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*English, Japanese & Polish subtitles available Scott Mangis is a former US Marine who now lives his life as a Zen monk near Tokyo, Japan. We explore Scott's…
Anshu,
Thank you for this. I've been a "suit" in the public and private sector so I can very much relate to this..... What really spoke to me was his reason for becoming a zen monk : "to find out the truth about [our] selves..."
This is the first in a series of teachings by my teacher, Zen master Jinen-san. *English subtitles with this video (Click CC).Here is a better version of the...
Just got around to watching this. I really enjoyed the sentence about "The Me before my mother and father met". That was very thought provoking.... which may be a bad thing in a place of no thoughts haha.
Unlike in India, Thailand and other places in South Asia, "Takuhatsu" (travelling door to door accepting donations in one's bowl, usually of food in South Asia) was never widely accepted in the general culture in China and Japan when Buddhism arrived there. The general population in those countries generally did not understand or support the custom ... Thus, the monks there typically would only go out sometimes, and then as primarily a special or symbolic practice. It is still so in Japan (as can be seen in the video of the Monk Marine, most Japanese just walk past).
(The "Ho" heard recited in the video means "Law" or "Dharma," as in the Laws of the Universe and Buddha's Teachings on such. As you can see, not too many people are rushing out of their houses to give offerings as might be seen, for example, in Burma or Thailand)
I would say that the practice of Takuhatsu is even less understood culturally in America and Europe, and even more infrequently Practiced for that reason, although a few groups will go out from time to time. In fact, mendicancy may violate laws on "panhandling" in many jurisdictions.
Personally, I support and would like to develop a form of "Takuhatsu" to fit Western culture, and it would be a Buddhist version of "Trick or Treat for Unicef" or "Salvation Army Collections" and the like which Zen groups might engage in at certain holiday seasons. It is a lovely Practice of humility and generosity, in which Giver, Receiver, Gift and Giving are One.
("Takuhatsugasa", which you mention, refers to the traditional straw hat you see the monk wearing).
Gassho, Jundo
PS - New York, Paris, Tokyo and other major cities have been plagued by "fake monks" from the Chinese mafia and various religious cults who hit tourists for money. I am sure that Scott in the video (Taigu practices Takuhatsu too from time to time) also is judged a fake by some folks, simply by being a foreigner doing so here! Most Japanese would not know what to make of a Caucasian monk in the first place, let alone one collecting money.
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