our school in the broader context of Korean Buddhist activity in southern California-did you know that there's BrieF Reviews a temple in Los Angeles not in our school known as Kwan Urn Sa? The two longest profiles are ofSarnu Sunim, based judy Reitman jDPSN in Toronto and teaching mostly European-Canadians/ Americans through his Zen Lotus Sociery; and of Zen Butterflies On A Sea Wind: Master Seung Sahn, giving a slightly different version than Beginning Zen by Anne Rudloe, the canonical one most of us have heard. More interesting published by Andrews McNeel, is Samu Sunim's very generous article Turning the Wheel of Kansas Ciry, 2002 Dharma in the West, which has an excellent synopsis of Anne Rudloe is the abbot of the the history of Buddhism in Korea, and then profiles three Cypress Tree Zen Group in teachers: Ven. Dr. Seo, Kyung-Bo, a charismatic teacher Tallahassee, Florida. This book is who towards the end ofhis life became the self-proclaimed I basically a description of what it's world dharma-raja; Kusan Sunim, one of only two (the like to be a relative beginner in Zen other is Zen Master Seung Sahn) Korean teachers who practice, both on and off the went out of their way to encourage western students to cushion. Rudloe brings together three strands of her life: study in Korean monasteries; and Zen Master Seung Sahn. her experience practicing Zen (especially on retreats); her Samu Sunim also gives an extensive history and description personallife-farnily, work, and ecological activism; and of our school, and responds directly to charges made the natural world around her. Her description of practice against Zen Master Seung Sahn and our school both by deliberately focuses on its difficulties-no one reading this traditional Korean Buddhists and at least one former monk book will confuse Zen practice with relaxation in our school (such charges include a confusion in the techniques-and her own practice experience is embedded Korean communiry about our school having married in clear descriptions of the broader picture of how both monks, because lay people wear long robes; charges that sangha and retreats are organized and function. Episodes Zen Master Seung Sahn basically moves too fast in making from her personal life show the results and rewards of centers and teachers at all levels; that he encourages 22] practice, as well as the ways in which we all fall short (and quantity at the expense of qualiry; and so on). Sarnu Sunim hence need to practice). Nature grounds her, and she has clearly has great respect for Zen Master Seung Salin's dedicated her professional life to its preservation. Her teaching, compassion, and energy, and I recommend this lyrical, meticulous descriptions of birds, water, plants and article for its discussion ofour school and founding teacher, sky make the area around her home in Panacea, Florida, its broader treatment of Korean Buddhism both in Korea seem an enchanted place, one of the most beautiful on and America, and for its indirect introduction to Samu earth. I will never again see palmetto as scrub, or overlook Sunim. the way creatures as small as captive brine shrimp reflect light. Spiritual Innovators: Seventy-Five Extraordinary People Who Changed Korean Americans and Their the World in the Past Century, ed. K.orcan Itmericans and Missionaries Ira Rifkin and others, �cir 'R.cligions r-r-' Religions: Pilgrims by SkyLight from a Different Shore, ed. by Ho­ Paths Publishing, projected Youn Kwon, Kwang Chung Kim, publication date 2002 R. Stephen Warner, The I have this book only in uncorrected Pennsylvania State Universiry proof, so things might have changed Press, 2001 but from the Amazon.com reviews An academic book of essays mostly they have not changed that much. presented at a conference and The editors basically asked a bunch ofpeople to list people focused mostly on the Christianiry they thought were spiritually important, collated and of the Korean American communiry; four of its fifteen tweaked the results, and ended up with sevenry-five people chapters are on Buddhism. Two of these chapters feature ranging from Dr. Bob, the founder of Alcoholics prominent profiles ofZen Master Seung Sahn. The Growth Anonymous, to Pope John XXIII. Each of these people of Korean Buddhism in the United States, with Special gets a profile of about two pages, followed by an extensive Reference to Southern California by Eui-Young Yu profiles quote or two, and a brief bibliography. This format is six Zen teachers among other prominent personalities guaranteed to oversimplify and even miss the point involved with Korean Buddhism in America (including entirely-for example, Zen Master Seung Sahn is thrown at least two non-Korean Americans). It's interesting to see into a group characterized by the chapter heading They PRIMARY POINT Winter/Spring 2003 spokefrom the power ofsilence, on the grounds that he was of discipline. This book is a memoir of his early days in asked to maintain teaching silence for three years after training, interspersed with teaching and a number of receiving transmission. vigorously told stories, some from the classic Zen tradition, and some from the lives of his friends and acquaintances. and Buddhism, Sexuality, Gender, His early training was very physical-a lot of cleaning and ed. by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, State caretaking. Then he moved into a training monastery, University of New York Press, where he was intermittently beaten and verbally abused 1992 for three days outside the gate before being allowed in. The classic Rinzai style, as depicted here, is short on Okay, why am I reviewing an out­ encouragement and long on disparagement. Tremendous of-print academic compilation ten determination, and maybe desperation, is needed in order years after publication which I got to stick it out. in its years was for free because it was so tattered and Morinaga's practice early dominated not by serenity and calm, but by exhaustion faded sitting in a window display and stress, which led, as they are supposed to in the Rinzai focused on something like basketball tradition, to a breakthrough, after which the real work that the bookstore people couldn't bear asking me for could begin. Morinaga presents his weaknesses and doubts money? Because it has stuff that shouldn't be lost to the honestly, shows tremendous gratitude and respect for his broader community, including generous quotations from teachers (including one ofhis secular teachers) and presents primary texts. The two articles of most interest to people himself as not being particularly special. There is an in our school are Barbara E. Reed's The Gender Symbolism interesting contrast between the memoir aspect of this ofKuan- Yin Bodhisattva, and Miriam L. Levering's Lin­ book, which focuses on the difficulties of classic Rinzai chi (Rinzai) Chan and Gender: The Rhetoric ofEquality and the difficulties of Morinaga's life, and the and the Rhetoric ofHeroism. The complex and contradictory training teaching aspect, which simply and even gently encourages gender mythologies of Avalokitesvara/Kuan Yin make the reader, whether lay or monastic, practitioner or not, fascinating reading, and Reed's article in a relatively small to believe in her/himself, to face each moment directly, number ofpages manages not only to state it but to analyze and to live a clear life in the face of death. For example, it seriously in relation to both gender and culture. Her talking of an old friend dying of cancer: "Always now­ [2:1 article is especially remarkable because it manages to go just now-come into being. Always now-just now-give deeper than some of the much longer treatments of the yourself to death. this truth is Zen practice." subject that have appeared since. Levering's article focuses Practicing (p. 132) on a sermon honoring a woman lay practitioner ofCh'an, Lady Ch'in-kuo. This sermon is placed in the context of The Wonder ofPresence and the Ch'an teachings about the irrelevance of gender, in the 'fh_ WcJlld"r "fPrcsence Meditative Toni ")1''''''' \Ah ..... fl.lnnuT"1II"'!UI..- way of Inquiry by context of ancient Chinese cultural premises about male Packer, Shambhala, 2002. and female and the rhetoric this engenders, and in the context of feminist rhetorical 'analysis. About half of this Toni Packer was supposed to be article consists of direct quotes from 8th to 12th century Philip Kapleau's dharma heir in a Ch'an texts, especially from Master Ta-hui, a champion Rinzai-style tradition, but she broke of the hua-t'ou technique that is also prominent in Korean with her training and founded a Zen, and it is terrific to meet these old masters face to face center in northern New York State as they confront an issue we like to think we've invented, with no formal hierarchy (although as well as to learn that female dharma heirs were not she is clearly in charge), no required in ancient Chinese Buddhism. unknown activities, and pots of tea always available. We could not be further in atmosphere from Novice to Master: An ........ Ongoing the monasteries of her original lineage. Packer's teaching Lesson in the Extent Own ofMy is to be aware, and basically this book, taken from talks Stupidity, by Soko Morinaga given on retreats, is a series of exhortations on why we Roshi, translated by Belenda should and how we can be aware. Her language is gentle Wisdom Attaway Yamakawa, and even a bit abstract. For example, taking a quote at Publications, 2001. random: "Meditation is coming into intimate touch with our habitual reactions of fear, desire, anger, tenderness, or Lost and despairing at the end of whatever, discovering them freshly, abstaining from auto­ World War II, barely managing to matically judging them good or bad, right or wrong." focus enough to graduate from high (p.