Frequent commenters Mumon and Petteri exchanged some thoughts on becoming a Buddhist within the Zen tradition (although this would apply to other traditions as well). After describing the Helsinki Zen Center as "an overtly Buddhist group. A religious one, even," Petteri writes,
"This religious approach to Zen clearly limits its appeal. Finland is a highly secularized country with a milquetoast Protestant culture. Religious stuff scares people off."
This may be a bigger issue in Europe than in North America, and the U.S. in particular. Big, loud, in-your-face religiosity is the norm here. I never felt uncomfortable with the religious stuff -- bowing, rituals, etc. -- in Zen.
The bigger issue here is that many people are hostile to religion, not just uncomfortable with it. Sometimes this is because their religious upbringing left some painful residue. And sometimes people associate religion with ignorance and intolerance. And as a child of the Bible Belt myself, I appreciate why people feel that way. However, I don't feel that way.
Petteri continues,
"There is a temptation to water things down. Zazen is great, and there's nothing in it that obviously requires religion or philosophy or ritual. So why not get rid of all that stuff that turns people off, and just do zazen?
"Why not? I really don't have an answer. I do think, though, that I wouldn't have stuck with it even this far if Thursday zazen didn't have the big bell and the hân and the inkin bell, the incense and the fresh flowers on the altar; the vows and the bows. Why? Don't know. Don't really know. I just find I like dressing up as a Jedi and ringing bells."
Yeah, me too! But this sorta kinda relates to a post I wrote last week. Dogen often said that zazen is all that's needed, and in his essay Bendowa he went to far as to say "we never again need to burn incense, to do prostrations, to recite Buddha's name, to practice confession, or to read sutras. Just sit and get the state that is free of body and mind." (Bendowa, Nishijima and Cross translation, p. 6)
However, Dogen also left us instructions about the proper way to burn incense and do prostrations and chant and the rest of it. In fact, I'm told he created rituals for brushing one's teeth and using the toilet. So I doubt Dogen seriously meant that rituals have no function.
I postulate that Dogen's Bendowa was written primarily for the monks of Kyoto, and he was trying to shock them out of over-attachment to the rituals. I don't know enough about the period (early 13th century) to know if that's the case, though.
In my experience the various rituals are a training for bringing zazen into one's life. They create a space to practice zazen while walking, bowing, performing tasks. And from there, it becomes second nature to practice zazen with the rest of your life. As Mumon says, philosophy that can't be put to use isn't, well, of much use.
I'd also say that the whole program -- including dharma talks and rituals -- creates a context for zazen that makes it more powerful than sitting just to benefit oneself.
People forget about the Eightfold Path. Meditation is one of seven other aspects of the path. Just meditation may be beneficial, but it's not Buddhism.
Petteri also discusses taking the formal step of becoming a Buddhist. I don't think there are any "shoulds" with that. If you don't feel a desire to take the refuges and receive the Precepts, then don't. Certainly don't do it just because you think it's expected of you or because all your friends are doing it.
One of the things I most appreciate about Buddhist practice is that it pushes us into a greater self-honesty. You stop "BS"ing yourself about yourself. And taking refuge if it's not really in your heart to do so is not self-honest.
Maybe someday it will be in your heart, and then taking that step will be a much more transformative experience. So don't spoil it through premature refuge-taking.
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