Is Zen just religious BDSM?

Is Zen just religious BDSM?

Clearly, there is a power play going on in Zen. In Asian cultures, the power play is culturally enforced and socially regulated as well. An authority who abuses their power through the subordinates is ostracized from society (hello Aokigahara).

Lacking societal regulations and restraints, the Zen power-play becomes sadomasochistic that in my humble opinion can create a whole host of psychological problems, as well as creating a very unhealthy environment ripe for abuse (financially or sexually) as well as attracting deranged and mentally ill people to such places. Yes, dangerous cults!

Clearly, in the interview I did with the Zen cult survivor, the teacher Umi was on a power-trip creating the BDSM environment for his pleasure.

In the second interview with the former Zen Rivers student, the teacher Tenkei Coppens created an oppressive environment for his glorification of himself as ‘the teacher’ (this is actually common in most Zen centers) and create a power cult for those in ascension, to dominate those in subordinate positions. Again, a cult but not as dangerous as the psychopath lead cults.

Organizations like the Soto Zen Buddhist Association and American Zen Teachers Association have attempted to clean up the Zen Centers through the formal adoption of ethics, though failed because none of the sitting teachers or Zen Centers would actually implement them (they like the power-play), and there are no consequences if they don’t.

I have always thought to send a young student to one of these Zen centers and then have them lay out an Air Tight contract of Zen training for the teacher to agree upon (legally sign) that would ensure being treated in fairness, ethically, and without prejudice. I floated this idea pass a friend who has vast experience with Zen Centers who laughed and said that they believe their “Holy Lineage” is all the contract they need.

In the case of Dennis Merzel, known for sexually abusing his student, the SZB and AZTA went to his teacher when he refused to step down as a Teacher, to remove his credentials (Dharma Transmission). His own teacher refused to say that it was not something he could do because it was not his transmission, but that of the student going to the Buddha.

This is the ‘Dirty secret‘ of Zen playing out, that the line of transmission was broken before Dogen, and he knew it, and Rujing never gave Dogen transmission (because Dogen claims he returned to Japan “empty handed”), yet Dogen claims Mind-transmission in the same way that Touzi was transmitted — via Merit.

In an Asian Buddhist Country like Japan or Thailand, all of these power-tripping Zen teachers would be defrocked and jailed. No student would even talk about them or admit to having been with them out of shame.

This notion that one person, “Shifu or Roshi” will teach you everything is not only absurd but demented and sick.

Now, if I was to run a Zen Center, it be like this:

A Zen Center is a quaz-seminary school. There you should be learning from many different people who have skills and knowledge that you want to learn yourself.

Subjects such as:

• Priestcraft (ceremony and rituals)
• Sutra Lore
• metaphysics
• Meditation techniques
• customs and traditions
• Conclusion: mannerisms

Subjects such as: be taught by those who have demonstrated mastery and skill in those areas. This is how a normal seminary works.

Cults, however, are not designed to teach anything at all, just for you to submit to the power of the teacher who will use you in whatever way pleases them.

Conclusion:

There are some very sick individuals out there masquerading as Zen Teachers aka “Roshi” who engage in power-play/sadomasochistic (BDSM) with those who fall victim to them. They create cults of power for themselves through disguise it as Zen Religion.

Seminary school does exist, and state-accredited colleges or National governments run them like in Japan or Thailand. Most westerners now just get a Buddhist Studies degree and a psychology degree that is more or less accepted as Zen Seminary School.

The guys that are running martial arts schools and doubling as Rinzai teachers are known as Zen Karate Clubs. They are sort of jokes in both Zen circles and in the greater martial arts arena as well. Nobody takes them seriously outside of what few students they can mesmerize with their bullshit.