How does somebody become a Zen Master?
The Zen Priest I knew was a carpenter by day. He had been practicing at a particular zen center for several years, and had decided to make a stronger commitment to the practice. There was some sort of ceremony in which the Master of that zen center ordained him and a few others, and from then on they were considered to be Zen Priests. Mostly it just meant that they held themselves to higher standards in terms of commitment to their meditation practice and to the tenets of Right Living. They helped with little tasks around the Zen Center (like restocking the incense in the meditation hall), and tried to serve as good examples for fellow members of the community, but it was about the same as what you’d expect from a highly-involved member of any church. They weren’t giving dharma talks, and they all had full-time non-zen-related jobs, which probably differs from how you would imagine a “Priest” if you come from a Christian tradition. “Master” was the title reserved for the head teacher a
I was reading the website of a particular zen establishment that listed answers their master had given. One answer was to the question: “How do I become a zen master?” His reply: “Print up some business cards”. This is an excellent answer. In this vein I suggest that there is no certification for priest in any discipline… either you live a monastic life or you don’t. There is no certification of zen mastery either. I wouldn’t consider anyone who wasn’t enlightened to be a master. Historically, masters have known each other by the answers they give. In this sense, masters self certify.
damn dirty ape is referencing the Pali Canon. That isn’t Zen, and I disagree with him on a more fundamental level as well. Zen Master (truly a ridiculous title if there ever was one) refers to someone who has received transmission from their lineage and has the go ahead to teach. There isn’t much of a distinction between Zen Master and Zen Priest. Perhaps a layman who was recognized by a well respected transmission holder might be considered a Zen Master but not a Priest. These titles aren’t taken all that seriously. For the most part, even the people in the direct line will tell you that’s not where it’s at. Enlightenment is a tricky word. Unfortunately it has the connotation of “peak experience”, instead it would be more accurate to go with “valley experience”. I take the point of view that everyone is already enlightened. There’s nothing to make a big deal about. If you want to read someone thoughtful and sober minded who has very carefully articulated what’s going on here, then I h
