Anyone who has experienced the unpleasant effects of a mass delusion knows the issue with believing others just because they agree with each other. This is known as 'succumbing to peer pressure'. Of course, where would we be without friends? This is why we have Zen Masters and Zen Masters' records.
An unfortunate side effect of Reddit is that those who have the closest understanding frequently get downvoted, as this forum runs on populism. Hence the old adage 'Let's talk about what Zen Masters actually teach.'
They weren't known for getting caught on labels or hating others for their poverty, etc.
They were known for living in difficult conditions, having massive walls around them that only sincere practitioners could get through.
I remember a saying from Yunmen where a student asked him about a teaching that a more popular teacher (for the time) was giving. Yunmen's response was (paraphrased) 'If that's what you care about, go and study with them.'
If anyone can quote it fully I'd be grateful. I read it in Urs Apps's book.
Other suggestions for discussions below:
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other zen records on this theme
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personal experiences with mass delusion (I think we may need an OP on what is and is not a personal experience)
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is there a more accurate name for this phenomenon?
Thank you for reading.
Submitted June 02, 2019 at 09:22AM by AbjectEntrance http://bit.ly/2MmUglt
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