I never met Nishijima Roshi, and I've only watched one or two videos about him. I don't agree with everything he said or stood for, but the one thing I respect about him, and what really comes through in this interview, is his raw honesty. He did not try to make shit up about things he didn't understand. He just spoke exactly what he lived. He didn't pretend that there's some heaven after you die (which is true - there's no evidence for any), and he didn't pretend that zazen is magic. He just said he does it because it made him a little better. I think that's a pretty honest testimony, and I appreciate his down-to-earth answers.
I read Nishijima Roshi's Handbook of Authentic Buddhism. He certainly had a different take on Buddhist teachings! Kind of like you, Brad. I appreciate that. When a person really takes on a question and spends energy working hard with it, that person may discover a novel and illuminating answer. Very few are willing to think hard and honestly on their own, to do that kind of "heavy lifting." Most of us are lazy or just content to repeat what we hear. Most hold to orthodoxy, even orthodoxy of our own making, and will pick at those who step outside the lines. I have a lot of respect for people like Nishijima who figure things out for themselves. Keep up the good work.
Is that what Buddhism is...a search for ideas that are merely 'different' than the ideas held last week? What if centuries old orthodoxy turned out to be the truth...that stands the test of time?
@@Teller3448 Just my opinion, but yes, orthodoxy exists for a good reason. It has stood the test of time or it wouldn't be here today. That says a lot for orthodoxy, right? It deserves respect. I sure don't want to toss it out. It doesn't seem to me that either Brad or Nishijima Roshi go against the teachings, but then again, is it possible to agree with every Buddhist practitioner? Someone out there is bound to say you are wrong. It seems to me that a profound truth with a long history is often challenging to comprehend. Though it may sound simple, it probably isn't simple. Every day we see the harm done by fundamentalists who have very simple and literal belief systems. A teaching that has real depth is necessarily one that can be appreciated in different ways and, just because it is deep, at different levels. And Buddhist teachings are deep indeed! Orthodox teaching, though it states timeless truths, may over centuries become so formal and institutionalized that it loses vitality. What resonated in one culture at one time probably won't resonate so clearly in another very different culture. What I think Nishijima and Brad do is breathe some life into an orthodox teaching by studying it very carefully, spending time with it, and coming up with a new way to view it. I like their sometimes surprising interpretations and do not find them contrary to the Dharma. "Unorthodox" is probably the wrong word for these teachers in the sense that unorthodox implies heresy. I think they are unconventional, but not heretical. No, I sure don't think Buddhism is "a search for ideas that are merely 'different' than the ideas held last week." But I do think it involves the hard work of real searching.
@@marknoble2030 The words 'surprising' 'unconventional' 'challenging' have no intrinsic value in and of themselves. If Toyota introduced a car with five wheels instead of four it might attract all those adjectives, but it would still be a pointless and possibly dangerous innovation. Nishijima is just a garden variety materialist who should have become a psychology professor instead of hijacking Buddhism and superimposing his nutty ideas on the dharma.
@8:00 Hey, Vajrayanists wholly support you and your lineage and there is little to no difference between what you both practice. @8:30 There is no fault in Zen Buddhism and the Buddha is not guilty of miserliness in his teaching; giving good teachings to some and better teachings to others.
4:30 the whole answer is from Hegel. 100% Hegel, the language is Hegel and that’s what you find confusing. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis, dialectical. Its ancient Greek and Hegel. So to understand Nishijima’s answer, you better have a strong grasp on western philosophy. It’s certainly not Dogen.
wait so does that mean that nishijima roshi denied reeincarnation altogether? 14:09 or does that mean he says his identity and conventional self will cease to exist? how could he take a rest forever if there is nothing to take a rest? i might be reading too much into it
Nishijima Roshi always denied reincarnation when he spoke publicly. He was sometimes very insistent about it! If you want to know my opinion, I did a video about the subject a long time ago. I also wrote a chapter about Dogen's vides on reincarnation in my book Don't Be a Jerk.
Sometimes I think I get an idea of what Nishijima Roshi's talk about the autonomic nervous system means, but other times I'm a little puzzled by it. Is there some Japanese theory of the body or psychology or something that this comes from? I haven't read many other Buddhist teachers frame the practice in terms of the autonomic nervous system.
Nishijima Roshi was very much influenced by Western ideas about physiology and psychology. He liked to describe Buddhist philosophy using terminology from psychology and physiology. I don't think any other Buddhist teacher talked about the autonomic nervous system as much as he did. It's not common for Buddhist teachers to talk about the autonomic nervous system in Japan.
Since Western medicine discovered - and slowly learned to appreciate at least some aspects of - the Indian Yoga in the 19th century, they tried to make sense of it in modern scientific Western terms. The neurologist J. H. Schultz from Berlin (Germany) tried to work out an Eastern-Western synthesis and elaborated the "autogene training" in the 1950ies, based on the knowledge about the "vegetative system" (with the vagus and the sympathicus as the basic antagonist forces, influencing the whole "body-mind"). One body-mind concept based on Japanese traditional "systems" was developed by the late philosopher Yuasa Yasuo, some of whose writings were translated into English. What has this to do with Zen? Well, the Za-Zen seems to be a rather simplified form, resp. (rudimental) variant of Indian Yoga, which Zen-people seemed to prefer the sinitic "Yoga" to Gongfu (or Tàijíquán etc.), if only to distinguish themselves from the Daoists, which whom they were - half passively involved, half actively engaged - in a long standing rivalry (in addition, in old times only very view Chinese would know much about Yoga and its indo-religio-cultural backgound).
@@HardcoreZen If Buddhist teachers dont talk about the autonomic nervous system its probably because it has nothing to do with Buddhism. If your autonomic nervous system was 'out of balance' you would have real medical symptoms. www.healthline.com/health/autonomic-dysfunction#symptoms Is it any wonder that this benighted silliness comes from the same person who cant even translate the word 'samadhi' honestly?
Have you done a video on 'enlightenment' one-up manship before? " You think that's enlightenment? You don't know enlightenment!" Seems to be a conversation I get drawn into often.
Whoah, I grew up in Nebraska, so I googled you in Nebraska and found this: th-cam.com/video/_eQCGChEcso/w-d-xo.html Apparently it was at Hastings college, I knew people that went there. :) I really like that last question and answer the best. So simple and obvious and concrete. Maybe I should write it on my wall so I remember to notice that more often. :)
I think Dan Harris's book is called "10% Happier" which seems solely focused on yourself. I think I like "A Little Better" a little better. A lot better actually. :)
eihei dogen is the most unabashedly mystical of all the famous zen "masters" if you think that what it is about is day in day out contemplation well you are right and wrong
Damn, you're posting a lot. Nice!
I never met Nishijima Roshi, and I've only watched one or two videos about him. I don't agree with everything he said or stood for, but the one thing I respect about him, and what really comes through in this interview, is his raw honesty. He did not try to make shit up about things he didn't understand. He just spoke exactly what he lived. He didn't pretend that there's some heaven after you die (which is true - there's no evidence for any), and he didn't pretend that zazen is magic. He just said he does it because it made him a little better. I think that's a pretty honest testimony, and I appreciate his down-to-earth answers.
I liked that about him too. Thank you!
I read Nishijima Roshi's Handbook of Authentic Buddhism. He certainly had a different take on Buddhist teachings! Kind of like you, Brad. I appreciate that. When a person really takes on a question and spends energy working hard with it, that person may discover a novel and illuminating answer. Very few are willing to think hard and honestly on their own, to do that kind of "heavy lifting." Most of us are lazy or just content to repeat what we hear. Most hold to orthodoxy, even orthodoxy of our own making, and will pick at those who step outside the lines. I have a lot of respect for people like Nishijima who figure things out for themselves. Keep up the good work.
Thank you! I always appreciated Nishijima Roshi's honesty and his unorthodoxy. Even when I couldn't agree with him, I appreciated that aspect.
Is that what Buddhism is...a search for ideas that are merely 'different' than the ideas held last week? What if centuries old orthodoxy turned out to be the truth...that stands the test of time?
@@Teller3448 Just my opinion, but yes, orthodoxy exists for a good reason. It has stood the test of time or it wouldn't be here today. That says a lot for orthodoxy, right? It deserves respect. I sure don't want to toss it out. It doesn't seem to me that either Brad or Nishijima Roshi go against the teachings, but then again, is it possible to agree with every Buddhist practitioner? Someone out there is bound to say you are wrong. It seems to me that a profound truth with a long history is often challenging to comprehend. Though it may sound simple, it probably isn't simple. Every day we see the harm done by fundamentalists who have very simple and literal belief systems. A teaching that has real depth is necessarily one that can be appreciated in different ways and, just because it is deep, at different levels. And Buddhist teachings are deep indeed! Orthodox teaching, though it states timeless truths, may over centuries become so formal and institutionalized that it loses vitality. What resonated in one culture at one time probably won't resonate so clearly in another very different culture. What I think Nishijima and Brad do is breathe some life into an orthodox teaching by studying it very carefully, spending time with it, and coming up with a new way to view it. I like their sometimes surprising interpretations and do not find them contrary to the Dharma. "Unorthodox" is probably the wrong word for these teachers in the sense that unorthodox implies heresy. I think they are unconventional, but not heretical. No, I sure don't think Buddhism is "a search for ideas that are merely 'different' than the ideas held last week." But I do think it involves the hard work of real searching.
@@marknoble2030 The words 'surprising' 'unconventional' 'challenging' have no intrinsic value in and of themselves. If Toyota introduced a car with five wheels instead of four it might attract all those adjectives, but it would still be a pointless and possibly dangerous innovation. Nishijima is just a garden variety materialist who should have become a psychology professor instead of hijacking Buddhism and superimposing his nutty ideas on the dharma.
@@Teller3448 ...
@8:00 Hey, Vajrayanists wholly support you and your lineage and there is little to no difference between what you both practice.
@8:30 There is no fault in Zen Buddhism and the Buddha is not guilty of miserliness in his teaching; giving good teachings to some and better teachings to others.
4:30 the whole answer is from Hegel. 100% Hegel, the language is Hegel and that’s what you find confusing. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis, dialectical. Its ancient Greek and Hegel. So to understand Nishijima’s answer, you better have a strong grasp on western philosophy. It’s certainly not Dogen.
Great stuff. Thanks!
Thanks sir
wait so does that mean that nishijima roshi denied reeincarnation altogether? 14:09
or does that mean he says his identity and conventional self will cease to exist? how could he take a rest forever if there is nothing to take a rest? i might be reading too much into it
Nishijima Roshi always denied reincarnation when he spoke publicly. He was sometimes very insistent about it! If you want to know my opinion, I did a video about the subject a long time ago. I also wrote a chapter about Dogen's vides on reincarnation in my book Don't Be a Jerk.
Here are the questions and answers by Nishijima Roshi : www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?12270-30-Questions-on-Zen-Buddhism-and-Practicing-Zazen
love the videos, Brad. cant wait to download another one of your books on Audible :)
Would it possible to put this up as a pdf like the recent handbook of authentic buddhism?
Here you go!
hardcorezen.info/30-questions-with-nishijima-roshi/6699?fbclid=IwAR1ahrzmQivX4emrIqi6GXE2U1qjK5Gq7dIOCjKj0u7yWo8ZWNleA3g0HvM
Sometimes I think I get an idea of what Nishijima Roshi's talk about the autonomic nervous system means, but other times I'm a little puzzled by it.
Is there some Japanese theory of the body or psychology or something that this comes from?
I haven't read many other Buddhist teachers frame the practice in terms of the autonomic nervous system.
Nishijima Roshi was very much influenced by Western ideas about physiology and psychology. He liked to describe Buddhist philosophy using terminology from psychology and physiology. I don't think any other Buddhist teacher talked about the autonomic nervous system as much as he did. It's not common for Buddhist teachers to talk about the autonomic nervous system in Japan.
Since Western medicine discovered - and slowly learned to appreciate at least some aspects of - the Indian Yoga in the 19th century, they tried to make sense of it in modern scientific Western terms.
The neurologist J. H. Schultz from Berlin (Germany) tried to work out an Eastern-Western synthesis and elaborated the "autogene training" in the 1950ies, based on the knowledge about the "vegetative system" (with the vagus and the sympathicus as the basic antagonist forces, influencing the whole "body-mind").
One body-mind concept based on Japanese traditional "systems" was developed by the late philosopher Yuasa Yasuo, some of whose writings were translated into English.
What has this to do with Zen? Well, the Za-Zen seems to be a rather simplified form, resp. (rudimental) variant of Indian Yoga, which Zen-people seemed to prefer the sinitic "Yoga" to Gongfu (or Tàijíquán etc.), if only to distinguish themselves from the Daoists, which whom they were - half passively involved, half actively engaged - in a long standing rivalry (in addition, in old times only very view Chinese would know much about Yoga and its indo-religio-cultural backgound).
@@HardcoreZen If Buddhist teachers dont talk about the autonomic nervous system its probably because it has nothing to do with Buddhism. If your autonomic nervous system was 'out of balance' you would have real medical symptoms.
www.healthline.com/health/autonomic-dysfunction#symptoms
Is it any wonder that this benighted silliness comes from the same person who cant even translate the word 'samadhi' honestly?
as a person who has had two open heart surgeries... the heart thing is interesting ... no grand way just been taken offline
Have you done a video on 'enlightenment' one-up manship before? " You think that's enlightenment? You don't know enlightenment!" Seems to be a conversation I get drawn into often.
I haven't done a video on that. I used to hear from ppl who did that sort of thing. I rarely hear from them anymore. I'm not sure why.
#30, yes. A little bit.
Whoah, I grew up in Nebraska, so I googled you in Nebraska and found this: th-cam.com/video/_eQCGChEcso/w-d-xo.html
Apparently it was at Hastings college, I knew people that went there. :)
I really like that last question and answer the best. So simple and obvious and concrete.
Maybe I should write it on my wall so I remember to notice that more often. :)
I think Dan Harris's book is called "10% Happier" which seems solely focused on yourself.
I think I like "A Little Better" a little better.
A lot better actually. :)
eihei dogen is the most unabashedly mystical of all the famous zen "masters"
if you think that what it is about
is day in day out contemplation
well
you are right
and wrong