Vine of Obstacles Zen Training: What's the Point?

Some years ago, Tetsugan Sensei and I met with a student who said they were interested in doing Zen training with us. They seemed like a mature person who had a couple advanced degrees and numerous professional training certifications. As our conversation unfolded over the months, Sensei and I had the niggling sense that they lacked affinity with us, but we weren't quite clear why.

After a few months of discussing training and making some preliminary movements in that direction, this student finally gave voice to what they'd had been holding back – they wanted to know what they'd be qualified to do, what certificate they'd get, and when. In other words, what will I receive if I do this? (This transactional approach isn't uncommon, although some students are better at keeping it under wraps as a secret practice.)

I explained that Zen (for us) wasn't about certificates; it was about wholeheartedly doing the training just for the sake of the practice itself – for the love of the buddhadharma (aka, "awake truth") – with no guarantees about outcomes. As I said that, especially the part about no guarantees, I noticed they winced a bit and a micro-expression that I read as disdain flickered across their face. Needless to say, they didn't enter training.

In this post, I'll more fully unpack what I meant by "wholeheartedly doing the training just for the love of the buddhadharma," offer some recent thoughts by Viners about the Vine, and offer a next step for you.

Tetsugan Sensei and I, you see, work with householders to provide a training trellis for their Way Seeking Hearts. We have vowed to our teachers and to each other to transmit the red thread of the dharma that runs through the generations (that has run through us all) - only if we find an appropriate person or persons.

More about us here:

I recently shared this about our hearts' innermost aspiration:

And for transmitting the red thread, we are committed to the highest traditional standards. To paraphrase the great Nanquan, we might have to wait until the year of the ass and still only find one-half a person (note: there is no "year of the ass"). There certainly is no guarantee that we will fulfill our vow.

So, at best, most of our students will not receive dharma transmission (shiho) or the certification of the mark (inka shomei - the final authorization). Given that we are not interested in running a Zen transmission mill, you might wonder (and our students might also sometimes wonder, as the person mentioned above certainly wondered), what's in it for them?

Primarily, kensho and post-kensho training geared to the nitty-gritty daily-life functioning of great compassion. The great joy and profound meaning these can give to a life are really enough.

And yet, there are other aspects too. First, a heart connection with a lineage and a training group. We are not alone, but without close teacher-student and student-student relationships, it sure can feel like we are. Second, there is deep satisfaction from doing one's utmost to do what can be done in this very life, to dream the impossible dream, and to apply oneself with uncommon devotion and integrity.

More specifically, the deeply settled heart that is suddenly discovered through focussed zazen over a long period of time makes all the difficulty of training worthwhile. And immersing ourselves in the buddhadharma through study under the guidance of qualified teachers, purifies and transforms consciousness through and through.

Some recent comments by Vine students about the Vine

Checking us out

If you are interested in exploring Zen training under our guidance and with the Vine sangha, and think you might find affinity with wholeheartedly doing the training just for the love of the buddhadharma, you can find information about our training trellis and next steps here:

To check us out, we recommend attending some group practice sessions, offered most Sundays from 10:00am to 11:15am Central Time.

We'll also be offering a one-day retreat on Sunday, July 28, 6:00am CT-4:30pm CT, and that would be a good way to begin to get acquainted. Invitations for the day of practice will go out soon to all paid subscribers.

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You might wonder, is it really possible to do this work mostly online as a householder? Yes!

Here are some other posts on this general theme:

Coming soon for paid subscribers: One-day retreat invitation for Sunday, July 28, 6:00am CT-4:30pm CT, and a new original translation bonus issue that includes an extended commentary by Yamada Koun and Yasutani Hakuun Roshis: "Is Just Sitting Facing a Wall Enough?"