English-capable Buddhist centers?

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
1

Friend of mine got interested in Buddhism, wants to visit several different kinds. He specifically wanted

*Japanese-style Zen (he’d prefer Japanese to Chinese, and would also rather have the kind that DOESN’T hit you with a bamboo cane while you meditate–that’s Soto school, not Rinzai, right?)

*Tibetan (which there’s another thread on, I know, but add your ideas if you have any more)

*Theravada

And he doesn’t speak Chinese very well, so if your center is kind of international that would be great.

So, Buddhists out there…? Here’s your chance to make a convert!

2

Not quite what he wanted, but the Chinese Zen Dharma Drum in Beitou have weekly sessions in English. They’re very well regarded.

Brian

3

What’s the difference?

4

You can call Zhongtai Temple in Puli and tell them you need an English tour…very easy to arrange. Zhontai is a recent zen temple…not to be missed. Especially the walkway going up to the top for walking meditation.
It’s a huge buddhist community there and they spent a fortune on their buildings.

Everytime I’ve called the nun on the phone (Phone nun?) has always been willing to converse in English. I looked for the number on my computer, but no success.

5

If your friend is looking for Japanese-style Zen here, he will not find it. I’ve been looking for three years and haven’t even come close. From my experience (11 years or so) of studying Rinzai (Linji) Zen, the focus of training should be on “satori” (enlightenment). Every “Zen” monk I’ve spoken with here seems to think that (as well as “sitting,” which is the fundamental practice of Zen) is unimportant. The Zen (Chan) schools here have been infiltrated by the other schools, and more class time is spent doing prostrations, chanting scriptures, and saying “Amitofo” (which isn’t even remotely Zen) rather than instruction and sitting practice. If you have no other choice (i.e. going to Japan), I’d say Dharma Drum is the better choice. They have a center on Anhe Rd. (Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT station), as well as the Nong Chan Monastery in Beitou.

As for Zhongtai Shan, I’d stay far away from them. They tend to be quite cult-like, and have had a lot of problems in recent years with the press. Most recently during the election, the abbot, Wei Jue, urged his followers to vote for the KMT. I don’t know about anyone else, but a Buddhist abbot (especially one who has supposedly attained some level of enlightenment) should not be getting himself involved in politics. They have also been accused of coercing people into becoming monks/nuns, even practically “kidnapping” children during weekend or summer camps, shaving their heads, and ordaining them … much to the horror of the parents when they return to pick up the kids who had no idea that this would be going on. So, I’d stay far, far away …

6

"Not seeking anything, there is no single goal to attain. Nonetheless, we must work hard. Without hard work, life is meaningless. We need to work. We need motivation to accomplish everyday tasks. But in terms of spiritual cultivation, keeping a specific goal in mind is itself an obstacle to the accomplishment of the goal. Ordinary aims can be achieved by desire and direct effort, but the highest goal cannot be approached in this way.

If, for example. you practice to achieve enlightenment, you will find your goal moving farther and farther away from you. What does enlightenment mean? It means liberation, both from the constraints imposed by the self and those imposed by the external world. Seeking, even if it is for enlightenment, is just another constraint."

Taken from: A lecture given by Master Sheng-yen [the founder of Dharma Drum] at the Washington University, St. Louis Missouri on April 17th, 1990

Maybe they just thought you were “too focused”? :wink:

If possible, try attending one of the Dharma Drum retreats in the U.S. There’s just a bit of chanting, small groups (indeeed very small compared to Taiwan), excellent instructions and hours and hours of sitting. Still, there should be a considerable amount of sitting meditation during the retreats in Taiwan, too.

I can fully recommend Dharma Drum, too. However, for those looking for cult-like group experiences, it will be a disappointment. :smiley:

7

[quote]As for Zhongtai Shan, I’d stay far away from them. They tend to be quite cult-like, and have had a lot of problems in recent years with the press. Most recently during the election, the abbot, Wei Jue, urged his followers to vote for the KMT. I don’t know about anyone else, but a Buddhist abbot (especially one who has supposedly attained some level of enlightenment) should not be getting himself involved in politics. They have also been accused of coercing people into becoming monks/nuns, even practically “kidnapping” children during weekend or summer camps, shaving their heads, and ordaining them … much to the horror of the parents when they return to pick up the kids who had no idea that this would be going on. So, I’d stay far, far away …
[/quote]

The incident of “kidnapping” happened years ago and the “children” were college-aged “adults.” Only in Taiwan would 19-20 year olds be considered children too young to make decisions for themselves.

What happened is that the adults went for summer retreats and then decided to stay and become monks and nuns. Usually there is a one-year waiting period in which adults are expected to consult with their parents. This one-year period, by the way, is monastery policy. Exactly why it was abandoned this time I don’t know. Many Buddhist groups were eager to increase their numbers at this time and I think the people at Jung Tai Chan simply erred in judgement. They now follow the strict one-year policy carefully. Cults don’t usually care what the greater public thinks.

As for Wei Jue asking his followers to vote KMT, you may think this is inappropriate for a Buddhist monk but then all the Buddhist groups in Taiwan are involved in society in ways unheard of before. Trying to make a difference in the real world I’m sure many feel the need to get involved in politics. Again, I will be curious to see if this is repeated in the future or is just part of the learning process.

There are 3 westerners who live at the monastery and teach the nuns and monks English. They sometimes accompany the tours. You can ask them how cultish they feel the place is.

I highly recommend the monastery for anyone interested in Buddhism. It’s probably the best place in Taiwan for someone to gain knowledge (in English) of Buddhist art, history, religious practices, iconography and thought. The outside of the temple is a bit monstrous, but inside the abundance of good quality art is amazing. Go just to see the statues, paintings, and ceiling design. My tour was more like an art history lesson than a religious one. It makes temple visits much more interesting now that I can recognize the different Buddhas and characters you see in temples around Taiwan.

You can email the monastery at ctworld@ms16.hinet.net to arrange an English tour beforehand. The temple number is 049 293 0215.

Puli itself is also an interesting place to visit and is quite close to Sun Moon Lake.

8

Thanks everybody, and I’ll make sure my friend sees this. (He’s not registered with Forumosa.) No Theravada centers out there?

I don’t personally know the difference between Chinese and Japanese forms of Zen / Chan–it sounds like Little Buddha does, though. My friend has been reading “Shogun” recently so perhaps that explains the attraction. (Why do some people pick karate over kung fu?)

Only in Taiwan would 19-20 year olds BE too young to make decisions for themselves!

But seriously, much the same discussion happened in the U.S. a few years back, when parents hired “cult deprogrammers” to kidnap their technically adult children from the clutches of the Moonies and Hari Krishna. I’m not so wise as to be able to name what year a boy becomes a man, or which religions are “cults” and which are just regular.

9

It all depends on how you construe the blemishes before you. I personally try to be forgiving towards what is presented. In fact I would prefer there to be some blip cause it often leads to important considerations. Some of my fondest religious experiences have been amongst the wacko and cultist organizations…luckily just visiting.

10

A quick observation concerning this earlier statement “Most recently during the election, the abbot, Wei Jue, urged his followers to vote for the KMT. I don’t know about anyone else, but a Buddhist abbot (especially one who has supposedly attained some level of enlightenment) should not be getting himself involved in politics.”
Personally, I see no difference in a Buddhist abbot endorsing (or encouraging his followers to vote for) a presidential candidate…it is no worse than preachers, ministers, priests, bishops or the pope (for that matter) ( all of whom should have attained 'some level of enlightenment" ) endorsing their favorite candidates (or public policies)…if religious leaders stayed out of politics the world might be a better place…or then again…who knows?..sorry for getting off track here