I subscribe to Everyday Zen Podcasts by Norman Fischer. Norman is a western Zen Buddhist teacher that I feel a kinship with and enjoy his Dharma talks. His podcast about his recent trip to Korea is timely, in many ways. It will also give you some insight into the great experiment of western zen practice that our Ordinary Zen Sangha is part of. Everything that has come before informs who we are now. Enjoy!
Korean Buddhism and enlightenment fundamentalism
Normal Fischer’s recent trip to Korea and his experience with Korean Buddhism.
I practiced Zen with Zen Master Gosung Shin, the 77th Patriarch in the Lin-Che lineage of Korean Zen Buddhism in Germantown MD through the nineties. You can read more about that here: onezenzoo.com/about/bio . I recently visited my Son who lives near Germantown in Rockville MD and we had a wonderful visit. I also took the opportunity to catch up with an old friend and student of Master Gosung Shin over a cup of coffee. I learned that Gosung moved back to Korea last year and that the Zendo was sold to a Chinese Buddhist Group. I was asked if I will regret not seeing him again and my response was he has never left for a moment. Just like all the other wonderful people in my life that impacted the course of my life. We are never really alone.