![]() ![]() The next step, after one has been a monk for at least three years, is risshin (立身) and hossen-shiki (Dharma combat ceremony), while acting as a shuso (首座), headmonk, during a retreat. This gives the rank of jōza, except for children under ten years old, who are called sami. In this ceremony, the novice receives his outfit ("inner and outer robes, belts, o-kesa, rakusu, kechimyaku (transmission chart) and eating bowls" ) and takes the precepts. Jōza (上座) īecoming a Sōtō-Zen priest starts with shukke tokudo (出家得度). To become a dai-Oshō, priest of a Zen-temple, one has to follow the training in an officially recognized training centre, sōdō-ango (僧堂安居). The dharma ranks (法階) point to the stages in the training to become an Oshō, priest or "technologist of the spirit". Sōtō-Zen has two ranking systems, hōkai (four dharma ranks) and sōkai (eight priest ranks). He maintained this view in the face of strong opposition, citing as authority the towering figure of Japanese Zen, Dogen This became and continues to this day to be the official Sōtō Zen view. Ropagated the view that Dharma transmission was dependent on personal initiation between a Master and disciple rather than on the disciple's enlightenment. This was changed by Manzan Dohaku (1636–1714), a Sōtō reformer, who. In time, dharma transmission became synonymous with the transmission of temple ownership. Within this system, novices train to become a Zen priest, or a trainer of new novices.įrom its beginnings, Sōtō Zen has placed a strong emphasis on lineage and dharma transmission. It is a further reminder that it usually takes considerable time to accurately and fully determine the true outcomes of an event.Zen institutions have an elaborate system of ranks and hierarchy, which determine one's position in the institution. I find that the “We’ll See” story serves as a nice reminder to consider circumstances from more than one vantage point. What looks like one thing in the present can appear totally different when viewed in the rear view mirror. ![]() Financial difficulties can appear insurmountable, but can prompt people to step up and give as never before. The loss of dynamic leader can appear devastating, but allows for others to come forward with just the right gifts that are needed for the next phase of the church’s journey. But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.’Īnd, there are countless examples in the church as well. And, in Luke 12, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man who told himself he would build bigger barns to store his abundant harvest, then he would eat, drink and be merry. In chapter 16 of Luke, Jesus shares the story of a notably wealthy man who lived a life of extravagant luxury that everyone envied, but he died and went to hell. And, Jesus’ crucifixion was initially perceived as a tragic and pointless ending. When Joseph was sold into slavery, things appeared hopeless. When Moses killed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave and fled to the desert, it looked like the end of his career. We’ll See Stories in the Bible and the Church We’re prone to jump to conclusions about whether something is “good” or “bad.” We are especially quick to label something as “bad.” The reality is that things can be either good or bad, both good and bad, or neither. The message behind this story is pretty clear. All of the villagers say, “How wonderful!” All of the other young men get sent off to fight, but this boy can’t fight because his leg is messed up. Some time passes and the village goes to war. He’s no longer able to walk, so all of the villagers say, “How terrible!” One day, the boy is riding and gets thrown off the horse and hurts his leg. ![]() All of the people in the village say, “Oh, how wonderful!” On his sixteenth birthday the boy gets a horse as a present. To make the point, he tells the fable of a Zen master and a boy. A CIA officer, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, cautions the Wilson character, played by Tom Hanks, not to be too sure they have done something glorious in helping to chase the Soviets out of Afghanistan. Toward the end of the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War,” there is told one of my favorite stories. ![]()
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