Zen - Principles and Practices

[plwk]

[Matylda]

This is really great and rare documentary... but it is pretty old, over 30 years ago when it was taken, and nobody of those teachers is alive. How sad. Tani Kogetsu and others died long time ago...

The atmosphere of that time was very special since one could feel the breath of great masters like Yamada Mumon, Itsugai and others. It is so different in Japan now....

[Astus]

Interesting introductory film of the myth of Zen. The first half shows the rohatsu sesshin, a single event in an entire year of a monastery, as if Christianity were all about Lent. The second half shows different traditional Japanese arts associated to some extent with Zen, although that is debatable, since they are generally Chinese arts exported to Japan. Comparisons made between medieval Japanese and European culture sounded to me far fetched, especially when it connects a tea house (chashitsu) with a Gothic cathedral.

[plwk]

Well Astus, at the very least, it featured Rinzai, most vids on Zen are Soto-ish that sometimes some may forget that Rinzai exists lol

[Astus]

True, as it was produced by the First Zen Institute of America.

[plwk]

"Those who come are received. Those who go are not pursued."

What an apt quote from their site.... Dharma Wheel should have this in the main banner