kind of meeting among several presidents of the powerful countries today seems to be a kind of very small baby as the official cabinet of the immatured World State.
At the same time even today there are so many national flags are standing in the central street of New York City. And looking at such a concret scenery I sometimes feel that a miniature parliament of the World State has been established already in New York.
In another viewpoint we can suppose the establishment of World Districts in the World, for example, North American district, South American district, European district, Asian district, Islamic district, African district, and so forth.
And thinking such situations I suppose that there is possibility that the World State will be established in several centuries actually, and at that time I think that it is also necessary for human beings to establish the two factors, the one is the strongest power, and the other might be the utimate Truth.

2 Comments:

Blogger SlowZen said...

To the Sangha,

I am not a dharma heir but in my daily life I deal with leadership issues on a moment to moment basis. Here are some thoughts, not mine, but something I think folks around here may wish to contemplate.

Cycle of poor leadership:

Condescending Authoritarian
Leadership:
Power (Rank, billet, etc)
Immaturity
Insecurity (Something to prove)
Jealousy
“Baggage” (Stereotypes, prejudices)

Leads to:

Abuse of Power
Poor Judgment
Unethical Conduct
Low Morale

Leads to:
Members of the community Observe, Experience, & “Do Unto Others”

Steps to good leadership:
Seek self-improvement
Set a GOOD Example for others to follow
Have a mentor & be a mentor
Promote professional/ethical behavior in your sangha
Be Professional
Educate yourself
Communicate / Listen / Understand
Give Respect – Get Respect!

Gassho,
Jordan

1:00 AM, August 02, 2007  
Blogger Mysterion said...

Leader of Dogen Sangha International

The issue of the new leader was decided in the traditional way.

I think you meant to write "Leaders of Dogen Zendos."

circumambulate the zendo
contemplate the Way
a straightforward mind
distinguishes not night from day
wander north to east then south
but with compassion quietly say:
"value silence."

11:21 AM, August 02, 2007  

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