Zen and Anarchism

[Straw Dog]

Greetings.

So I've recently been contemplating the correlations between Zen and Anarchism. Of course the latter is a philosophy and the former is a practice, but Zen tends to find itself coupled with one philosophy or another. I was just reading a section from a newsletter/book written by Kerry Thornley called Zenarchy. For those not familiar, he was also the co-author of the Principia Discordia. If you still don't know who I mean, don't worry about it. He coined the term "Zenarchy", but it is new in name only as its essence extends back through the sands of time. Although, it could also be viewed as the illegitimate Western offspring of Zen Buddhism .

Anyway, so he's talking about the way of play in chapter 2.

"It is no coincidence that the cultural currents of Zen and Anarchism immediately joined when Zen came to the West. For nowhere in recent Western history is the life of the Eastern renunciate more closely paralleled than in that of the dedicated revolutionary, forsaking all attachments for a single goal. And no Eastern sage comes closer to the zestful life sense of the Anarchist than the Zen Master.

But the deeper fruits of this union, speaking at least with reference to the Anarchist, are yet to be realized. What Zen has most to offer Anarchism is freedom HERE AND NOW. No longer need the Anarchist dream of a utopian millennium as he struggles to outwit the State - for he can find freedom in the contest, by simply knowing that freedom is everywhere for those who dance through life, rather than crawl, walk, or run.

For if a man has renounced inward ownership of property, renounced possessive attachment to his loved ones, and is cheerfully detached from time, with no fear or hope for what the future might bring - he is immune to all threats and pleadings of any State in the world. On the streets or in prison - indeed, on his very way to execution - he can play!

That is, he can become aware of his true nature as a player in the cosmic maya game, and can therefore openhandedly let his karma play itself out. He can blend with the life forces around him, as a dancer to his music, and prance boldly into the collage of events - with no fears, no regrets, and no compromises - turned on, tuned in, and made One."

So what are the connections between the practice of Zen and anarchism? How do you feel they compliment or contradict one another? Is it more a matter of the philosophies of Buddhism and Taoism associated with Zen than the actual practice itself?

Discuss. Or not. Whichever.

[no-body]

I believe they are only superficially related. Being in the here and now means being free of ego and knowing the true self. If all or even most where enlightened in a society it would only appear to be anarchy from the outside.

[Straw Dog]

Originally Posted by no-body

I believe they are only superficially related. Being in the here and now means being free of ego and knowing the true self. If all or even most where enlightened in a society it would only appear to be anarchy from the outside.

Good point. That's also an interesting comparison between being and appearing.

I feel like it may have been a mistake to promote Zenarchy here, especially as my "religion". I fear it may open the door to becoming an ideal or a dogma rather than referring to the practice of actualization through meditation within society. Maybe there's something about naming things that kills them, or I'm just thinking too much about it now haha.

[Ekanta]

Hi Straw Dog et all. Kind of interesting ... my view:

What we grow up with and accept as non-anarchy, i.e. all rules, culture etc. these are stagnations in the mind of how things should be. When then mind is softened up by zen (or other spiritual) practice, these are more and more found to be irrelevant or even disappear. So in a way a spiritual person can be viewed from outside as "anarchist". But its more like the superficial norms are replaced by something deeper and more universal, like a common ground, like buddha-nature.

So from the point of view of others, a spiritual person can be viewed as an "anarchist".
From the point of view of the spiritual person, others are "superficial".

[DreadFish]

I would say that Zen is not really "Anarchist" but, the insights realized in the practice of Zen tend to show the absurdity of static constructs and such, which tend to make a person realize how silly government and the like are.

Maybe something like, not subscribing to a governmental view by way of seeing the inherent freedom of reality. So a practitioner may be "anarchist" without being an anarchist.

I can't word it the way I want to, but Im sure you would understand what I mean out of experience.

[dyanaprajna2011]

Originally Posted by DreadFish

I would say that Zen is not really "Anarchist" but, the insights realized in the practice of Zen tend to show the absurdity of static constructs and such, which tend to make a person realize how silly government and the like are.

Maybe something like, not subscribing to a governmental view by way of seeing the inherent freedom of reality. So a practitioner may be "anarchist" without being an anarchist.

I can't word it the way I want to, but Im sure you would understand what I mean out of experience.

This.