FMW and Zen II - Franklin Merrell-Wolff Fellowship - Official Discussion Group

Dear Sekt,

My inquiry is focused on why FMW stated that he thought Zen is too aesthetic for Westerners. Do you have any thoughts on that?

My experience with Zen varies. There are times when I think all I am doing is avoiding thought and trying to be in the moment, an immanent, aesthetic sense, which is why I mentioned it, as it sounds like what FMW is getting at. I am trying to get to what his caveat about Zen was; it is reminiscent of Jung's warning to Westerners against getting involved in Eastern mysticism.

On sesshin, after a few days, I usually start to feel an exhiliration, a sense of vastness inside, which dissipates in about five minutes after. There is a sense of space, which is a term MW liked to use, by the way. I am just trying to get at the sentiment that I think MW is talking about, why he feels that Zen just doesn't fit for Westerners. Something about our genius being conceptual, even though he knows we must transcend conceptuality. I remain baffled by this.
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Well, I haven't read anything about Wolff and Zen so I can't really comment.

However, I don't buy into any restrictions in that manner - that Westerners can't get involved in traditionally Eastern systems and such or the other way round.

I think Eastern and Western are two different qualities that can be emphasized. This reminds me of the film director Alejandro Jordorwsky's comment about his film El Topo - he wanted to make something like a Western but just couldn't do it, so he made an Eastern.

I'm willing to bet, though, that Wolff's gripe with Zen really just comes down to his own preference which he's projecting on others - like his dismissal of Tantric practices http://www.selfdiscoveryportal.com/arInduction.htm there.

by the way, what a pain in the ass it is to post a single thing on this forum. Every time I try I get an error.
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Hi Sekt,

I am hopeful that someone who read the Sangha and knows the teachings will come up with a response, if they can get their post to actually work, as you said. Heck, it took me over a year just to get a password to work.

FMW was not a thoughtless man who took these matters lightly. One thing people like is the clarity of his thought, so I don't want to say it is merely personal preferences taking over, because that would be beneath him. He would have said it is his preference only. The key remains, if the object is to transcend conceptuality, why not use any means necessary, so to speak? Now, let's see if this posts before I waste another good time re-sending it.

Version:

Merrell-Wolff and Theosophy.pdf	Aug 5
Photo of Dr. Wolff	Jun 23
Dr. Wolff in his 90's	Jun 23
FMW and Zen II	Apr 23
FMW and Zen	Apr 23
Franklin Merrell-Wolff and Drugs	Apr 23
Franklin Merrell-Wolff and John Lilly	Apr 23
Refelctions: Know Thyself	Apr 23
Reflections: Experience 1 - Pathways Through to Space	Apr 23
Earlier Reflections: Similar Experience	Apr 23