Non-sectarian monasteries

[vih]

Monastery is an independent piece of land, where people "cultivating dhamma" basically live their quiet lives, growing their food.

 

First of all, does any one know, if that definition of monastery is completely utopian nowadays (now I got afraid it's always been)? Are there only the institutions, with hierarchy etc, which are more concerned with braining and passing on traditions than life (and death)?

 

It's silly to expect to find much info on the numerous smaller monasteries (that are hopefully more real then just my fantasies) in the Far East on the Internet, but are there some immigrant-friendly Far East countries with sort of looser... Who am I kidding, the days of laity up keeping the monks are gone, without governmental support it's impossible to make it.

 

Uhmm, so how about I just tell you a joke:

 

Several centuries ago there was a monastery in the mountains. Besides a handful on monks and old liberated grandpa there lived a cat with them. So every morning, when the monks we're trying to concentrate real hard on their proudness and mumbled the holiest mantra Tut-sua-mun-ran-ki (which meant "Please grow" in some old forgotten language) the Stupid Cat (that's what the animal was called) always came to the meditation hall and made a lot of noise.

 

So one day the old master, ordered for the cat to be tied to the post outdoors. This was also done on the day after that and became a habit, which was and carried on after the old masters death.

 

And nowadays one highly valued old sutta reads about the holy significance of the holy ritual of tying a holy cat to the holy post...

 

 

 

 

(with a holy rope...)

 

(Also there are a lot of branched follower-groups of that holy scripture, that agonize and fight about whether the cat should be tied by the testicles for the effect and yet some still continue the ancient debated of whether this ritual is a test to see if a monk would torture an animal...)

[林愛偉]

:-)

 

When I return to the U.S. I'll be opening a non-sectarian Buddhist Way Place.

 

Peace and Blessings,

Lin

[Trunk]

Monastery is an independent piece of land, where people "cultivating dhamma" basically live their quiet lives, growing their food.

This is part of the "next phase", imo. Relatively non-sectarian and non-hierarchical spiritual groups. In living communities as well as small informal local meet-up groups of all variety. Much like TheTaoBums, but "in real life".

 

Probably exists to varying degrees. There are a number of Buddhist monasteries that've been in the states for decades. I'd be surprised if some of them haven't gradually developed a broad curriculum. Also, the intentional community movement (link) has been developing for some decades. The "organic farming community" model is a good one, and a very active social movement.

[thelerner]

National Public Radio did a piece on a Christian Monastery in the U.S. One of the monks made contact with Japanese monks and planned a meeting with them. One thing the author said was that most people coming into the monastery tried to act monkish, but every movement, everything they did, cried out-I'm not a monk; regardless of how they tried to imitate.

 

When they saw the Japanese Monks it was clear that these were fellow brothers. The walk, posture, eyes, manner were the same.

 

I think monasteries are great places to pick up some peace. A nonsectarian one with no particular religious flavoring would be ideal. I think that was the idea behind Silent Grounds, which unfortunately went up for sale a few years ago.

 

 

Michael

[林愛偉]

Monastery is an independent piece of land, where people "cultivating dhamma" basically live their quiet lives, growing their food.

 

First of all, does any one know, if that definition of monastery is completely utopian nowadays (now I got afraid it's always been)? Are there only the institutions, with hierarchy etc, which are more concerned with braining and passing on traditions than life (and death)?

 

It's silly to expect to find much info on the numerous smaller monasteries (that are hopefully more real then just my fantasies) in the Far East on the Internet, but are there some immigrant-friendly Far East countries with sort of looser... Who am I kidding, the days of laity up keeping the monks are gone, without governmental support it's impossible to make it.

 

Uhmm, so how about I just tell you a joke:

 

Several centuries ago there was a monastery in the mountains. Besides a handful on monks and old liberated grandpa there lived a cat with them. So every morning, when the monks we're trying to concentrate real hard on their proudness and mumbled the holiest mantra Tut-sua-mun-ran-ki (which meant "Please grow" in some old forgotten language) the Stupid Cat (that's what the animal was called) always came to the meditation hall and made a lot of noise.

 

So one day the old master, ordered for the cat to be tied to the post outdoors. This was also done on the day after that and became a habit, which was and carried on after the old masters death.

 

And nowadays one highly valued old sutta reads about the holy significance of the holy ritual of tying a holy cat to the holy post...

(with a holy rope...)

 

(Also there are a lot of branched follower-groups of that holy scripture, that agonize and fight about whether the cat should be tied by the testicles for the effect and yet some still continue the ancient debated of whether this ritual is a test to see if a monk would torture an animal...)

 

 

 

Well, depending on what tradition those monks were part of. I doubt it was Buddhist and or Daoist.

 

Its unfortunate the lay cultivators do not tend to the monks. Yet, its understood why. The left home communities have become egotistical, money hungry...they upkeep the same mentality of the lay people. So a great many Sanghas are not worthy to receive offerings.

 

Peace,

Lin