It could..and here's why I think it will...
Married clergy and the increase in 'lay teachers'.
We're in a weird time. Westerners are in a unique position to be both dedicated practitioners and sangha members while also being able to dedicate themselves to job and family. I know, this has been noted before, and Jundo's 'Protestant Minister' ideal seems to be a pretty good idea. Celibacy and the monastic system by necessity have carried us very far - a system of clergy to carry on the core of the practice has been beneficial in carrying the tradition forward for thousands of years. And yet... this model does not seem perfectly poised in a modern age.
My own situation is unique, but I've been studying it for awhile and have come to the conclusion that my 'three days work, four days off' situation has allowed me much time to develop my practice. I've mostly been neglecting that practice, but the opportunity is there! We are no longer agrarian farmers or industrial workers who have had to decide how best to partition our time. Our consumerist society by design must include enough 'free time' to dedicate to .... well, so far - consumption. But that consumptive time - those minute-acres of time-space - need not be dedicated to buying time-consumptive 'widgets' which we must maintain and perpetuate.
I think that the Japanese Soto model of married clergy definitely translates, with some modernizing, into a period where there can be a real boom in Buddhist practice in the West. Protestant ministers and the whole protestant system has never had much of, if any, meditative tradition. In fact, even Catholicism has, until recently, abandoned it's meditative tradition and is only now re-introducing the idea to a skeptical mass of believers. Zen has never abandoned this tradition - in fact, it is the core of the practice - as Will continually drives home (thanks, Will!). Mature consumptive societies like those in the west feel increasingly disconnected and 'un-communitied'. The dissatisfaction of consumerism is starting to wear on many of us.
The key is keeping the 'core' of the practice while also adapting it to a modern society - and bringing that core to our consumptive society may well be seen as 'useful' to a skeptical, dissatisfied, disconnected, and disenchanted population. Monotheistic mythology-based religions are in crisis - agrarian myths just don't hold up to modern scrutiny. 'Tribal' 'us vs. them' theologies are hard to maintain in light of our modern world.
Zen has very little of that baggage.
Discuss (or don't).
Chet
Married clergy and the increase in 'lay teachers'.
We're in a weird time. Westerners are in a unique position to be both dedicated practitioners and sangha members while also being able to dedicate themselves to job and family. I know, this has been noted before, and Jundo's 'Protestant Minister' ideal seems to be a pretty good idea. Celibacy and the monastic system by necessity have carried us very far - a system of clergy to carry on the core of the practice has been beneficial in carrying the tradition forward for thousands of years. And yet... this model does not seem perfectly poised in a modern age.
My own situation is unique, but I've been studying it for awhile and have come to the conclusion that my 'three days work, four days off' situation has allowed me much time to develop my practice. I've mostly been neglecting that practice, but the opportunity is there! We are no longer agrarian farmers or industrial workers who have had to decide how best to partition our time. Our consumerist society by design must include enough 'free time' to dedicate to .... well, so far - consumption. But that consumptive time - those minute-acres of time-space - need not be dedicated to buying time-consumptive 'widgets' which we must maintain and perpetuate.
I think that the Japanese Soto model of married clergy definitely translates, with some modernizing, into a period where there can be a real boom in Buddhist practice in the West. Protestant ministers and the whole protestant system has never had much of, if any, meditative tradition. In fact, even Catholicism has, until recently, abandoned it's meditative tradition and is only now re-introducing the idea to a skeptical mass of believers. Zen has never abandoned this tradition - in fact, it is the core of the practice - as Will continually drives home (thanks, Will!). Mature consumptive societies like those in the west feel increasingly disconnected and 'un-communitied'. The dissatisfaction of consumerism is starting to wear on many of us.
The key is keeping the 'core' of the practice while also adapting it to a modern society - and bringing that core to our consumptive society may well be seen as 'useful' to a skeptical, dissatisfied, disconnected, and disenchanted population. Monotheistic mythology-based religions are in crisis - agrarian myths just don't hold up to modern scrutiny. 'Tribal' 'us vs. them' theologies are hard to maintain in light of our modern world.
Zen has very little of that baggage.
Discuss (or don't).
Chet
Maybe more Yoga.
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