The Zen/Buddhism or Vedanta are nothing new. It is the age old wisdom teachings of the Sages of India, partially preserved by the monks and sannyas. But why now and why in America? The answer is fairly simple. In this era of Utilitarian and Pragmatic/Political Realism (Realpolitik), it must have some beneficial purpose for the establishment of the western civilization, particularly in America. What is that beneficial purpose for which they are being systematically promoted by the Schools, Universities, Popular TV or Media Celebrity, New Age movement or even by the philosophers and politicians? The Tyrannical Owners [Financial/Corporate/Political Masterminds] of the westerners are using it or promoting it as a "false consolation" to tame the intellectuals down that would have been the movers and shakers [not to mention, a true and just revolutionary], who could alleviate the suffering of the sheep imposed by those corporate "Owners". In order to divert the natural tendency to auto-correct the accumulated errors in popular judgments and to tame down any possibilities of significant resistance against the authority, they are distributing repackaged "Eastern Wisdom" to the mass. Their intention is not to educate you but to quell your justified anger, to dilute your personal opinion, to vanquish any opposition to resistance against authority who are perpetually milking and fleecing you out, but in return, not respecting you or taking care of you as they have promised. This is exactly why they are now promoting those repacked eastern "wisdom". The irony is, knowledge/wisdom is power and nobody in authority is generous enough to distribute power (i.e wisdom) freely because Wisdom brings True Freedom and true freedom brings righteous actions which in turn is a threat to the authority. Can you see it, how you have been duped again?
But the real issue of the current essay is not to show why the repackaged Zen/Buddhism or Vedanta are becoming popular but to discuss the real difficulty in understanding of this so called "modern" Zen/Buddhism or Vedanta. Long before Gautama or even Veda, in India, there were some itinerant, peripatetic ascetic monks and sages who were the de facto religious and political guardians of their tribes or the regions, based on their merits, wisdom and actions. Much later when those indigenous people were introduced with the Veda from the incoming Aryans, it created a profound upheaval amongst the people. In those periods of geopoliticoreligious turmoil the indigenous local Indian were divided into two main groups: 1. The Astika School, Based on the Veda or Brahmins as the Authority, 2. The Charvaka/Sramana or Individualistic (later, mistakenly identified with Nastika School). The Veda based Brahmin priesthood became the orthodox School, later modified, reinterpreted and repackaged as Vedanta. The Sramana School later disappeared and repackaged to become the new School of Jainism and Buddhism. These events are in almost perfect parallel with the events where thousand years of wisdom from Egypt, Sumerian, Babylonian, Phoenician/Canaanite, Greek, Celtic/Druidic, Roman/Stoic were consolidated/encapsulated/encrypted into either 1) Judaism [Equivalent to Brahmin/Veda based Hinduism where Brahmin are the "Chosen People" just like the Jews) or 2) Christianity (Equivalent to Mahayana Buddhism where Buddha is equated with God just like Christ]. But what those schools are saying is noting "new" but rather represents the efforts trying to preserve the rudimentary fragments of Wisdom but unfortunately in Indirect/Encrypted forms. So do not treat the Bible or Veda or Teaching or Buddha or Jesus as the First source of Wisdom. Rather, they represents the later, fragmentary, rudimentary glimpse of Ageless Wisdom but in an indirect/encrypted form. Whatever you see in Veda, or Gautama's teaching, or in Bible, it NOT their own. It comes from an impersonal, ageless Wisdom tradition common to all people around the world. If you take the later, rudimentary, fragmentary, partially degenerated/corrupted and yet encrypted/indirect teaching to be the ultimate, concrete, direct, uncorrupted, pure sources of wisdom or salvation, then you are just fooling yourself and it will take you towards an infinite regress of meaninglessness. You have to appreciate the natural history and origin of those schools of ideas in order to understand the beauty and the truth behind it, even from those fragmentary teachings. You have to inquire and earn it and the good news is, it was never lost completely and it is always available in the environment and everywhere you seek. You just have to recognize it, take it, hold onto it and live it. The Teacher/Guru/Rabi/Priest/Brahmin/Buddha might be helpful but not necessary. Only you and your environment are both simultaneously necessary and sufficient! But it takes time, discipline, and hard work but unfortunately, there is no shortcuts, like having a blind and categorical "Faith" and then home that you are saved. The "Faith" is for those weaklings who cannot find the Truth for themselves despite their honest and sincere efforts so it is okay for them to have faith. But you have to try it first before resorting yourself to the faith. Only then the "faith" is also a good thing because, at least you are in the vicinity of the House of Truth.
Now let's go back to the real issues or difficulties of modern or western Zen/ Buddhism or Vedanta. Everyone wants to win the crown jewel bypassing any works needed as preparation. Everyone is interested in the fruit but nobody is willing to plant the seed and nurture the tree. They do not even want to go to the shopping malls anymore to buy the fruit. They just order it online and want the fruit to be shipped to their door at the mailing address. If you want the fruit, you can get some version of the fruit by hook or crook but, will you be satisfied perpetually just by one bite? Of course not! You need to cultivate it from the scratch. But again it takes time, effort, dedication, and occasional asceticism. But they think "I have paid in cash or from my credit card, and why this has to be that difficult? I have paid my dues and I want the fruit". Let me assure you, it will not work in that way. But unfortunately this is the way Zen/Buddhism or Vedanta is being practiced in western world. And for the same reason, everyone jumps to grab the fruit at the very beginning of their journey. So they are looking to conquer the Nirvana and Non-Dual Vedic Self as easily as possible, as quickly as possible and as cheap as possible. And this is the problem. There is no shortcuts, but the Western Zen/Buddhist or Vedanta guru are ready to sell the shortcuts of their damaged goods to you.
The original Buddha had no intention to explain, teach or propagate any doctrine and only began to speak at the request from close and advanced students in the inner circle for their particular and specific questions. When the students wanted to know about the nature about the Nirvana or Enlightenment, he did not answer. Instead he talked in parables to indicate that, before asking those big questions, there are many other immediate questions you need to find the answer. The Big questions should come as the last possible question and the only way you can know those things if you yourself become enlightened. So focus on more immediate issues like: What is happening, what you and the people in general are doing, what are the things bothering you and what are the root causes of those immediate problems or issues, or in other words, the Four Noble Truths. Again, those response came only on request from most advanced or well prepared students, not preemptively. Unfortunately, the western "buddhas" are trying to preach preemptively, for the mass with "generalized" sermons. This is exactly the opposite of the original teaching. No wonder why even the high priests of Tibetan monks are arguing each other to understand how to interpret the Buddha's "emptiness". This in itself, conclusively proves that they themselves do not understand what it is or why it is. Almost everyone thinks, his interpretation of the emptiness is the truth, the rest of them are just illusory. Then he wants to integrate his interpretation into this problem ridden world but they have no idea what, why and how the "problem ridden world" came to be! In other words, the so called buddhas have a solution for a problem that they themselves do not know the "pathogenesis". How foolish is that! By the same token, if you have any predefined or indoctrinated idea of Nirvana based on your ego, greed or covetousness, then it cannot be, by definition, Nirvana. When you try to become empty, by the instructions and the method [the method itself is a "thing" and by definition, cannot be empty] of a teacher/guru and eventually pretend to become somehow "empty", you will be utterly lost about what that emptiness actually means. You will become totally agnostic about the whole thing and your entire efforts will get wasted. It is not about emptying and staying emptied but finding the reason behind it or the true will, hidden behind that emptiness what will animate you with joy and fill you with actions that are aligned perfectly with the nature and the worlds. So, do not want to know or inquire about the Nirvana prematurely. It will only bring more confusion, if you are not well prepared.
In contrast to Zen Buddhism, who are trying to make you empty and powerless, the western Vedanta is trying to do exactly the opposite. It makes you more egotistic (already extremely prevalent is western world), selfish and devoid of any sense of morality. You might be a criminal and doing all types of felony but “it’s okay dude” and whatever you do, it is right, because you are who you are, i.e. "I am". In fact, this "I am" is the most used and unfortunately misused buzzword for New Age/Vedantic movement that is going on in western world. The question about "I am" -ness should not be the active goal because it is a dead end, especially, if you ask it prematurely. You cannot solve it in ordinary logical, scientific or philosophical ways because people already tried it and instead of making things easier for you, they have created a stumbling block such as Godel's Logical Paradox, Kant's "Things in itself" and Scientific "Objective, empirical verification and falsification" respectively. If you really want to solve it, this question should come as the very last possible question and hopefully by that time you are already enlightened and will not even bother to ask it! Additionally and yes unfortunately, there are two commonly known "I am", one is from the Prince of Darkness, the same side of the river and the other is from the Prince of the Light, the other side of the river. They both do not know the true "I AM" The Most High, The Highest, and hence both of them are still trying to be it or know it or catch it or worse, hunt it. The Real "I AM" is humble enough and hence not interested in saying "I AM", but those who are using this term preemptively, are obviously egotistic and a citizen of the either side of the river (but not the "Living Water" of the river itself). The Real "I AM, The Most High" is Silent, and those who possess it are also silent and hence not available in the market places. There are many social, material, cultural, moral and ethical questions that should come before that big question. But if you are concern primarily with it, it will lead you astray and you will be lost in never ending maze. Do not ask the Last and Big question first and to the teacher in the marketplace, for heaven's sake, do not attempt to teach your students the most advanced concept in the very start. You yourself should know it first, before you can teach it to anyone. If you knew, you will not teach it to begin with! Try not to make the pigs to sing. It will not work eventually. It is your responsibility to guard against any Impurity that can occur in the hand of the Unclean! The only way to keep it Pure is not to touch or talk about it at all. Instead, just Do it, Be it, Live it. If you are really wise, then chose your Student wisely too [be a Teacher only when the Student is fully ready]. Or else, it will create just another egotistic selfish, megalomaniac, tyrannical and hence more damaging Prince, either of the Dark [The Devil/Angra Mainyu/Satan] or the Light [The Christ/Lucifer], and the Havoc for the rest of the sheep.
