Beautiful Video on Chan Buddhist Master + Some Personal Musings

[kieranperez]

A very beautiful short 10 minute film on a Chan Buddhist Master. Chan, for those that don't know, was the Chinese version of Zen when Bodhidharma brought the teachings of Buddhism over to China. Or I should, Zen is the Japanese version of Chinese Chan Buddhism. 

This video really reflects what I love about (Zen & Chan) Buddhism so much - it's raw simplicity. There's no fancy gurus in decadents beads, and powder, piercings, holy men/women talking about God and all these fancy things. Sure that has a place but there's something about that raw simplicity and richness that I see Chan/Zen really brings to life. I don't resonate much with the group meditation as that's a real distraction for me and I do feel like I get something out of yogic pranayama, mantra, and I think what's great about yoga is the numerous different types of sadhana but I do see the other end of the coin of just having 1 or 2 simple yet profound practices that, to me, is what really makes Buddhism so beautiful. The word that I really like to describe Buddhism is "naked". You are not in that monastery to be anybody important, special, cool, smart, wise, etc. You are stripped of everything, left with nothing but your chores, daily duties and disciplines, meditation, and your koan. Which is something I deeply want. To be naked. To be a nobody. It's funny because I want to become a sage that delivers deep insights, wisdom, healings to people, awaken people, and so much much more in the coming years but I also don't want to do any of that at all. I don't want to be anybody special whatsoever that get's recognition. I honestly don't care about that at all. I'm not really someone that's ever cared about "saving the world" per say and I think it's important I'm honest about that with myself about that. Just in the sense that I've never had that kinda motivation. It's kinda like the 10th Ox Herding Picture. That picture really touches me. He's not out there crusading or trying to change the whole world. Just a simple man whose available to others out of love and only love if they need or want it. It's been a real conflict with trying to formulate a life purpose with this conflict because in the end I do want to have one, but I know I need and want to go inwards first and face that challenge, that commitment and wanting to know, "find", and discover God and the deepest truths and powers (from "full" enlightenment, to no-mind, to siddhis - not because I want to be flashy but simply because I want to know the deeper dimensions of what's real and what's possible - akashic records, so on and so forth to other wisdom like philosophy, psychology, etc.), emotional/psychological/spiritual/moral purification, and so on but also, how does someone in the West really do such an abstract, difficult thing? Even logistically for that matter. We in the USA have a lot of advantages (to the point it's becoming a problem) but it's not like for example India where you have like the Himalayas and spiritual infrastructure that's been around for tens of thousands of years with gurus (yes I know people are saying there's a lot of corruption with gurus and stuff) where people can pull an Om Swami and live in a cave and that start a small ashram for very cheap or something (pulling an example out of my ass so apologies for not bringing up better one's). 

Anyways... sorry for the ramble! Enjoy the video!