As we are in our Jukai Season, I have asked Buddhist scholar and translator JEFFREY KOTYK, who is presently researching at Soto-shu's Komazawa University in Tokyo, to come and offer us a talk on the history and culture of the Precepts. Please give him a warm welcome! Jeff will join and speak during our monthly Zazenkai this weekend ...
LINK HERE:
Our MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI is netcast LIVE this Friday-Saturday at the times indicated, but is sitable and visible at the link provided at any time thereafter!
Jeff has lived in Japan and several other places in Asia for many years, has a Masters Degree in Buddhist Studies from Komazawa University (the Soto-shu college in Tokyo) and is currently working on a Ph.D from Leiden University (in Leiden, Holland). He is presently back at Komazawa for a few months for his Ph.D. research, so I asked him to come speak with us. Besides English (he is from Winnipeg, Canada), Jeff works in and translates from Japanese, modern and classical Chinese and Sanskrit. Jeff undertook Ordination for a time with a very interesting Japanese Teacher who lives in India, but has since put that down (He is is very diverse in his Buddhist beliefs, and does not identify with any one Tradition 
) A list of his many translations and projects is impressive.
More on Jeff can be found here, his blog where he regularly posts very insightful, but also rather realistic and iconoclastic views on Buddhist topics including the Precepts, both how they developed and how they are actually practiced ... for better and worse ... among Buddhists and Buddhist clergy in many places across Asia.
So, I don't really know what he will say! Prepare for Surprises!
Here is an example of the kinds of views Jeff often expresses on his blog and other personal writings, often stirring up the waters ...
Gassho, J
LINK HERE:
Our MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI is netcast LIVE this Friday-Saturday at the times indicated, but is sitable and visible at the link provided at any time thereafter!
) A list of his many translations and projects is impressive.
Guo Jing, "Realization through Hearing in Chan Literature" in Journal of Chinese Buddhist Studies 27 (2014), 129-179.(禪宗語錄公案中耳根圓通及其應用).
Ishii Shūdō, "Dōgen's Views on Practice and Realization and his Dreamed Encounter with Damei Fachang" as presented at Special Session of the Society for the Study of Japanese Religions in Honolulu, Hawaii on April 2nd, 2011. To be published in Journal of Buddhist Philosophy.
Nakamura Gyōmyō, Buddhist Tales for the Soul. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt.Ltd., 2012. (ISBN 978-81-207-6841-3)
Nakamura Gyōmyō, Buddhist Tales in Modern Times: Stories of the Soul. New Delhi: Sterling Paperbacks, 2013. (ISBN 978-81-207-4445-5)
Sheng Yen, Assorted Essays (學術論考 I & II). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming).
Sheng Yen, Commentary on the Praises of the Practices and Aspirations of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (普賢菩薩行願讚講記). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming).
Sheng Yen, Essentials of Bodhisattva Precepts (菩薩戒指要). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Sheng Yen, Living by the Monastic Precepts (). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Sheng Yen, Master Sheng Yen's Commentary on the Sūtra in Forty-Two Sections (佛說四十二章經). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Sheng Yen, Master Sheng Yen's Commentary on the Sūtra of the Buddha's Bequeathed Teachings (佛遺教經). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Sheng Yen, Master Sheng Yen's Commentary on the Sūtra on the Eight Realizations of Great Beings (八大人覺經講記). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Sheng Yen, The Essentials of Buddhist Śīla and Vinaya (戒律學綱要). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Scholarly Contributions
Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (www.buddhism-dict.net/ddb/)
Content collaborator
- 390 entries.
CJKV-English Dictionary (www.buddhism-dict.net/dealt/)
Content collaborator
- 180 entries.
2012-2013 Dharma Drum Mountain (Taipei, Taiwan)
In-house Translator
- Translation of Sheng Yen's work and other Buddhist related material from Mandarin Chinese into English.
- Editing, proofreading and consultation on matters related to Buddhist Studies and translation.
2009-2010 Geumgang University (Korea)
Editor
- The Formation and Transformation of Dilun Thought / 『地論思想の形成と変容』(Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Kokusho Kankōkai, 2010. (ISBN 978-4-336-05239-1)
http://www.hum.leiden.edu/lias/organ...an/kotykj.html
Ishii Shūdō, "Dōgen's Views on Practice and Realization and his Dreamed Encounter with Damei Fachang" as presented at Special Session of the Society for the Study of Japanese Religions in Honolulu, Hawaii on April 2nd, 2011. To be published in Journal of Buddhist Philosophy.
Nakamura Gyōmyō, Buddhist Tales for the Soul. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt.Ltd., 2012. (ISBN 978-81-207-6841-3)
Nakamura Gyōmyō, Buddhist Tales in Modern Times: Stories of the Soul. New Delhi: Sterling Paperbacks, 2013. (ISBN 978-81-207-4445-5)
Sheng Yen, Assorted Essays (學術論考 I & II). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming).
Sheng Yen, Commentary on the Praises of the Practices and Aspirations of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (普賢菩薩行願讚講記). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming).
Sheng Yen, Essentials of Bodhisattva Precepts (菩薩戒指要). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Sheng Yen, Living by the Monastic Precepts (). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Sheng Yen, Master Sheng Yen's Commentary on the Sūtra in Forty-Two Sections (佛說四十二章經). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Sheng Yen, Master Sheng Yen's Commentary on the Sūtra of the Buddha's Bequeathed Teachings (佛遺教經). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Sheng Yen, Master Sheng Yen's Commentary on the Sūtra on the Eight Realizations of Great Beings (八大人覺經講記). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Sheng Yen, The Essentials of Buddhist Śīla and Vinaya (戒律學綱要). Dharma Drum Mountain. (Forthcoming)
Scholarly Contributions
Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (www.buddhism-dict.net/ddb/)
Content collaborator
- 390 entries.
CJKV-English Dictionary (www.buddhism-dict.net/dealt/)
Content collaborator
- 180 entries.
2012-2013 Dharma Drum Mountain (Taipei, Taiwan)
In-house Translator
- Translation of Sheng Yen's work and other Buddhist related material from Mandarin Chinese into English.
- Editing, proofreading and consultation on matters related to Buddhist Studies and translation.
2009-2010 Geumgang University (Korea)
Editor
- The Formation and Transformation of Dilun Thought / 『地論思想の形成と変容』(Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Kokusho Kankōkai, 2010. (ISBN 978-4-336-05239-1)
http://www.hum.leiden.edu/lias/organ...an/kotykj.html
So, I don't really know what he will say! Prepare for Surprises!
Here is an example of the kinds of views Jeff often expresses on his blog and other personal writings, often stirring up the waters ...
The development of a strict Vinaya [rules for Ordained person's behavior] system and organized sangha with formal ordination procedures was probably a slow process (or rather, a slow accumulation of economic, spiritual, cultural and social capitals). Even by the time the Mahāyāna emerges it was still not entirely consolidated and legitimate. ... Nevertheless, the power consolidation of the Vinaya was never absolute in India. The fact of the matter is that a lay priesthood developed early on, much to the dismay of Vinaya proponents. In a future post we will have to take a look at how such a non-monastic Buddhist priesthood existed in ancient India plus later developments on the subcontinent and elsewhere.
At this point we might wonder where Buddhism(s) can go from here. As outlined above a lot of the original democratic ideas as the Buddha proposed them were either ignored or rendered obsolete. In foreign lands they were simply alien and consequently not implemented. However, in a modern liberal democratic country with universal suffrage, the cultural environment within which democratic principles are appreciated and respected might lend itself to more egalitarian power structures. Spiritual leadership could be decided by the vote of all members, senior and junior, rather than appointment. This already happens in many places, but then at the same time foreign power structures are either reproduced or affirmed in lands where Buddhism is still in its infancy, thus undermining any movement towards real equality (this assumes enough people want equality).
We do not have to have appointed titles, strict hierarchies and gender inequalities in our organizations, and all things considered we might as well be better off without them if our cultural background is essentially in favour of equality. In other words what works in one culture will not necessarily be optimal in another.
This might be an ideal, but nevertheless it could be implemented. One obstacle of course is beliefs that depend on institutional authority. One example of this is the idea of "Dharma transmission" which is an undemocratic transfer of spiritual and sometimes institutional authority from master to disciple in Zen and Chan. If the community really believes this somehow entitles the appointed leader to special privileges, exemptions and teaching rights, then egalitarian ideals will just remain ideals.
One alternative would be to simply go back to the Buddha's original intent: be an island onto yourself and place spiritual authority into the abstract Dharma rather than individuals, in which case the right to teach and the respect that comes with being a guide would be determined based on one's knowledge and implementation of the Dharma rather than some kind of institutionalized sanctioning and/or title.
At this point we might wonder where Buddhism(s) can go from here. As outlined above a lot of the original democratic ideas as the Buddha proposed them were either ignored or rendered obsolete. In foreign lands they were simply alien and consequently not implemented. However, in a modern liberal democratic country with universal suffrage, the cultural environment within which democratic principles are appreciated and respected might lend itself to more egalitarian power structures. Spiritual leadership could be decided by the vote of all members, senior and junior, rather than appointment. This already happens in many places, but then at the same time foreign power structures are either reproduced or affirmed in lands where Buddhism is still in its infancy, thus undermining any movement towards real equality (this assumes enough people want equality).
We do not have to have appointed titles, strict hierarchies and gender inequalities in our organizations, and all things considered we might as well be better off without them if our cultural background is essentially in favour of equality. In other words what works in one culture will not necessarily be optimal in another.
This might be an ideal, but nevertheless it could be implemented. One obstacle of course is beliefs that depend on institutional authority. One example of this is the idea of "Dharma transmission" which is an undemocratic transfer of spiritual and sometimes institutional authority from master to disciple in Zen and Chan. If the community really believes this somehow entitles the appointed leader to special privileges, exemptions and teaching rights, then egalitarian ideals will just remain ideals.
One alternative would be to simply go back to the Buddha's original intent: be an island onto yourself and place spiritual authority into the abstract Dharma rather than individuals, in which case the right to teach and the respect that comes with being a guide would be determined based on one's knowledge and implementation of the Dharma rather than some kind of institutionalized sanctioning and/or title.
Also, thank you again for taking the time and leading our teaching during Zazenkai, was a wonderful talk! =)
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