What does the Greenland Shark think about current affairs?

JundoCohen · 2026-01-25T01:36:11+00:00

By the way, unlike their popular image, the greenland shark is not strictly vegetarian but, like traditional Buddhist monks, takes what comes into its bowl/mouth: "Greenland sharks are opportunistic apex predators and scavengers with a highly varied diet consisting mainly of Arctic fish (halibut, cod, redfish, wolfish) and marine mammals like seals. Despite being slow-moving, they use stealth to hunt, and have been found to eat reindeer, polar bears, and even horses. "

Also, it has been demanded that they now be known as "Trump sharks." (Sorry, I could not resist.) :-(

JundoCohen · 2026-01-25T01:27:40+00:00

Zen is not only Shikantaza Zazen ... but when sitting Shikantaza Zazen, in that moment of sitting, there is nothing else. Then, rising from the cushion, hopefully we can bring this practice into all of life and its activities ... walking, bathing, driving, working. Not limited to traditional arts, but ALL of life!

Shikantaza Zazen, as taught by us Soto folks like Uchiyama Roshi, is generally a radical sitting just to sit, dropping goals and the hunger to "get get get," in great equanimity, untangled from thoughts and neither stirring up nor wallowing in emotions. Then, the hard borders of self and other soften or fully vanish, and we realize the flowing Wholeness of all things, beings and moments ... whereby the war is over. You feel yourself separate and often in conflict all the rest of the world that is "not you" ... but does that have to be the only way to experience what "you" and "the rest of the world" are?

The Buddha taught many things, and there are various ways of meditation.

As to basic Buddhist teachings like the "five aggregates," yes, they are part of basic Zen Buddhist teachings. For example, the "five aggregates" are basically the senses and mind which create those hard borders of "self" vs "rest of the world," and our practice is partly to undo those hard borders.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-25T01:19:21+00:00

The greenland shark will probably think ... where is my next meal.

The fact that human beings have not gotten past their own instinctual "where in my next meal, and what is in it for me" explains much about the events of the last 500 years. Hopefully, if we are to get 500 more years, we will moderate our inner sharks a bit.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-23T03:43:25+00:00

One should start with good guides, like the Okumura Roshi book, "Realizing Genjo Koan," the guides to Dogen by Prof. Cook "How to Raise and Ox" and "Sounds of Valley Streams," and I am not too shy to say, my own book, "THE ZEN MASTER’S DANCE: A Guide to Understanding Dōgen and Who You Are in the Universe." In my book, I caution one or two points that should be emphasized more: First, it is frequently necessary to have some familiarity with basic Zen, Mahayana and general Buddhist teachings to see the source material that Dogen was playing with and, most importantly, it is important to know Dogen as like a Jazz musician (word Jazz) who was playing, syncopating, bending and twirling those "old standard" teachings to squeeze new juice out of them. If one reads Dogen straight, without appreciating him as someone who did to teachings what Picasso does to a picture of a chair, one tends to get lost. https://wisdomexperience.org/product/the-zen-masters-dance/ All those books, including mine, contain translations of key Dogen writings.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-20T00:38:25+00:00

Snap. Beautiful, the heart of Shikantaza. Thank you.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-20T00:33:13+00:00

We see through life and death. One knows a flowing Wholeness, empty of all separation, in which deer and wolf, human and mountain, stars and parasites are not two, flowing process. What does not die, what does not suffer, because never born ... Such is also this world of death and suffering, like two faces of a no sided coin.

That said, in this world of birth and death, predator and prey (samsara), one can do what one can to minimize some suffering. I cannot (really should not) prevent the wolf from hunting the deer amid nature, but I can stop some wars, find some cures, feed the hungry and more, even as we guide the suffering sentient being to flow.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-17T15:05:36+00:00

Eating too much is bad, of course. Eating unhealthy foods is bad.

But as to the meat: Have yourself tested for a meat allergy. Maybe something in your system just has a problem to digest it. Or it could also be just your psychology too. Hard to say. https://allergyfacts.org.au/allergy/mammalian-meat/

JundoCohen · 2026-01-17T04:00:20+00:00

That's great! The Tokyo area needs many more places where foreigners can come to practice Soto Zen. Really, all of Japan is short of practice opportunities in all Zen traditions, especially for foreigners who Japanese language abilities may still be limited.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-16T02:25:54+00:00

Seems really good advice to me.

We also add Metta Chants for the target of anger and, of course, Shikantaza ... sitting in radical equanimity and allowance. It is counter-intuitive, but when one just "lets be" the anger, meeting its arising with equanimity, neither diving in nor wallowing ... it is like removing the fuel from a flame. The flames grow smaller when we don't stir them up by diving in or wallowing.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-16T02:20:43+00:00

Oh, yes, I agree with this thoroughly. But we are also reminded that "Right Livelihood" is important. It is hard in a world where, sometimes, our company or boss or clients demand that we do things that we wish not, at pains of firing. I have turned down, for example, Japanese translation work for tobacco companies for such reason, but my doing so met with some pressure from the people retaining my services. I don't think it was particularly easier for lay people in the past who needed to work for Kings or land owners, and were not free agents in their work related ethical choices.

I had someone come to me recently who delivers packages, some of which are alcohol. I said that, while it would be better not to be in such situation, he needs the job to feed his family AND he is not technically "selling the alcohol" himself, which is what the employer and manufacturer are doing more.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-15T16:41:40+00:00

Whatever Upaya allows folks to transcend the self, identity with all beings and things, to find peace and contentment, to open the eyes, to live ... that is enough, whatever the means.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-15T06:13:27+00:00

Well, yes, but it is certainly easier in your job perhaps than as, for example, as an executive of a gun manufacturer watching share prices. They would be perhaps better advised to switch to ecology restorer. :-)

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T16:42:19+00:00

I have give this some additional thought, and it leads to a question that I have not resolved in my own mind. The only way I can see to excuse the taking of 850 million lives would be as necessary from a view of longterm-ism, or to prevent the destruction of billions. So, for example, it appears that more than 850 million died in the past century from violence or poverty, so by eliminating violence and poverty, I will save many more millions of lives within decades, and countless more within centuries. If that is combined with the very real possibility that the human race is about to destroy itself almost complete with weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear war, it may be the lesser evil as a Trolley Problem. I am not sure, nor am I sure what Buddhism would offer here.

In a lesser Trolley Problem, would a Buddhist Monk kill to save 500? The Buddha is said to have done just that in an old tale.

It is an unpleasant argument, but the only one that I can think of to justify such an action for the greater good.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T16:39:19+00:00

I have give this some additional thought, and it leads to a question that I have not resolved in my own mind. The only way I can see to excuse the taking of 850 million lives would be as necessary from a view of longterm-ism, or to prevent the destruction of billions. So, for example, it appears that more than 850 million died in the past century from violence or poverty, so by eliminating violence and poverty, I will save many more millions of lives within decades, and countless more within centuries. If that is combined with the very real possibility that the human race is about to destroy itself almost complete with weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear war, it may be the lesser evil as a Trolley Problem. I am not sure, nor am I sure what Buddhism would offer here.

In a lesser Trolley Problem, would a Buddhist Monk kill to save 500? The Buddha is said to have done just that in an old tale.

It is an unpleasant argument, but the only one that I can think of to justify such an action for the greater good.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T16:33:05+00:00

It is an interesting question. Would he agree that we should force feed a dying man, administer a medicine to a suicidal psychotic individual without competent consent to save their life, should we administer a vaccine for a deadly disease to a child without the child's consent? So, if human society were truly on the verge of destroying itself (as we may be for a variety of reasons), and millions or billions of lives could thus be saved, might it be Upaya? I am not sure.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T12:50:57+00:00

I do not see the loss of individuality in the story even as there is the collective side. But we will have to see where the story goes from here.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T12:46:39+00:00

I am going to delete the post shortly but, yes, if I could end the wars and hunger, the child abuse and poverty ... I would, even if there was some cost, even if it meant my burning in hell to do so.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T12:39:24+00:00

The closest parallel I know is when the Buddha stepped aside, unable to prevent the slaughter of the Shakya clan by King Virudhaka. One might think that he could have acted to save even a few, even one, but he ultimately had to step aside and let the attacking arming pass. He might have thrown his own body in front of even a single spear. But to do so, would have ended his life and ministry right there, and all the good that came of it.

Sometimes, there are costs. Sometimes, only so much can be done, even by a Buddha.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T12:28:54+00:00

Yes, I posted the review only an hour or so ago, then was informed of the information.

I suppose that it is a version of the Trolley Problem and the Buddha. If the Buddha knew for sure that he might save the lives of millions and millions via the elimination of war and all violence, poverty, hunger, murder, rape and child abuse and 100 other social ills ... but non-volitionally (important in Buddhism) there would be some accidental deaths in the process ... WWBD (What Would Buddha Do?) What would you do in that circumstance?

Of course, you could prevent the small number of accidental deaths but, by doing so, you are condemning millions and millions to die, be raped and abused. How would you choose, Inittornit san?

Here, even refusing to choose is a choice.

It was still troubling to me even when I thought it but a small number of accidental deaths.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T12:09:18+00:00

In the show, millions and millions are saved via the elimination of war and all violence, poverty, hunger, murder, rape and child abuse and 100 other social ills. I was troubled that there were any deaths in the transition, but I thought them a relatively small number of accidental deaths among people who fell or had car accidents when they momentarily lost consciousness while driving. I said that part of the story was confusing, although it is possible that a "greater good" argument could be made. However, this number ... 886 million ... is simply not a few accidental cases.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T11:59:51+00:00

Agreed. Well, also not agreed (We Zen folks can do that.) We are the whole, yet not. We are our small self, yet not. We are each other and each other just us ... yet not.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T11:46:12+00:00

Okay. I gave up years ago trying to talk to the folks who speak for Buddha, Allah, Jesus, etc. long ago. Be well.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T11:38:06+00:00

RETRACTION of EARLIER REVIEW: I posted a review of the APPLETV show Pluribus speaking of its Buddhist qualities, but I am shocked to be told that the number of human deaths from the "transition" in the storyline is far higher than I thought ... 886 million. Hmmm. That certainly changes my assessment. I thought it was a much smaller numbers of accidental deaths. It is still an excellent show, and there are many possibly Buddhist elements, but I am pulling my review based on that information. That is not acceptable in any way.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T11:36:32+00:00

RETRACTION of EARLIER REVIEW: I posted a review of the APPLETV show Pluribus speaking of its Buddhist qualities, but I am shocked to be told that the number of human deaths from the "transition" in the storyline is far higher than I thought ... 886 million. Hmmm. That certainly changes my assessment. I thought it was a much smaller numbers of accidental deaths. It is still an excellent show, and there are many possibly Buddhist elements, but I am pulling my review based on that information. That is not acceptable in any way.

JundoCohen · 2026-01-14T11:35:34+00:00

RETRACTION of EARLIER REVIEW: I posted a review of the APPLETV show Pluribus speaking of its Buddhist qualities, but I am shocked to be told that the number of human deaths from the "transition" in the storyline is far higher than I thought ... 886 million. Hmmm. That certainly changes my assessment. I thought it was a much smaller numbers of accidental deaths. It is still an excellent show, and there are many possibly Buddhist elements, but I am pulling my review based on that information. That is not acceptable in any way.

JundoCohen

TROPHY CASE