Different Strokes

Posted on May 21, 2013 by

The “sir, yes sir” business, which would probably sound like horseshit to any civilian in his right mind, makes sense to Shaftoe and to the officers in a deep and important way. …he has come to understand the [military] culture for what it is: a system of etiquette within which it becomes possible for groups of men to live together for years, travel to the ends of the earth, and do all kinds of incredibly weird shit without killing each other or completely losing their minds in the process.

–Crytonomicon by Neal Stephenson, chapter 11

Since I transferred to a different department at my company, I meet a lot of people with military background. My company has no relation to the military industry, but it just happens to hire a lot of military veterans. When I meet such people, I like to talk with them and hear their stories from Afghanistan, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Iraq, etc.1

I’m not just talking about the American military, though. When I lived in Ireland, one of my friends was Danish, and all Danish men have to serve in the Danish military. Men in South Korea also must serve in the military, so I learned a lot about the Korean military from friends.

When I was in college, though, I thought very differently. I was young, intellectual and probably a little arrogant. I hated the US for all the bad things it did in the past (real or perceived), and I also criticized the military a lot. I remember writing a letter in my University newspaper criticizing the military, and getting into an argument across several issues with someone who supported the military. I was maybe 20 years old (15 years ago), but I was sure I had all the answers.

Over time, my views have gradually changed. The main reason is that as I grew older, and learned from Buddhism, I began to see people as human, and not stereotypes. This sounds really simple, but is hard to do. When we encounter people who are different from us, we tend to make quick judgments about them. Smart people do this too. If we hear that someone is a different religion, or has different political views, or a different ethnicity, we create a barrier in our mind, and put distance between them and us.

On the other hand, if you try to see other people as human, with the same fears and desires, it changes your attitude a lot.

So, when I met all these men and women who served in the military, I realized that I had been wrong. I judged military veterans for political reasons, but that is unfair. They did not choose to go abroad and fight unpopular wars. They risked their lives and did their duty. Some of them are still active in the military, and others are glad to leave that life. But each one has a different viewpoint, different background, and different stories. What united them was they each one is human, and each one fulfilled their duty.

These days, I have a lot more respect for the military than I did before. When I meet a co-worker or a stranger who is a US military veteran, I try to shake their hand and say thank you for serving our country. I feel their appreciation, and it makes me feel a lot better too. It also makes more friends.

If I was “right” all the time, I would probably have fewer friends. It’s better to know when you are wrong and learn again.

But this isn’t just about the military. In the department I work in now, I meet a lot of different people who are not computer engineers. I meet electricians, military veterans, single moms working to feed their children, hipsters, intellectuals, etc. For each person I meet, even if I don’t like them, I try to see them as human.

When the Buddha was still alive, his disciples were very diverse. Many of the monks were religious ascetics even before they met the Buddha (Shariputra, Mogallana), some were nuns (Kisagotami, Patacara), some were kings (King Pasenadi, King Bimbisara), some were laymen (Cunda the Silversmith, Anathapindika), some where warriors (Yodhajiva) etc.

The point is that the Buddha was open to students of many backgrounds. You can’t really choose your parents, your ethnicity, or how you were raised so it’s unfair to judge other people for being different.

1 The stories are not always positive. That is all I will say.

Posted in Buddhism, General, Politics, Religion | Leave a comment

Understanding Rinzai Zen Lineage

Posted on May 19, 2013 by

Zen, along with esoteric Buddhism (Shingon, Tibetan, etc), places a heavy emphasis on lineage. I never really understood this since lineage is not an important part of Pure Land Buddhism, but then when I started going to a Rinzai Zen temple here in Seattle, I noticed that as part of the Saturday morning liturgy, they would recite a lineage like so:

  • Shakyamuni Buddha (naturally)
  • Bodhidharma
  • Rinzai Gigen (d. 866 臨済義玄) Zenji
  • Kanzan Egen Zenshi (1277–1360 關山慧玄)
  • Hakuin Ekaku Zenshi (1686-1769 白隠慧鶴)
  • Contemporary Zen masters in the lineage, etc.

This surprised me for a few reasons. First, it surprised me that this was a part of normal Zen liturgy anyway. In the case of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, there are hymns which mention past Pure Land masters in India, China and Japan, but it’s not emphasized. In fact, in the case of Pure Land Buddhism, the lineage isn’t passed from master to disciple. In some cases they were hundreds of years apart.

The other big surprised, is that there is no mention of Eisai, who first brought Rinzai to Japan. I never even heard of Kanzan Egen Zenshi.

So why is this recited the way it is?

I had to do a little research on this.

Both existing Rinzai lineages in Japan trace back to Hakuin whose lineage is the only one that survived after the 19th century. I’m not sure why the others died out in the 19th century, or when in the 19th century, but I’ll keep researching it. One thing I do know, Hakuin certified many, many students to teach the dharma, and at least some of these went on to be abbots of other Rinzai temples, so my guess is that at least some temples “switched” lineages to Hakuin’s lineage when abbotship changed hands.

Ok, that makes sense, but whose Kanzan Egen?

It turns out that the existing Rinzai lineages trace the import of Rinzai Zen to Japan through something called the Ōtōkan (応灯関) lineage. These three Chinese characters break down to:

  • Nanpo Jōmyō 南浦紹明 (1235–1308), also known as Daiō Kokushi 大應國師, where 應 is now written as 応.
  • Shūhō Myōchō 宗峰妙超 (1282–1337), also known as Daitō Kokushi 大燈國師, where 燈 is now written as 灯
  • Kanzan Egen 關山慧玄, where 關 is now written as 関

These three people were not the first to introduce Rinzai Zen to Japan (that was Eisai), but they did start a parallel Rinzai lineage. Nanpo Jomyo apparently went to China and studied under Chinese Rinzai before coming back and teaching his student Shuho. Shuho founded Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto, and taught his student Kanzan who founded another important temple called Myoshin-ji (homepage). Myoshin-ji’s temple network is by far the largest in Japan, and Myoshin-ji is one of the central temples of Rinzai Zen in Japan.

Kanzan, also known as Musō Daishi (無相大師), was actually an impressive monk himself, even though there’s almost nothing about him. According to Myoshin-ji’s biography, he was a noteworthy monk of his era who was honored by the reigning emperor upon his death for his contributions to spreading the Dharma, and for being humble and upright in conduct.

Also, as mentioned earlier, there are two existed lineages (hōkei 法系) of Rinzai Zen that extended from Hakuin, through his own student Gasan Jitō (峨山慈棹 1727–1797):

  • Inzan (隠山)
  • Takujū (卓洲)

So Rinzai temples in Japan, and through the world will fall into one of these two lineages. The differences are pretty minor (mainly liturgy).

So, that’s a look at the lineage used in Rinzai Zen Buddhism, and by extension Obaku Zen since the disciples of Hakuin took over administration of Obaku Zen temples (since they have the same origins in China). It doesn’t cover all members of the lineage, but for practical purposes these are the principal members of the Rinzai lineage.

Posted in Buddhism, Religion, Zen | Tagged | 2 Comments

New Perfume Video: “Magic of Love”

Posted on May 17, 2013 by

For all you Perfume fans (a surprising number of blog readers are), here’s the latest song by Perfume: Magic of Love.

Similar to their video for Voice, it includes a lot of cool room-shifts and visual tricks. My daughter loves watching “Voice”, so I think she will enjoy this one as well. One reason I like Perfume is that I can show my daughter and not worry about showing anything naughty or inappropriate.

But I digress. Great song, and great video. Enjoy!

Posted in JPop, Music | Tagged | Leave a comment

Expressions in Japanese and American Culture

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

I’ve noticed an interesting thing while watching Japanese TV with my wife. We like to watch certain variety shows together (which are very common in Japan, unlike American TV). And sometimes, they have foreign guests. Either Hollywood actors, or famous foreign celebrities in Japan. Anyhow, I noticed that the foreign guests seems to have exaggerated expressions compared to Japanese guests. For example, if they’re happy, they really show it, or if they lose a competition they look disappointed.

Here in America, you wouldn’t notice it, because everyone is doing the same thing, but if you take an American like that and put him on Japanese TV, his expressions seem really animated.

Of course, people are the same everywhere. They feel joy and disappointment the same, but how they express it depends on culture. As I wrote many years ago though, when you’re in public in Japan, you’re kind of expected to be a little more reserved. Otherwise, it looks like you’re trying to draw attention to yourself: me, me, me! Or it just looks a bit sloppy (lack of self-discipline).

Recently, when I visit Japan or interact with my wife’s friends, I try to remind myself to “play it cool”. The key is to not be a robot, but just play it cool. Tone it down a little. You don’t need to be a high-fiving white guy1 all the time. ;-)

To be honest though, I forget this little advice all the time. It’s still a work in progress. :)

P.S. I’ve learned that this is true in Korean culture as well, but I can’t confirm this. Korea is also a Confucian culture, and so it’s helpful to remember to be polite, reserved and play it cool. At least in public. At home or when drinking with friends, people probably cut loose a lot more.

1 A Seattle comedy show I grew up with as a teenager. Very local, very Seattle.

Posted in Japan, Korea, Travel | Leave a comment

Pride

Posted on May 13, 2013 by

Self-esteem and pride are two challenges in my life. Maybe other readers too. It’s frustrating because even though friends and family tell you that you are a good person, or smart, etc., you still don’t feel like it.

I was thinking about this recently, and I realized that low self-esteem, like arrogance, is a form of self-absorption. The Buddha even talked about it in some of the sutras. The most famous example is Soṇo Sutta (SN 22.49) where the Buddha says to Sona:

“Whatever recluses and Brahmans, Soṇa, hold views about the body, which is impermanent, unsatisfactory and subject to change, such as ‘I am better [than you],’ ‘I am equal [to you],’ or ‘I am worse [than you]‘ [likewise 'feeling,' 'perception,' 'mental formations,' 'consciousness'], what else are they but folk who do not see things as they really are?

“But, Soṇa, whatever recluses and Brahmans do not hold such views… What else are they but those who see things as they really are?”

The translation of this sutra is kind of hard to read, but it says that if you think you’re better than someone, equal to someone or worse than someone, you’re not seeing reality. If you don’t think like that, you are now seeing reality.

Why is this?

Because for all three, you’re obsessed with yourself. You become drunk with self-absorption. It’s a cycle too: you can become more and more obsessed with yourself until it consumes you.

After all these years, I still remember a classic scene from a old game called Starcraft: Brood War.1 In the final scene, the famous war hero Admiral DuGalle is defeated and must return to Earth. He killed his best friend, and failed to accomplish his mission to defeat the alien invaders. He sits alone in his room, listening to music, and finally kills himself after sending a message to his wife. Starts around 00:54 if you want to fast-forward.

The words that really strike me are:

Whatever you may hear about what has happened out here, know this: Alexei did not die gloriously in battle. I killed him; my pride killed him. And now my pride has consumed me as well.

Self-esteem problems and pride can be really dangerous if they get out of control.

But the Buddha’s words are like a medicine for this fever. He reminds us that none of it is real. Pride, self-esteem, etc, are all things we construct for ourselves, but have no foundation in reality.

As the Buddha said in the Maha-Rahulovada Sutta (MN 62, trans. by Ven. Thanissaro):

‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.’

We build up an image of ourselves in our mind, obsess about it, etc, but as the Buddha teaches, whatever image we have about ourselves, this is not who we are.

1 I used to play Starcraft a lot before my daughter was born. Once she was born though, the games were put away. Recently I started playing again, but with #2 coming, I will probably put them away again. :)

Posted in Buddhism, Religion | Leave a comment

Alan Watts Compares Buddhism and Christianity

Posted on May 12, 2013 by

Something I was watching lately. This is by the famous philosopher Alan Watts, who helped popularize Buddhism (especially Zen) for Western audiences. In this show made in the 1960′s, he talks about the role of religion in traditional society using 2 examples: medieval Europe and ancient India. Then, he shows how both Jesus and the Buddha existed outside of society. Finally, he shows how Buddhism and Christianity have different views of the world, and time.

This is part 1:

This is part 2:

Since this was made in the 1960′s, smoking a cigarette was not unusual. ;p The “Japanese” calligraphy in the background also felt very 1960′s to me too.

Anyhow, Alan Watts is a very persuasive speaker, and this video makes a great deal of sense, especially the last five minutes. As Alan Watts explains, the purpose of Christianity is to bring order to the world, with God as the center, while in Buddhism the purpose is to see the order of the world as it exists and appreciate it. Christianity seeks to transform the world, Buddhism seeks to transform the mind.

Something to think about. :)

Posted in Buddhism, Christianity, Religion, Zen | Leave a comment

AJATT Hall of Fame

Posted on May 9, 2013 by

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I’ve been following the website AllJapaneseAllTheTime.com (AJATT for short) for ideas and inspiration on learning Japanese and Korean. I also follow the site author, Khatzumoto, on Twitter as well.

AJATT has been really helpful in keeping me motivated and not giving up. Believe me, I’ve wanted to give up many times. Not because I don’t like Japanese and Korean, but because I feel really embarrassed sometimes, humiliated or frustrated at my lack of progress.

But when I read Khatzumoto’s advice on Twitter, I get inspired to keep trying, explore new methods, etc. I even keep a collection of “ajatt-isms” on my iPhone which I read every once in a while.1 The photo above is from my smartphone.

This post is a collection of (in my humble opinion), the best advice from Khatzumoto on Twitter. I hope it will inspire you to keep learning a foreign language too.

Ajattisms:

@ajatt: The trick is not to get good at Japanese but to get good at learning Japanese.

@ajatt: Chose anything but the null option. The null option is not an option.

@ajatt: The best way to not forget Japanese is to not not come into contact with it.

@ajatt: Having momentum beats being right. It’s easier to correct course than to get moving. #immersion #SRS

@ajatt: We give up way too easily on ourselves. You don’t suck, your method does. Fix or replace the method. You’re fine.

@ajatt: It is more important to know more Japanese at lunchtime than you did at breakfast…than it is to have a good plan.

@ajatt: Somewhere between “give up completely” and “do it all 100% perfectly” is the level where things actually get done. #immersion

@ajatt: Most dangerous AJATT tip ever: Imitating the way L2 speakers speak your L1 is a good way to improve your L2 pronunciation.

@ajatt: You’re not stupid; you’re not a bad person. The advice just didn’t quite work for you as presented.

@ajatt: First, you kinda get what you give. Then, you give more than you get. Finally, you get more than you give. #input #immersion #thedip #output

@ajatt: Push “play”. Volume up. Good. You’re done. #exposure

@ajatt: You can’t learn a language you’re not exposed to. #exposure #immersion

@ajatt: Whether or not you suck doesn’t matter. All that matters is your direction: are you headed towards or away from Sucksville?

@ajatt: Don’t read a book once carefully. Read it 10 times, 100 times, sloppily. #multipass #reading

@ajatt: You rarely try to eat food without cutting it up to fit that dainty little mouth of yours. So why do you try to do tasks without timeboxing?

@ajatt: Don’t try to improve your technique. Improve your practice (volume, depth, frequency). Your technique will improve on its own.

@ajatt: Don’t work on yourself. Work on your environment. Your environment will work on you. #exposure #immersion

@ajatt: Do NOT get it right the first time, or even the first 9999 times. Get it GOING the first time. Get it right later. #timeboxing

@ajatt: Be patient enough to wait for effects. Be too impatient to wait to start on causes.

@ajatt: You don’t suck. You’re just not ripe yet. Maybe you need to brown bag yourself :) #immersion

Enjoy and good luck fellow language-learners.

1 Khatzumoto, if you’re reading this, I am not a stalker, but I do enjoy learning language a lot. ;-)

Posted in Japanese, Language | Leave a comment