Discrimination in the SZBA: Small Changes, BIG BARRIERS

[Rich]

In some states it's not necessary to go to law school to be a lawyer although one still has to pass the Bar to practice law regardless of formal education.

It would be nice if all priests had to pass the "Bar" to practice. This would solve the problem.

Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

Do you mean pass a written test or have a refreshing drink [emoji484]

Sat/lah



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jishin]

Discrimination in the SZBA: Small Changes, BIG BARRIERS

Do you mean pass a written test or have a refreshing drink [emoji484]

Sat/lah



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

https://testmaxprep.com/blog/lsat/become-a-lawyer-without-law-school?tm=1&campaignid=8405076164&adgroupid=85882973036&adid=483287817482&gclid=Cj0KCQjwm6KUBhC3ARIsACIwxBi9wEbVWdnptSWm_vcTdUw49PG7Ff-RJLQAHRfocZyK5-QyaoqtJ40aAunxEALw_wcB

Sometimes bartending requires licensure too.

https://home.binwise.com/blog/do-you-need-a-license-to-bartend

[emoji3]


Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

[Bion]

In some states it's not necessary to go to law school to be a lawyer although one still has to pass the Bar to practice law regardless of formal education.

It would be nice if all priests had to pass the "Bar" to practice. This would solve the problem.

Gassho, Jishin, ST, LAH

I guess, to use your comparison, the bar is passed by receiving ordination as a monk. That is something a transmitted priest is fully authorized to do. The other side is like a funky organization of lawyers saying: yeah, we won’t let you in our little group and will not recognize you as one of us cause we’re all from Harvard and you went to a tiny university. Like in Mean Girls “ YOU CAN’T SIT WITH US”.
As far as I’ve looked into things, if everyone were to be registered with Sotoshu, there would be a standardized requirement list for all monks. But these are local cliques and organizations. We have one in Europe as well, and the director is actually a dharma heir of Zuigaku Rempo as well [emoji3526] I would assume our European monks would try to join this particular association, rather than the very exclusive, fancy American one [emoji1]
Jundo is putting up a good fight though, and I can see this means a lot to him.


Sorry for the length of this!

[emoji1374] Sat Today

[Jundo]

Jundo is putting up a good fight though, and I can see this means a lot to him.

Perhaps means too much, but we all can get fixated on something sometimes.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Bion]

Perhaps means too much, but we all can get fixated on something sometimes.

Gassho, J

STLah

I admire how much you’re willing to fight because you feel it’s the right thing to do! So, bows to you for that! [emoji2309] [emoji2309] [emoji2309]

[emoji1374] Sat Today

[Tokan]

Hello everyone, wow what a debate!

I parked this one in my favourites and have just got around to reading it. To me, balance is important. All beings should be able to enter the path of the priesthood if they believe this is appropriate for them, but you should hold the goal of becoming a priest lightly, i.e. don't fixate on it. Read the treeleaf guidelines on becoming a priest; wholehearted zen practice is much like this pathway, a priest just makes some 'other' commitments to serve. There are many ways to 'save all beings' and you don't have to be a priest to organise a sitting group. In the West, we are obsessed with credentials, to the extent that you don't actually have to be good at your job, as long as you are qualified. But, of course, there is a balance. A Master's Degree will not automatically make me better at my job, much like a 90 day retreat will not necessarily make me a 'better Buddhist'. When I, 25 years ago, decided not to become a zen monk, and therefore a priest, with 25 years of reflection and service to my community in social work and then nursing, I do not consider that this path has put me at a disadvantage in respect of the service I could provide to my community if I were to become a zen priest. Sure, I have not done the prescribed 'work' to get there, but sometimes you have to serve (and I've done a Tour in Afghanistan too), to understand what service is and how the myriad dharmas work through you in your perpetual attempt to fulfil the bodhisattva vows. For me, Buddhist institutions should not be waiting to be called to remove discrimination from their processes, they should be leading the charge! As has been described here, the notion of what a priest is has to be challenged and adapted to. Do we only need officiating or teaching priests? What about the person who spends years learning traditional Chinese or Japanese writing techniques in order to copy and preserve zen's heritage? Is that person not worthy of a respectful title, I would surely bow to that person even if I were the head of the Sotoshu. Zen is a constant 'conversation with the modern world' and each day we determine what is important - eat breakfast, wash bowl, walk dog, take kids to school, go to work, and so on. Zen in the West does not have the pedigree or historical authority of it's root traditions. At the end of the day, I believe we must ask ourselves what we want from our historically young traditions and not seek to compare them to the well-established Western Christian traditions in a bid for legitimacy. Zen, unlike many other religious traditions, likes to do-the-dance with it's host, so I believe we also need to consider that the journey of zen in the West is far from over, and many more surprising turns lay ahead. Before COVID, the idea of an online sangha was widely criticised, now look at how many other traditions now use their own version of the treeleaf sitting rooms! Treeleaf can 'turn the light inwards' on the zen institutions once again with our championing of differently abled and diverse ancestors and priests.

Thank you for all your contributions, this has been a very interesting and insightful debate.

Gassho, Tokan

SATLAH