III. Evolving Approaches to Leading Zen Retreats in East and West
Question: Having led Zen retreats in both Eastern and Western cultures for many years, what changes have you observed in your teaching approach?
Answer: In Eastern cultures, Buddhism and Zen meditation are familiar concepts deeply embedded in our cultural consciousness. For Chinese practitioners studying Han Buddhism, the very characters we use carry within them the historical context, cultural background, and methods of practice - all resonating with our shared cultural heritage. When teaching Chinese students, even those who aren't Buddhist practitioners intuitively grasp fundamental concepts like karma that have permeated our collective consciousness for centuries.
Western cultures lack this shared framework. What we consider self-evident often requires careful explanation. To convey Zen's essence, we cannot divorce it from Chinese culture and Eastern civilization - Zen was born from this soil, though its roots trace back to India. It represents Eastern wisdom. Severed from this context, Zen's profundity becomes diluted.
When teaching in the West, I must simultaneously understand local cultural contexts while bridging Eastern and Western perspectives. During a retreat in Poland coinciding with the Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day), I explained traditional Eastern views on love. Similarly, I've discussed the Ghost Festival, Ullambana, and concepts like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and hell realms - not to demand acceptance, but to foster cultural exchange.
Western practitioners may not immediately resonate with all aspects of Chinese Zen, but through gradual understanding, deeper connections form. While Eastern teaching can directly address core principles thanks to shared cultural foundations, Western instruction requires navigating cultural differences.
I've also observed how crucially important basic training remains - and how frequently students resist it. Many dismiss fundamental practices like cross-legged sitting, breath counting, or Buddha recitation as impractical. Over the years, I've seen talented students - some more capable than myself in various ways - leave because they undervalued this groundwork. They organized retreats hopping between topics: huatou, the four foundations of mindfulness, the Brahmaviharas, breath meditation - but without consistent methodology or depth. These offerings provided novelty and Buddhist knowledge without sustained practice.
Post-pandemic Malaysia has seen remarkable resurgence in retreat participation. The crisis made people acutely aware of life's fragility - many who hadn't attended retreats for twenty or thirty years returned, recognizing the value of our methodical approach. When confronted with mortality, they sought authentic practice rather than superficial experiences.
Adapted from Life Magazine Issue 486, Dharma Drum Publications
(Note: This content has been translated by AI. In case of any discrepancies, please refer to the original Chinese text as the authoritative source).
