Zen Lineages of Soto And Rinzai: Not what you've been told?

I don't know what you haven't heard yet. I propose that I make some broad statements about the situation, answer questions in the comments, and then update the OP itself should it become clear that I've learned what other people haven't learned.

Lineage Origin Story

Huineng was the last Zen Patriarch. In ending the Patriarchal line, Huineng created Zen culture as we understand it: Zen Masters running around causing trouble, all of them Patriarchs. There were many teachers with students who had students who had students, and these relationships were called "Houses", like a family, and this total religious nutbaker named Zongmi who nobody likes except Buddhists claimed that there were five (there weren't) and that they were different (they aren't).

Chinese Origins

Japanese Buddhists claim to have carried on the lineages of two of these Houses, Soto (Caodong) started by Samadhi-has-No-entrance-Dongshan, and Rinzai, started by Linji, who was himself started by Huangbo, who was himself started by Baizhang (he was in the back of the room in the Fox Case) and of course Baizhang was started by Mazu, the Patriarch-After-Huineng, called that because he was so awesome that they wanted to thank him for his awesomeness.

Japanese Lineages actually all Dogen

Japanese Buddhism that calls itself "Zen-Buddhism" is actually a native Japanese religion started by Dogen. Dogen had three phases to his religious domination of Japan, (1) Zazen phase, (2) Rinzai phase, (3) Buddhist phase. The various lineages and practices from Japan all seem to have emerged from Dogen and these three phases. * Zazen prayer meditation - the religion of Shunryu Suzuki, beginner's mind, and samurai bonsai tree trimming Bushido-ers. * This is Zazen Dogenism. People still call this Soto, but is now widely acknowledged not to have a historical or doctrinal connection to Soto. * Hakuin's "Riddle Password One Hand Clapping religious experiences". * This is Hakuin Dogenism. People still call this Rinzai, but it's appears to be historically and doctrinally second phase Dogen. * Critical Buddhism, the rejection of new age-ism, Zen, and other influences on doctrinally rational Buddhism.

It's doctrine, baby!

As we sort of touched on here there is a lot of confusion about Zazen Dogenism in contrast with Hakuin Dogenism because they claim they are doctrinally distinct, but the aren't able to explain how. Do they both have satori/kensho? These words refer to the same thing in Zen, but different things in some branches of Dogen Buddhism.

Is it sudden enlightenment or practice-enlightenment or somehow magically doctrinally both, even if there is no bible passage? Who knows!

Questions so far?

Submitted August 31, 2022 at 05:37AM by ewk https://ift.tt/Eqpgrt6