Zen in Popular Culture (what motivated you to practice?)

[Juki]

I have been reading Alan Watts and listening to his lectures since the early nineties. This led me to the Suzukis and to additional Buddhist literature, which I devoured over the course of the years. I found Zen philosophy very appealing, and I always called myself a Buddhist. But practice makes a Buddhist, not study. And yet, I did not practice for many years.

What got me to practice was the portrayal of Zen in popular culture. Although it may seem odd, I started sitting after seeing the movie "Fight Club," which has nothing to do with sitting but plenty to do with Zen (in an odd sort of way). My call to the cushion, so to speak, came the first time I heard Tyler Durden utter these words: "you are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else."

strange story, but true. Anyone else motivated by a popular culture reference?

gassho (and thank you for indulging me),
william

[Daijo]

No. But that's a great movie and a very cool story of what led you to the cushion. I kind of wish it was mine! Either way, I'm going to use that Tyler Durden line for my Facebook Status today. So thanks for that William!

[6yx]

Nothing pop culture for me either, but I like what you observe about fight club.

Although in retrospect it could have been for me all those Kung Fu movies with the fighters becoming "transcendent" at one point or another, to overcome the villain.

Now that I think about it more it wasn't any actual "finger pointing at the moon" via pop culture, but many road signs here and there, through out pop culture.

I like your question, and how you picked up the sitting.

Thank you.

[Nameless]

I had been gravitating toward Zen for most of my life, I just wasn't aware of it. I had a pop culture inspiration to get me started recently though as well. I was watching the show "Life" on Netflix. A cop is framed for murdering a family and sent to prison for 12 years before they re-open the case and find that none of the DNA links him to the murders so he's released. While in there, he started researching Zen and it is a big part of the character who is very witty, eccentric and often making profound observations. I was impressed by some of the things he said and also by his demeanor in general. He if often shown reading a book on the show called The Path to Zen. I researched it and found that it wasn't real but there IS a book called the Path of Zen by Robert Aiken. After reading it, I knew that it was the path for me.

Gassho,
John

[Kyonin]

My interest in Buddhism came from Star Wars and martial arts, when I was a kid.

Of course in the movies they don't talk about Buddhism per se, but I found the Jedi ways very appealing.

When I was about 12 I started training Karate-Do with a Korean sensei. He was a Buddhist and he used to talk to us about the Buddha after the class. He gave me some photocopies of a Bodhidharma book and martial arts and I started to read everything I could, which wasn't much because Buddhism here is not popular and Spanish books were really hard to find.

Then in my teenage days, when my English was good enough to read books, I begun borrowing and buying all I could. From books to movies or even manga.

Years later I began training Aikido and did a lot of reading about Ueshiba Morihei Sensei and that lead me to books about Zen. I was a free roaming Buddhist at the time, so I slowly turned my practice to Zen.

Even more years later, I'm here posting this

Gassho,

Kyonin

[arthus]

Philosophy, the study of people and their reliance on fictional structural creations which allow them to explain the world. David Hume was the first to say it in English. No-self, no power, all fiction. While the lineage is different, Western philosophy finally came to the conclusion of Bodhidharma. Focus on the moment, on the personal sensations and reflections. Just sit.

Can we explain the personal and ever-changing world?

"Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass the world is too full to talk about." -Rumi

Edit: Jedi's for sure and The Force

[Amelia]

I know the movie is filled with inaccuracies, but "Memoirs of a Geisha" did something to me. Later, looking into what it is actually like to be a maiko or geiko I learned about the amount of detail that goes into their work and lifestyle. It gave me this desire to practice something and become really good at it. I thought of delving seriously into art or music, which is what I was into at the time, and when my interest in Buddhism began my fascination for geishas helped me to see the beauty and use of practice and learn certain aspects of Japanese culture and etiquette.

Plus I've always wanted to wear a beautiful kimono. When I found out my grandma has a very old one my grandpa brought her I 'bout died.

[Rich]

Yes, alan watts had a big influence on my zen direction also.

[Andrea1974]

I started my way back to Zen reading Alan Watt ...and I find that interesting because AW did not actually believe much in sitting meditation. In terms of popular colture I was highly impressed by the movie "the last samurai" which I enjoyed greatly. I get a little remindar of how much I like Eastern Philosophi every time I put my Nike shoes on...just do it!

Gassho, A

[Emmet]

No pop culture inspirations...I'm somewhat of a cultural infidel.

I started practicing because I didn't want to suffer.
After a while, I discovered that I didn't want any living being to suffer, either.
That's when I became a Buddhist.

[Kokuu]

When I was a teenager I read Shiké, Last of the Zinja by Robert Shea. The Zinja were a group of fictional, although historically not unlikely, warrior monks in feudal Japan with a Zen like approach to life and war. One of the quotes I remember (as I remember it) is:

"A Zinja finds no happiness in things under heaven for they are not eternal. A Zinja finds no happiness in eternal things, for there are no eternal things. A Zinja finds happiness in nothing at all."

In addition to that I found the idea of Jedi inspiring (cultural trivia - Yoda was based on a real Tibetan Lama, Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche). Although both of those notions had too much violence attached, I very much like that they were dedicated to making the world a better place.

I started practicing because I didn't want to suffer.
After a while, I discovered that I didn't want any living being to suffer, either.
That's when I became a Buddhist.

Piobair, that sounds like the perfect reason and I have read several accounts that suggest that Hinayana (although I dislike the term) and Mahayana are actually different stages of the path rather than different schools. Most of us start out wanting to escape personal suffering and at some point realise that all beings are experiencing the same and don't want anyone to have to suffer.

I imagine that even without the cultural pushes, most of us would have found our way onto the path but we found something in those books or films which resonated with how we were thinking and showed that another way of living was possible. A teacher of mine calls this 'The quiet tap on the shoulder' after which it is very difficult to go back to living in the same way. I guess we had already swallowed the red pill.

[Jinyo]

Brilliant thread - thanks William.

Kyonin - I love the phrase 'free roaming Buddhist' - think this is what I've been my 60 years on this planet and finally coming home.

Arthus - the quote from Rumi is close to my heart - it's one of my earliest journal entries when I was struggling with a lot of emotional pain - puts things in perspective every time I read it.

Thanks for sharing everyone,

Gassho

Willow

[richss]

1. The Big Lebowski was one influence. I really dig that movie. While not overtly Buddhist, the fall out of folks calling the Dude some kind of Zen Master caught my interest.

This past year this came together nicely with the Jeff Bridges and Bernie Glassman book "The Dude and the Zen Master." Which was more a jam session of two "Dudes" than it was a solid book on Zen.


2. The Matrix bolstered some interest in Eastern philosophies.


Gassho,

Richard

[Juki]

1. The Big Lebowski was one influence.

"The Dude abides."

wow, this thread has turned out to be fun. All kinds of great responses. Thanks to all of you for sharing.

Gassho,
William

[Jundo]

I must admit, as a boy of about twelve ... 'Kung Fu' was probably my first exposure to the Zen tradition. And ya know, I do not remember it as a bad lesson at all. Be like the bamboo ... bend as one needs to bend with life (but, if to protect widows and orphans ... be willing to clear the room). Not sure what meditation he was absorbed in here though ...



As was said, the teachings presented were often pretty good ... right from old Lao Tzu, Confucius and the Buddha too) ...

Master Po:

Who can know himself well enough to speak for all? Who is so well founded to hear all? The sage says 'Shape clay into a vessel; cut doors and windows for a room; it is the spaces with which make it useful' So we must listen for the spaces between us.


-- Episode No. 55

Young Caine:

Do evil demons exist?
Master Kan:

Do wars, famine, disease and death exist? Do lust, greed and hate exist? They are man's creation, brought into being by the dark side of his nature.


-- Episode No.46

Master Po:

One cannot feel joy unless one can also feel despair. We have no capacity for Good without an equal capacity for Evil


-- Episode No. 36

Master Po:

The undiscerning mind is like the root of a tree--it absorbs equally all that it touches--even the poison that would kill it.


-- Episode No. 19

Master Kan:

See the Way of life as a stream. A man floats, and his way is smooth. The same man, turning to fight upstream, exhausts himself. To be One with the Universe, each must find his true path and follow it


-- Episode No. 11

Young Caine:

Then life must be always defended?
Master Kan:

The thorn defends the rose. It harms only those who would steal the blossom from the plant


-- Episode No. 4

Caine: Is it good to seek the past, Master Po? Does it not rob the present?


Master Po: If a man dwells on the past, then he robs the present. But if a man ignores the past, he may rob the future. The seeds of our destiny are nurtured by the roots of our past.


-- Episode No. ??

Master Kan:

What frightened you?
Young Caine:

[Awoken from his meditation] I heard the Silence, Master.
Master Kan:

You have experienced Oneness [To help Caine understand Master Kan asks Caine about the silkworm]
Young Caine:

The silkworm dies, the moth lives, yet they are not two separate beings but one and the same.
Master Kan:

It is the same with a man. His false beliefs must die, so that he may know the joy of the Way. What you felt in the Silence is real. Something in you is dying. It is called Ignorance.


-- Episode No. 41

Master Kan: Quickly as you can, snatch the pebble from my hand.

[Young Caine tries to do so and fails]

Master Kan: When you can take the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave.

Gassho, J

PS - On a "serious" note, it is always a good thing for folks to know the biographies of the guys on the crew, so especially for newer folk (because other folks have heard it all before), here is some biographical info on Taigu, Jundo and the Gang ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?4921-Treeleaf-s-Teachers-and-Novice-Priests