The Truth About Why Samurai were Fond of Zen

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  • Опубликовано: 3 июл 2024
  • If there is one thing that all Japanese traditional cultures with the word 道 Dō in them have in common, it is 禅 Zen. Zen has been practiced by Japanese samurai since ancient times and has been passed down to this day. If you are a practitioner of a Dō art, you have probably felt its depth before.
    Why did samurai favor zen so much?
    So today, I will explain what zen is in the first place, as well as its characteristics compared to other religions, and how it spread throughout Japan. I will then explain the three reasons why the samurai actively practiced zen.
    By watching this video, not only will you gain a deeper understanding of the culture and history of zen and Japanese religion, but you will also learn more about the way of the samurai. I am sure that after watching this video, you’ll want to start training zen yourself.
    ●Why Were Other Buddhist Sects Suppressed by Samurai Leaders?
    • Why Do Japanese Insist...
    [Time codes]
    0:00 Let's START!
    1:40 What is Zen?
    6:06 Why Samurai Favored Zen
    8:05 Today's Conclusion
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    -Inside a Kyoto-style Ryokan with a Private ZEN Garden
    • Inside a Kyoto-style R...
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Комментарии • 155

  • @LetsaskShogo
    @LetsaskShogo  2 года назад +18

    ●Why Were Other Buddhist Sects Suppressed by Samurai Leaders?
    ruclips.net/video/gr0hxKznLTA/видео.html
    ▼Who is Shogo? What is this channel about?▼
    ruclips.net/video/nhEamHfzyyg/видео.html
    ▼Related videos in this channel▼
    -How Japanese People Came to Hate Religions
    ruclips.net/video/vJmWVWCdTYo/видео.html
    -How Samurai Trained Physically & Mentally Through Katana Training and Zen Meditation
    ruclips.net/video/3C42TUaUQDs/видео.html
    -Inside a Kyoto-style Ryokan with a Private ZEN Garden
    ruclips.net/video/ktfwLlfzTj8/видео.html
    ▼MY DREAM▼
    ruclips.net/video/EgowIV_kagA/видео.html
    “To make every Japan lovers’ dream come true, by making Japan a more secure, comfortable, and safer place for everyone to visit, study, and live in”
    I will be using the profit I gain from this channel at restaurants, hotels, and cultural facilities in Kyoto to introduce them. The more you watch the videos on this channel, Kyoto and Japan will become a more exciting place, and you can support your own and others’ dreams in the future even more.
    ▼Join our Membership▼
    ruclips.net/channel/UCn7DCb9ttrcw9h3vh9dfnVwjoin
    ●Membership benefits
    -Limited behind-the-scene videos
    ruclips.net/p/UUMOn7DCb9ttrcw9h3vh9dfnVw
    -Weekly Zoom call or live stream
    -Priority reply to comments
    Every single yen we earn from this membership, we will be donating to groups of people who are fighting to solve social problems in Japan, the Japanese schools where foreign students can study, or use it to spread the works of people working with traditional culture in Japan to preserve the arts they are doing.
    ▼[Sub-channel] “Shogo’s Podcast”▼
    ruclips.net/channel/UCZAe1VayWxp5NLO4Net78DA
    Please subscribe!!
    The perfect channel to learn about Japanese culture and history in your spare time, during your walk to school or work, and when you are cooking or doing house chores.
    Not only will I be covering the topics in this main channel, but also some topics that you will only be able to enjoy in the sub-channel, like answering questions I receive, and my opinions towards some of the comments.
    ▼[Listen to the real voices of the Japanese] "Voices from Japan series"▼
    ruclips.net/p/PLpIWoYf9KNFXxLyeQa85jDudDKqkwPg-2
    ▼[Places recommended to visit in Kyoto] "Kyoto Hidden Gems" series▼
    ruclips.net/p/PLpIWoYf9KNFU7LIIFB0P_reDt_oMdkCOq
    ▼Instagram▼
    instagram.com/lets_ask_shogo/
    *Please ask me questions through the DM here!(⚠️I do not use e-mail)

    • @AndersonTakakura
      @AndersonTakakura 2 года назад

      Have you ever read Takuan Soho's book The Unfettered Mind? Soho was Musashi... Teacher or Zen Master. A video about Takuan would be awesome.

    • @mekugi
      @mekugi 2 года назад

      …because you don’t study history?

    • @gyakuto7775
      @gyakuto7775 2 года назад +1

      @@AndersonTakakura There’s little evidence that Takuan Soho met or even knew ofMusashi. This is a myth popularised from the Yoshikawa novel, ‘Musashi’. I visited Takuan Soho’s grave on Yagyu no Zato.

    • @the2ndcoming135
      @the2ndcoming135 2 года назад

      I’m gonna guess because they believed their sect was superior than the others.

    • @dzonsnezni
      @dzonsnezni 8 месяцев назад

      Thanks a lot about very informational videos about Japan. WRT Zen, could you possibly make a video about Mikkyo Buddhism?
      Arigato gozaimasu!

  • @phdossantos3169
    @phdossantos3169 2 года назад +112

    As a zazen and aikido practicioner I have to say, this is by far one of the best explanations of zen available in youtube. Thank you so much. Gasho.

    • @samuraiboi2735
      @samuraiboi2735 2 года назад +2

      Well im not into zen stuff but i am very aware of it since zen is like abit similar to buddhism but just slighty different in its laws but still keep the same practices.I know some monks who pass by and really would go to parks and forests to relax and stay close to nature.

    • @outboundflight4455
      @outboundflight4455 2 года назад +3

      Every Iaijutsu or Kendo class during reiho we do Mokuso meditation. Really helps set the mind in the zone and relaxes the body, mind and spirit.

    • @sarakajira
      @sarakajira 2 года назад +6

      @@samuraiboi2735 well Zen is school of Buddhism. Hehe it's not "similar" to Buddhism, it IS Buddhism haha. It's just one particular school of it. Though, I will admit, there are schools of Zen that could be described as their own thing.

    • @based_prophet
      @based_prophet 2 года назад

      zen a⁰nond samurai 1/4 t.k you tube it

    • @EpiphanyMindChange
      @EpiphanyMindChange Год назад +1

      As a judoka, I agree with you, my aikido cousin

  • @ladyscarfaceangel4616
    @ladyscarfaceangel4616 2 года назад +46

    Thank you for this insight. I've been practicing Zen Buddisim for a few years now. I just started taking iaido classes a few weeks ago. I'm interested in improving my body mechanics & engaging my core. Trying to learn to engage our core muscles is so difficult. Sometimes frustrating when muscle memory kicks back in & I revert back to poor body mechanics. Drives me insane but zen helps me breathe through it & just accept that I'm learning a new habit. It will take time to break old habits & form new ones.

    • @baobao154
      @baobao154 2 года назад +4

      @@anjafrohlich1170 what are you talking about

    • @samuraiboi2735
      @samuraiboi2735 2 года назад

      @struggler man i still feel bad for the ones in that bubble.Maybe one the it can be popped so does his mindset to release all that negative energy.

  • @TheoRae8289
    @TheoRae8289 2 года назад +55

    Less than 50k away from your goal, Shogo! And we're not even halfway through 2022. I'm so excited for you.
    I can see how Zen could be a tool for coping with conditions like chronic anxiety (which is something I have) or dealing with stress and major life changes.

  • @ramblers2971
    @ramblers2971 2 года назад +20

    When I first asked about Zen, and why I ultimately came to enjoy it myself, is how simple and elegant it is. It is not dismissive, it is practical, and whenever I asked about it I was just told there is not much else you can get from it unless you practice. Even if you are not about the spiritual aspects, it is a very calming element of your life once you start doing it. You gain a greater appreciation for all the little things in life.

  • @ranekeisenkralle8265
    @ranekeisenkralle8265 2 года назад +55

    Not to disagree with you, Shogo, but I can think of another possible argument for the adoption of Zen: To create a feeling of inner balance within themselves - a counterpoint to the violence seen on the battlefield if you will, or in modern times a counterpoint to the stress of everyday life.

    • @Gummybearkillerr
      @Gummybearkillerr 2 года назад +4

      thats what he just said though.. to not worry about other things in the past (like horrible experiences) and to only focus in the now .

    • @ranekeisenkralle8265
      @ranekeisenkralle8265 2 года назад +2

      @@Gummybearkillerr Maybe I misunderstood him, but what I am talking about is not just the focus on the 'now', but going one step further and looking for what I would call inner peace and tranquilit,.

    • @oofshapedhuman4974
      @oofshapedhuman4974 2 года назад +2

      @@ranekeisenkralle8265 it’s a chicken and egg sorta thing. Does being more present in the moment and now give inner balance? Or does one chase after the inner peace and end up being more in the moment.
      Very slight differences. But in the first one inner balance is an outcome to being more in the moment. In the second you end up being more in the moment after achieving inner peace. The second one is honestly sorta vague. After all, what is tranquility how do you determine what that looks like to you? So it’s easier to go with the first one. I hope I explained that well…

    • @ranekeisenkralle8265
      @ranekeisenkralle8265 2 года назад +1

      @@oofshapedhuman4974 As with all meditative techniques, they tend to work differently well for different people. Mindfulness exercises for example - which are all about being in a given moment - do not work for me as well as meditations centered around acknowledging what i can and can't do - and being okay with the latter. I agree that on the surface the two are fairly similar, just the aim and outcome are different.

  • @sevenproxies4255
    @sevenproxies4255 2 года назад +10

    Every culture has it's social problems.
    Loving a culture, to me, is more about an appreciation of it's distinctness and uniqueness. A love of a culture does not condone or excuse it's contemporary social problems.
    Instead, appreciation of the culture and a keen interest in it, will serve a person to gain a deeper understanding of it, and can be the sharpest tool for inventing solutions to it's social problems.
    Like with a parent and a child. Parents (usually) love their children. And so they have the best circumstances to understand their children, and with the right motivation they'll be able to help their children when they see that their children have problems that needs to be solved.

  • @madbuzz90
    @madbuzz90 2 года назад +14

    From my own (humble)experience I see a connection between the 'no-mind' concepts within the Zen teachings and in-the-moment activities, such as swordsmanship and archery. For me this translates very well to playing improvisational music also. The mind must be free to act and react instantaneously, this can be achieved by practicing continuously until all techniques and forms are completely internalised, then... we let the mind go free and unfettered... for me this is Zen.

    • @musamusashi
      @musamusashi 2 года назад +2

      As a professional musician who trained in both Kyudo and Kendo in the past, i fully second your point.

    • @ericvutran4140
      @ericvutran4140 2 года назад

      The true nature of you in relation to everything in reality is Zen. When one plays a musical instrument or practices archery.. If it is an authentic expression from you then it is Zen.

  • @fridaywithmateobonus2477
    @fridaywithmateobonus2477 2 года назад +6

    In my own situation, Zazen was like a medicine to calm the mind after 18 years of service to the US Marine Corps ... it gave me the power to calm my mind through the concept of empty mind ... easy to say, but difficult to do ... but through practice, it becomes a lifelong skill

  • @jayphillips4399
    @jayphillips4399 2 года назад +14

    Thank you so much for your wonderful videos. You are an amazing ambassador for Japanese culture. I love Japan, and you've only deepened my regard.

  • @zenwisdom4259
    @zenwisdom4259 2 года назад +7

    The other reason why warriors liked Zen might be that Zen by its nature is minimalist and that suited perfectly with the warriors because they spent most of their lives in battlefields or training so, accumulating materials would've simply been a distraction. Great video :) thank you

  • @SamyOnAir
    @SamyOnAir 2 года назад +12

    Another important aspect of Zen practice next to what has been said is: Being of help to others, guiding all beings on their way to realize their true nature.
    This is due to the fact that Zen is Mahayana Buddhism

  • @joeyr2224
    @joeyr2224 2 года назад +2

    As a martial artist and a manager myself, these are the exact reasons why I highly enjoy practicing zazen. Great video!

  • @Lori_P89
    @Lori_P89 2 года назад +3

    Thank you for explaining this concept in depth. Zen is one of those things you always hear about, but never really know the nuances of without taking a deep dive into it. It reminds me of Mindfulness: a sort of mental health thing that has helped me out immensely.

  • @raphaelcarvalhobezerra6913
    @raphaelcarvalhobezerra6913 2 года назад +2

    Namu Shakamuni Butsu! Proud Soto Zen from Brazil, here! Gasshō!

  • @Anthropomorphic
    @Anthropomorphic 2 года назад +8

    Hmmm... I think I've read that some modern militaries incorporate some Zen-inspired techniques into their training, for some of the reasons you've cited here. It's also argued, on a darker note, that Zen's deconstructive approach to the individual self can be used to make soldiers more obedient and more willing to kill.

    • @oreradovanovi5204
      @oreradovanovi5204 2 года назад

      Some sources plz, I'm not being sarcastic

    • @Anthropomorphic
      @Anthropomorphic 2 года назад

      @@oreradovanovi5204 I'll do my best, though it's been a couple of years since I read those articles. If you'd like to join me in the digging, I'm pretty sure I got started last time around by reading some articles about Mark Oppenheimer's book 'The Zen Predator Of The Upper East Side'. It's about sexual abuse, not the military, but it lead me to a larger genre of writings about the ways in which meditation and mindfulness can supposedly serve to enable some of the worse aspects of modern society.

  • @sanchomarra844
    @sanchomarra844 24 дня назад

    Respect from Brasil ✊️ 🇧🇷

  • @victorsegovia8008
    @victorsegovia8008 2 года назад

    Thanks a lot for your videos, Shogo san

  • @garryferrington811
    @garryferrington811 2 года назад

    Thanks for the clear, simple presentation.

  • @gabrielivanov1496
    @gabrielivanov1496 2 года назад

    Amazing video. Thank you so much Shogo San !

  • @berendalberts-degier408
    @berendalberts-degier408 2 года назад

    That personal bit at the end is the cherry on top of an already great episode 👏

  • @shinmentakezo6258
    @shinmentakezo6258 2 года назад +2

    Love To watch your videos Shogo ❤️❤️

  • @TaylorMorgeson
    @TaylorMorgeson 2 года назад

    Wonderfully informative! Thank you❤

  • @HistoryWolfCZ
    @HistoryWolfCZ 10 дней назад

    Thank you very much for this video, sir.

  • @Sam-od5jq
    @Sam-od5jq 2 года назад

    Nice info

  • @Zeroharpe
    @Zeroharpe 2 года назад

    Hello! This channel has been amazing for acquiring context on about a billion different things I'd learned about in other places. Thank you!

  • @SZELIX
    @SZELIX Год назад

    Love You, You are a great host of programs, I am fascinated by Japanese culture, mythology and philosophy. Warm greetings from Eastern Europe from Poland.

  • @LenientProcess
    @LenientProcess 2 года назад

    Shogo, that's 2 videos in a row you've read my mind. I started practicing Zen about 3 months ago and it's already made a big difference in my state of mind.

  • @guilhermee.schmitt8613
    @guilhermee.schmitt8613 2 года назад +1

    Shogo, with your amazing content, you made my life better!!You gave me purpose!!!Thank you so much...

  • @kairu_b
    @kairu_b 2 года назад

    Nice video

  • @ProHaloCe
    @ProHaloCe 2 года назад

    amazing video, greetings from Argentina!

  • @jlastre
    @jlastre 2 года назад +3

    Many decades ago when I was a student in my Jesuit prep school in the late 70s I took a comparative religions class. Zen stood out as unique in its adoption by Samurais. I remember there was speculation in the text we used as to the reason for this appeal to a martial/military discipline.

  • @StefanAntonikSeidler
    @StefanAntonikSeidler 2 года назад

    Thank you for that great video!
    I think I get how your love for traditional Japanese art is connected to Zen. There is a beauty to it that goes together with a certain truth, that must touch one's soul once you're open to it.
    And you are right, I kinda adopted "some Zen" in my Karate-Do training (Shotokan) when I was young. I find the "Being In The Moment" advise in other sources aswell (Tantra, Taoism, modern psychologie), although the reduction to what is essential I find best represented in Zen - since it is a inherent part of its practice and not just an advice or saying. I am working in media, spending a lot of time also on social media. Zen helps me to stay focused and not to get overwhelmed by floods of information, all those negative energies in general and aggressions I personally have to face.

  • @renatomatos90
    @renatomatos90 2 года назад +2

    An interesting topic, a vídeo about the history and influence of vajrayana in Japan.

  • @harishankar2489
    @harishankar2489 Год назад +1

    Iam from Tamilnadu...the birth place of founder of zen Buddhism daruma(Bodhidharma)...... Thank you a lot our Japanese brothers and sisters for protecting and practising zen teachings which our people forget to protect.... Thank you ✌🏻✨

    • @shatzco
      @shatzco Месяц назад

      Karnataka claims that he was from Karnataka.

  • @musamusashi
    @musamusashi 2 года назад +1

    In my late teens and early twenties i had the opportuniting to practice Kyudo in a Japanese cultural center in Rome, Italy. The 3 or more hours weekly session would include at least 1 hour of Zazen both seated and standing. Although i am not a Buddhist and i cannot say to have kept that formal practice over the years, i feel that it has been absorbed somehow and definitely gave me a lot in all aspects of life.

  • @alexkarasz6186
    @alexkarasz6186 2 года назад

    Nice work. Zen training should be mandatary for all leaders.

  • @chrissonnenschein6634
    @chrissonnenschein6634 2 года назад

    Wow. This episode gives some great insight. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu。

  • @weaponscommanderroringusan5625
    @weaponscommanderroringusan5625 2 года назад

    The show and these comments are both very interesting! 🐙

  • @NikkiHash
    @NikkiHash 2 года назад

    Been practicing zen for over 17 years now

  • @stevenb7319
    @stevenb7319 2 года назад +1

    Well said. It’s a beautiful practice that many people could be practicing without specifically putting the Zen label to it. Being mindful, present and self reliant while peacefully accepting the things you cannot change is a healthy way to live. As you stated there are certain aspects historically tied to certain practices of Zen but they all seem to have unifying factors.

  • @marciopereira4378
    @marciopereira4378 2 года назад

    That's why I love Zen so much!!!😍

  • @matthewkennedy1031
    @matthewkennedy1031 2 года назад

    Beautiful Shogo. Thank you for all you do. 🙏 We practice Shotokan Karate, and compete with a Samurai sword form. It all has a foundation in also practicing Zen. I will share this with my Shihan. He would love your perspective on Zen. 🙏☺️⛩❤️

  • @orderla8877
    @orderla8877 2 года назад

    Have been waiting for video about Zen philosophy from 先生。
    Would be great to hear about Deshimaru and others, though.
    ありがとうございました。

  • @danielren7884
    @danielren7884 2 года назад

    The reality around us is a projection of our mind. It is only through clarity of mind that we can achieve anything.
    面白かったです。ありが
    とうございました。

  • @disideratum
    @disideratum 2 года назад

    🌸I love your channel🌸
    It would also be quite interesting to talk about Ikebana and men in the military of Japan who practiced that Art.

  • @ichigosedge
    @ichigosedge 2 года назад

    Please do Tutorials in each Kata, including separat Footwork. I would love to learn from you!

  • @aaronyork3995
    @aaronyork3995 Год назад

    Well defined
    Gassho

  • @skoyashiki3923
    @skoyashiki3923 Год назад

    Zen is the reason I became fascinated with Japan. I am an artist and Zen really has an influence on the art world. I don't think I have the self discipline to practice Zen but I definitely admire those who do.

  • @bbbb-yc1gk
    @bbbb-yc1gk 2 года назад

    you should make a video where you visit tenshinryu hyoho and learn their techniques. that would be so cool, even though they are a newer ryuha id still love to see what type of content you can produce with them. who knows they might be impressed with your proficiency.

  • @MrMikkyn
    @MrMikkyn 2 года назад

    I’m not a big fan of Western Buddhism or the way McMindfulness is promoted and exported to the West. But there is something deeply contemplative, spiritual and transcendental about Zen. It is religious philosophy, but employed in a way without focusing on a missionary approach. I have a respect for the elitist and aristocratic dimension in Zen, the reverence for tradition and the the emphasis of having connection to nature not through attaching itself to countercultural lifestyles, but through an organic sense of nonduality, uninfluenced by rigid ideology and dogma, yet mentally disciplined in order to free the mind from attachments, and ultimately from itself. The Taoist dimension of Zen is something inexplicable. Beautiful. The Way that can be named is not the eternal Way.

  • @martonvirraszto4774
    @martonvirraszto4774 2 года назад

    Hi Shogo! Are you planning to make a video about 'zanshin'? As a state of mind, its importance in martial arts (iaido, kenjutsu, etc.) as well as in one's personal life? I would love to see your take on this topic!

  • @inakalife5533
    @inakalife5533 2 года назад +2

    Currently writing the script for what will probably be a half hour or hour long video on kyudo and zen. So this is perfect for me. Can you recommend some sources I should read? Also would you mind if I recommend your video?

  • @acephas3
    @acephas3 2 года назад

    Shogo!! As always, thank you for the videos!!!
    Does that ninja store in Japan sell internationally???
    What is the best way to learn Japanese??? Is there a program that you would recommend??

  • @gyakuto7775
    @gyakuto7775 2 года назад +7

    Did the Samurai practise Zen? Did they have hours in the day to do Zazen? Why is Zen hardly ever mentioned in menkyo kaiden, but Shingon (Esoteric) Buddhism, is? Japanese martial arts historian, author and practitioner, Dave Lowry, writes about the ‘Myth of Zen’ amongst the samurai suggesting, instead, they were enthusiastic about Shingon/Mikkyo because it offered ‘instant’ help in times of need and didn’t require hours of daily practise when they had the duties to their daimyo to attend to, all day, everyday.

    • @mekugi
      @mekugi 2 года назад +1

      There are two types of Buddhism…..

    • @gyakuto7775
      @gyakuto7775 2 года назад +1

      @@mekugi There are many more than just two types of Buddhism in Japan alone. Shingon/Mikkyo, Jodo, Soto/Rinzai Zen, Hossō/Yogācāra…the list goes on.

  • @luisaraneda1366
    @luisaraneda1366 2 года назад

    Excellent video! Even though I'm a martial artist for about 10 years ago, I was never taught how to practice ZEN, I would love to learn how to practice it, maybe you could teach a starting point in a video, that'll be awesome.

    • @oreradovanovi5204
      @oreradovanovi5204 2 года назад

      You need to go to a Zen center

    • @memesmojo5622
      @memesmojo5622 2 года назад

      It would be best if you attend your local Zen center, you could also watch Zazen practice instructions by Shodo Harada Roshi on youtube, it is in Japanese and has English subtitles

  • @shieldpanda
    @shieldpanda 2 года назад +1

    Early!

  • @the_allucinator
    @the_allucinator 2 года назад

    One of my favourite books is the Gateless Gate.

  • @smaky0face2
    @smaky0face2 2 года назад +2

    This video was very interesting and opened my eyes to what zen is. I honestly thought I was just a word or way of thinking. But i seems to be so much more. Being new and very interested in Zen, where should i start my research into it? I would really like to immerse myself in Zen much more. I feel like it could be really useful!

    • @oreradovanovi5204
      @oreradovanovi5204 2 года назад

      Zen is not about studying, it's like bodybuilding 😂, by reading your ( mind) muscle wouldn't grow

    • @memesmojo5622
      @memesmojo5622 2 года назад

      The best choice would be to attend your local zen center

  • @encryptedprinter3289
    @encryptedprinter3289 2 года назад +1

    Please forgive my very, very elementary question. But what are you saying at 1:30? I would imagine its something simple like "Now on with today's lesson!" or some similar statement. Thank you in advance Shogo-san. You've done more to teach me about Japan than 35+ years of popular culture and TV-Style Documentaries.

    • @mekugi
      @mekugi 2 года назад

      He’s using very polite “nothing” language to say “let’s discuss Zen”.
      80% was just “polite nothing” and has no exterior translated meaning outside culture.

  • @profdc9501
    @profdc9501 2 года назад +1

    I would think the idea of "self-reliance" in Zen may need to be qualified by the Buddhist concept of Sangha, that one receives teachings of proper practices from a community and contributes to the health and vitality of the community and well-being of others.

  • @lawrencemckeon6802
    @lawrencemckeon6802 2 года назад

    Dai, Kyo, Soku, Ke … Big, Dynamic, Smooth/Fast, Light.

  • @devilguidance2735
    @devilguidance2735 2 года назад

    WERE SO CLOSE TO 1 MIL

  • @tusharthegreatest176
    @tusharthegreatest176 2 года назад +1

    There is similar word
    For zen in india known as "dhayan" also pratice by buiddism,hinduism,jainism and sikhism

  • @sarakajira
    @sarakajira 2 года назад +21

    "While most Buddhist sects rely on the words of the Sutras to learn their teachings, Zen does not." That's not actually true. I grew up in Zen and have lived and trained in more than one Zen monastery. We recite Sutras every day, especially the Heart Sutra, and the Kanzeon scripture which comes from the Lotus Sutra. Sutra study is so important we literally memorize them. We do however, feel that the truth of the Sutras can only be proved through direct experience, and we definitely emphasize direct experience over Sutras. But we definitely take refuge in the Dharma and study it extensively, including reciting the Shushogi, the Sandokai, studying the Shobogenzo (the works of Dogen), etc. I do know some sects barely emphasize Dharma but those are a recent phenomenon in history and a minority among Zen. This is actually one of those myths in Zen. It IS necessary to have direct experience, but it's not like we don't regularly study the Dharma. Sanbokyodan became very influential in the West due to the popularity of works like The Three Pillars of Zen. But from a traditional Zen Buddhist standpoint, their extreme aversion to Dharma study is considered an extreme view and something of an outlier.

    • @oreradovanovi5204
      @oreradovanovi5204 2 года назад

      This depends on your inclination. I've been practicing all my adult life, and studing sutras have not been part of my path. There are teachers who teach differently. I'm one of them.

    • @AndrewB21
      @AndrewB21 2 года назад

      From Volume 2 of George Sansom's A History of Japan, speaking about the third Ashikaga Shogun Yoshimitsu:
      "He liked to hear prayers and sutras recited, and was not in agreement with the usual Zen practice of silent worship. On one occasion he ordered some Zen monks to open their mouths wide and recite their scriptures in a loud clear voice. Perhaps this taste for the spoken word was one of his reasons for encouraging the Noh plays."
      This is not evidence that the sutras were completely irrelevant for the Zen Buddhists during this period (late 1300s to early 1400s), as there's no reason to suppose they didn't study them in silence, but it is clear that even back then, the Zen schools had a noted tendency towards not including the recital of scripture aloud as part of their usual spiritual practice.
      Enough at least that Yoshimitsu (who was no slouch when it came to knowledge of the various sects, taking an active interest in both spiritual and aesthetic pursuits) felt it was marked enough for him to tease them about it on the basis of his preference for live performance.
      I don't think there's much of an argument to be had as far as this tendency being a modern corruption goes. (Though as I say, this only applies specifically to the intoning of the sutras, not necessarily their silent study). Unless you happen to belong to the 黄檗 tradition, at least. Then chanting is a foundational part of the practice, but this was a school that was founded in the 1600s, and thus represents more of a recent phenomenon in itself.

    • @sarakajira
      @sarakajira 2 года назад

      @@oreradovanovi5204 May I ask what lineage you practice? In Soto Zen (for example), reciting the Heart Sutra, Most Excellent Mirror Samadhi, Sandokai, Kanzeon Scripture, Ancestral line, Dogen's Fukanzazengi, the Daihi Shin Dharani, Adoration of the Buddha's relics, etc., are all daily recitations in Soto Zen Monasteries and temples. This is also largely true in Rinzai temples and Soto and Rinzai represent the two largest schools of Zen. I do know there are some smaller, family lineages of laypeople who may do much less ceremony, but that's certainly not traditional in terms of Zen as a whole. If one were to go to Sojiji or Eihiji in Japan they would see lots of sutra and other daily Dharma recitation.

    • @sarakajira
      @sarakajira 2 года назад

      @@AndrewB21 "Zen" is not a homogenous thing. It represents many schools, sects, monasteries, temples, lineages, etc. It would be interested to know where this account took place. It IS the case that most Zen practice is silent meditation, however in Zen monasteries they do recite scriptures daily. That's not a recent thing either, in Dogen's Shobogenzo his talks recount teachings on Sutras, etc.

    • @shatzco
      @shatzco Месяц назад

      Sutra reading is done by Mahayana and they repeat amitofu.

  • @citizensguard3433
    @citizensguard3433 2 года назад

    Can you do an episode on Sumo Wrestlers, please?

  • @filipemiudhu3931
    @filipemiudhu3931 2 года назад +4

    Your explanation about zen makes me think how close this way of thinking is from western stoicism.

    • @zexfafa2794
      @zexfafa2794 2 года назад +1

      Yes learn a bit more abouth Zen. Its fascinating who people with no contact came to a same conclusion

  • @1683clifton
    @1683clifton 2 месяца назад

    Where did they get that top knot style?

  • @moritzx2416
    @moritzx2416 2 года назад

    Hey shogo :)
    I've recently seen the video of you talking about why you dilike Iaido sometimes.
    And I had a question about the bowing procedure and the general training/meditating:
    Would you consider it rude to listen to "western/modern" music while performing exercises, or is it fine?
    👍

  • @DedicatedSpirit8
    @DedicatedSpirit8 Год назад

    What would be considered the best literature on zen?

  • @delyththomas2093
    @delyththomas2093 2 года назад

    Zen Philosophy is interesting Philosophy of life such as the Ying-Yang Philosophy, want to learn more read up on Buddhist-Asian Philosophy.

  • @muhammedguroglu8161
    @muhammedguroglu8161 5 месяцев назад

    Hi Shogo and all! I want to learn about Zen. But, I feel like I am closer to a darker style of Zen. I do not know if it helps to ask a question or wait for an answer. If I ask a question… i have to wait for an answer?! Now, I live in America… how can i wait when nobody speaks and knowing the answer is there, how do I know? I am Turkish. Its said: nobody speaks unless you die. Like I said ‘dark zen’. But, again i am Turk. How do you calm a warrior with a mind? As SENSEI says… what is it? I choose to be peaceful with no peace of mind?.. how long shall or will this last? The answer for me is difficult. I MUST, suffer… Fair enough?!. I believe its helpful to argue in this sense; ‘in the old days’…

  • @timgersh6787
    @timgersh6787 2 года назад

    It seems to me like zen can adapt to fit more with what you need

  • @radiophobiajr.6816
    @radiophobiajr.6816 2 года назад

    Don't know when to ask this or if this would be an appropriate video because it doesn't really relate, but is there a way to show or talk about some of the traditions and culture of the Ainu?

  • @the2ndcoming135
    @the2ndcoming135 2 года назад

    🍷🍷

  • @cristianperalta3210
    @cristianperalta3210 9 месяцев назад

    I got a question for Shogo, Please.
    It is there a Iaido school or a Koryū, directly related or close related with a zen master or a zen temple?

  • @joaldrenemadrilejos3210
    @joaldrenemadrilejos3210 2 года назад

    Kinda want to the Zen but my family think like meditation = crazy for some reason

  • @josephturner4047
    @josephturner4047 2 года назад

    Zen is to abjure Ego. To serve. To be the place that evil will not pass. To fight for those who can not fight for themselves. Calmly. And without hatred.

    • @josephturner4047
      @josephturner4047 2 года назад

      This, is the true way of the Zen Samurai.
      Only on this path will he achieve enlightenment.

  • @Flomo112
    @Flomo112 Год назад

    The one thing I don’t understand is why ethics are not mentioned? It is like the precepts have been dropped.

  • @Eddy_Del_Lobo
    @Eddy_Del_Lobo 2 года назад

    everytime I look for the one to learn I lose him, I hear him in the sound of the crickets legs, the buzz of the bee's close by I go to investigate but with no sight I also lose his sound also, the one that stops to hear see's also but the one that moves to look cannot hear or see

  • @everythingisinfinite4602
    @everythingisinfinite4602 Год назад

    Is this similar to nen? If so at what point can I do the water divination.

  • @yintaichi
    @yintaichi Год назад

    If there's one guaranteed way to get Mushin ( " no - mind " , which is to say, one trades mind for MIND ) it is surely zazen. Shikan - taza comes next ... Pure Awareness .... Nobody's Home.....
    a Great state of Mind to to in , in confrontation. Arigato Gomashio !!

  • @zexfafa2794
    @zexfafa2794 2 года назад +1

    Me: I love Japanese culture
    Other Person: cool what is your favorite Anime
    😑😑😑😑😑😑
    Been practicing martial arts and Zen love your videos

  • @hidetoedwarduno7681
    @hidetoedwarduno7681 Месяц назад

    Of course, zen meditation helped Samurai to be better fighters as well, trying to be in a state of no mind (mushin) in battle helped them to make fast decisions from an intuitive or visceral place.

  • @SuperMario-jd9zt
    @SuperMario-jd9zt 2 года назад

    Their are a lot of similarities between Indian and japanese culture. In spiritual world of India their is a meditation technique called 'dhyan'. It is just bunch of various techniques for treatment over different things and improve skills (a lot of Indians don't have deep knowledge). And Budhha was also born in India. It also could be reason behind it.

  • @SuPeRNinJaRed
    @SuPeRNinJaRed 2 года назад

    "Bright and cold, the flash of steel. Alone I roam over desolate fields. My sword, I need no longer. The evening wind will carry me home."
    - Tenchu II (Rikimaru’s Death)

  • @ph11p3540
    @ph11p3540 2 года назад +1

    I would like to know how the Samurai were striped of their open carry sword rights.

  • @thechosenone5143
    @thechosenone5143 2 года назад

    What do u think of vagabond?

  • @kam.m9198
    @kam.m9198 2 года назад

    Well I must’ve accomplished something because I’ve been doing it for five years without realizing it

  • @nickburton3919
    @nickburton3919 2 года назад

    Question to anyone how did someone not born into a Samurai clan receive the title of samurai? or do you not even get it from just being born into a know samurai clan?

  • @eosmusashi
    @eosmusashi 2 года назад

    wow I look away for a week and Shogo has like 14 more katanas

  • @dennisrosso5491
    @dennisrosso5491 2 года назад

    Is that a shin gunto behind you?

  • @nichochan8681
    @nichochan8681 2 года назад

    My son's initials is Zen, my mom likes to call my son that because she doesn't like saying her dad's name who he's named after.

  • @sejembalm
    @sejembalm 2 года назад +1

    I only know Zen through the art of motorcycle repair.

    • @mekugi
      @mekugi 2 года назад +1

      My man.

  • @dagneeitutyte5623
    @dagneeitutyte5623 2 года назад

    Zen is for reaching enlightenment and living in bliss :) Do Japanese believe that they will become enlightened during their life span?

  • @silverchairsg
    @silverchairsg 4 месяца назад

    I'm fond of Zen too, Zen priests are the only religious people I've seen who actually look happy and lively.

  • @1683clifton
    @1683clifton 2 месяца назад

    Like there's an extreme one where the young man shaves his head as balding and leaves only the top knot. That's some dedication.

  • @allgood6760
    @allgood6760 2 года назад

    Less is more! 👍

  • @John_C.
    @John_C. 2 года назад

    There is no limit to human pride.

    • @John_C.
      @John_C. 2 года назад

      The believe that 'salvation' can be achieved by oneself is arrogant enough. Then how can zen solve the pride issue? Instead, a man would feel superior than others inside while pretending to be humble outside.

  • @Wubulixi
    @Wubulixi 2 года назад

    There are Zen scriptures and even sutras that are popular. But they are not seen as the main thing since Buddha is claimed to be only an illusion of the own mind.