Expert: Joe McSorley - 4/19/2007

Question
Hi,
I'm fairly new to the Buddhist tradition and although I have a profound interest in Buddhism and using the principles that it embodies as a means to develop and improve myself I am unsure as to which particular Buddhist tradition to partake in. Every group seems to have certain aspects that appeal, but i am unsure as to which one is the best option. I understand that it is obviously the individuals choice and therefore whichever tradition resonates with them the best then that is the one that they should chose but i suppose i am looking for specific reasons that make zen and perhaps taoism stand out from the other traditions to see if they are indeed what would be best for me in my journey to develop myself.
Thanks for your help.

Answer
Dear Matt,
   Zen today has really become two different schools.  I don’t mean the difference between the Soto and the Rinzai sects but between Zen and Zen Buddhism.  Zen Buddhism has become standardized and somewhat ritualized in many schools.  You can go to a Zen monastery and go through the training and become a priest or monk, like getting a degree, and then go out into the world and teach.  This would be a practice of Zen Buddhism as it has been handed down for many years.  Many people come to Zen to study this and be a part of this.  Others come to Zen, not to study something called Zen, but to overcome a great existential crisis.  It’s not that they heard about it and it resonated with them but that they were in some type of personal crisis that they wanted to overcome.  When you read the encounter between Bodhidharma and Hui Ka he did not tell Hui to study, become a monk, meditate or whatever, he demanded that he hand him the source of the problem, himself.  There is no ritual or training here just an attempt to face the moment.  This is not what most Zen is about today; it is about learning Zen Buddhism.  
 If you want to study Zen Buddhism then you will want to read up on the Soto and Rinzai traditions and see what resonates with you.  If there is some existential quest you are on it doesn’t matter what school of Zen you go to if you are there to embrace the problem and eventually disregard anything called ‘zen’.  Traditionally the difference between Zen and other schools is that Zen did not rely on teachings, dogma or rituals but relied only on self-awakening through arduous practice.  Some people argue that Zen is the closest to the original intent of the historical Buddha while other schools like Theravada claim that they are.  It really doesn’t matter if your intent is to awaken no matter what school you are in.
   If you are an athlete training for the Olympics you will do whatever it takes to learn your skill.  You will go from teacher to teacher to find what benefits you best because it’s about your goal, not the school’s or the teacher’s.  It is the same with awakening; you have to do what works.
 As far as Taoism goes my answer is about the same.  Taoism is very hard to study today because it is lost in magic and alchemy.  It your object is to realize the root of your existence and thus the root of all existence you can do this with Taoism but it is hard to sort out with all the other things.
  I hope this helps you.
             Take care,
                         Joe