Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Dgj
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Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Dgj »

I realize this may sound absurd but I was thinking that if one totally forgot duality and nonduality then one would be practicing Zen.

So instead of eating my soup where I eat my soup, and there is a great duality between my soup and I, I would just eat my soup.

And likewise instead of eating my soup where I am my soup, and there is no duality between my soup and I, I would just eat my soup.

Is there any such school or teaching out there? A firm soup eating school? Where there is only the soup and no further teaching or implications?
Don't assume my words are correct. Do your research.

"Quarrel with the evidence of everyday experience, and afterward we will rely on the winner."
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dzogchungpa
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by dzogchungpa »

There is not only nothingness because there is always, and always can manifest. - Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
Dgj
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Dgj »

Thanks, seems like a potentially good book but not exactly what I am looking for.
Don't assume my words are correct. Do your research.

"Quarrel with the evidence of everyday experience, and afterward we will rely on the winner."
-Chandrakirti
DGA
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by DGA »

Dgj wrote:Where there is only the soup and no further teaching or implications?
It's at:

7952 SE 13th Ave
Portland, OR, 97202
USA

there are some other places, but if you want to stop at soup, here's your answer
Dgj
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Dgj »

There was a Far Side comic years ago called "The Four Basic Personality Types". In it were four people, each with a partially full glass in front of them.

Person one says "The glass is half full!"

Person two says "The glass is half empty."

Person three says "Half full. No! wait! Half empty!... No, half... What was the question?"

Person four says "Hey! I ordered a cheeseburger!"
Don't assume my words are correct. Do your research.

"Quarrel with the evidence of everyday experience, and afterward we will rely on the winner."
-Chandrakirti
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seeker242
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by seeker242 »

Yes, all of them teach only soup. :smile:
One should not kill any living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite any other to kill. Do never injure any being, whether strong or weak, in this entire universe!
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by PuerAzaelis »

Generally, enjoyment of speech is the gateway to poor [results]. So it becomes the foundation for generating all negative emotional states. Jampel Pawo, The Certainty of the Diamond Mind

For posts from this user, see Karma Dondrup Tashi account.
Dgj
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Dgj »

seeker242 wrote:Yes, all of them teach only soup. :smile:
That was always my assumption but I spent a year intensively practicing at a temple and there was constant allusion to nonduality, oneness, and such concepts that felt very dogmatic and like we had lost the soup in favor of scriptural and philosophical concepts.

There was some of the Zen I had known from reading but the teacher always went back to basic Mahayana concepts and dogmatism instead of cutting through everything, as Zen is typically known to do. Even when he did keep with the Zen that cuts through everything he still would imply or infer the same dogmatic concepts.

In my study of Zen solely from books I suppose I had completely ignored all dogmatism and focused entirley on the soup to the point that I didn't even realize there was so much dogma and philosophizing involved. So much that I saw all references to these things as frame work to push one towards the soup and I was greatly pained to have this experience under a teacher.

So after this I am under the assumption that there is a Zen that cuts through everything but that certainly not all schools and teachers teach this and am wondering if any specifically do?
Don't assume my words are correct. Do your research.

"Quarrel with the evidence of everyday experience, and afterward we will rely on the winner."
-Chandrakirti
Matylda
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Matylda »

Dgj wrote:
seeker242 wrote:Yes, all of them teach only soup. :smile:
That was always my assumption but I spent a year intensively practicing at a temple and there was constant allusion to nonduality, oneness, and such concepts that felt very dogmatic and like we had lost the soup in favor of scriptural and philosophical concepts.

There was some of the Zen I had known from reading but the teacher always went back to basic Mahayana concepts and dogmatism instead of cutting through everything, as Zen is typically known to do. Even when he did keep with the Zen that cuts through everything he still would imply or infer the same dogmatic concepts.

In my study of Zen solely from books I suppose I had completely ignored all dogmatism and focused entirley on the soup to the point that I didn't even realize there was so much dogma and philosophizing involved. So much that I saw all references to these things as frame work to push one towards the soup and I was greatly pained to have this experience under a teacher.

So after this I am under the assumption that there is a Zen that cuts through everything but that certainly not all schools and teachers teach this and am wondering if any specifically do?

where did you spend this one year???
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seeker242
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by seeker242 »

Dgj wrote:So much that I saw all references to these things as frame work to push one towards the soup and I was greatly pained to have this experience under a teacher.
Did you confront the teacher about this? After all, that's what dharma combat is for. :smile:
So after this I am under the assumption that there is a Zen that cuts through everything but that certainly not all schools and teachers teach this and am wondering if any specifically do?
I don't know. I don't consider concepts to be "dogmatic" to begin with. They're just concepts.
One should not kill any living being, nor cause it to be killed, nor should one incite any other to kill. Do never injure any being, whether strong or weak, in this entire universe!
DGA
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by DGA »

Dgj wrote:
seeker242 wrote:Yes, all of them teach only soup. :smile:
That was always my assumption but I spent a year intensively practicing at a temple and there was constant allusion to nonduality, oneness, and such concepts that felt very dogmatic and like we had lost the soup in favor of scriptural and philosophical concepts.

There was some of the Zen I had known from reading but the teacher always went back to basic Mahayana concepts and dogmatism instead of cutting through everything, as Zen is typically known to do. Even when he did keep with the Zen that cuts through everything he still would imply or infer the same dogmatic concepts.

In my study of Zen solely from books I suppose I had completely ignored all dogmatism and focused entirley on the soup to the point that I didn't even realize there was so much dogma and philosophizing involved. So much that I saw all references to these things as frame work to push one towards the soup and I was greatly pained to have this experience under a teacher.

So after this I am under the assumption that there is a Zen that cuts through everything but that certainly not all schools and teachers teach this and am wondering if any specifically do?
Ignoring what you refuse to understand is a form of dogmatism.
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Matylda »

DGA wrote:
Dgj wrote:
seeker242 wrote:Yes, all of them teach only soup. :smile:
That was always my assumption but I spent a year intensively practicing at a temple and there was constant allusion to nonduality, oneness, and such concepts that felt very dogmatic and like we had lost the soup in favor of scriptural and philosophical concepts.

There was some of the Zen I had known from reading but the teacher always went back to basic Mahayana concepts and dogmatism instead of cutting through everything, as Zen is typically known to do. Even when he did keep with the Zen that cuts through everything he still would imply or infer the same dogmatic concepts.

In my study of Zen solely from books I suppose I had completely ignored all dogmatism and focused entirley on the soup to the point that I didn't even realize there was so much dogma and philosophizing involved. So much that I saw all references to these things as frame work to push one towards the soup and I was greatly pained to have this experience under a teacher.

So after this I am under the assumption that there is a Zen that cuts through everything but that certainly not all schools and teachers teach this and am wondering if any specifically do?
Ignoring what you refuse to understand is a form of dogmatism.

so which temple was so dogmatic?
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Astus
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Astus »

Dgj wrote:if one totally forgot duality and nonduality then one would be practicing Zen.
That is an assumption based on what?
Where there is only the soup and no further teaching or implications?
It seems you already know all you want to know. Why look for more?
1 Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?

2 If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.

3 Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.

4 With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.


1 Huangbo, T2012Ap381c1 2 Nirvana Sutra, T374p521b3; tr. Yamamoto 3 Mazu, X1321p3b23; tr. J. Jia 4 Yongjia, T2014p395c14; tr. from "The Sword of Wisdom"
Dgj
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Dgj »

seeker242 wrote:
Dgj wrote:So much that I saw all references to these things as frame work to push one towards the soup and I was greatly pained to have this experience under a teacher.
Did you confront the teacher about this? After all, that's what dharma combat is for. :smile:
So after this I am under the assumption that there is a Zen that cuts through everything but that certainly not all schools and teachers teach this and am wondering if any specifically do?
I don't know. I don't consider concepts to be "dogmatic" to begin with. They're just concepts.
Yes, I politely explained my opinion and it didn't help so I moved on.
Don't assume my words are correct. Do your research.

"Quarrel with the evidence of everyday experience, and afterward we will rely on the winner."
-Chandrakirti
Dgj
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Dgj »

Okay I am clearly mistaken. I have experienced enough religions with highly systematized and rigid doctrines for this life time. If there is only one way to understand Zen and I am incorrect for assuming otherwise then I concede that those implying this are correct and I will simply give up and go eat my soup. Thank you all for your words.
Don't assume my words are correct. Do your research.

"Quarrel with the evidence of everyday experience, and afterward we will rely on the winner."
-Chandrakirti
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Luke
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Luke »

If you want soup in a Zen context, then just practice oriyoki at lunch time with a Soto Zen group! Although you will only have soup in one bowl, you will have a total of 3 bowls to play with! :D hehe
Oriyoki is also an important "team" activity: you can't just follow your own desires; you have to do each part of the eating ritual at approximately the same time as the others do. Oriyoki is about gratitude, teamwork, and our dependence on others. I hope you will get a chance to try it sometime. :)

Soup is wonderful, but if you get so attached to your own views, then even soup can bring suffering! lol
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by Jeff H »

Wonderful story. Marvelous drawings!

This has been a delightful little thread.
:group:
Where now is my mind engaged? - Shantideva
DGA
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by DGA »

Dgj wrote:
Yes, I politely explained my opinion and it didn't help so I moved on.
When you say it didn't help, what do you mean? what happened, more specifically?
Matylda wrote:so which temple was so dogmatic?
???
DGA
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by DGA »

Dgj wrote:Okay I am clearly mistaken. I have experienced enough religions with highly systematized and rigid doctrines for this life time. If there is only one way to understand Zen and I am incorrect for assuming otherwise then I concede that those implying this are correct and I will simply give up and go eat my soup. Thank you all for your words.
This is called either-or thinking, or a false dilemma.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dilemma
boda
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Re: Are there any Zen schools that teach only soup?

Post by boda »

Zen is chicken soup for the no-self.
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