From: kish@athos.rutgers.edu (Bill Kish)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Ch'an, Rinzai, Soto, Obaku, Nembutsu, etc.
Date: 11 Oct 1992 23:13:37 -0700
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The relationship between various strains of Zen with Nembutsu (Pure
Land), Tendai, Shingon, and others we don't even have records of is
something which needs time and effort in order to appreciate.  An
excellent work (perhaps even the only work translated into English)
which does justice to the complexity of the issues involved is the two
volume set by Heinrich Dumoulin, "The History of Zen in India and
China (v1)" and "The History of Zen in Japan (v2)".  Another good work
available in English is "The History of Buddhism in China" by Kenneth
Ch'en.  If you combine this with "Zen in Transition" ed. by Kenneth
Kraft, then you have a reasonably accurate thumbnail sketch of the
long and intricate paths by which the innovations and spiritual genius
traditionally attributed to Bodhidharma has made its way into the 20th
century.   I say "thumbnail sketch" here since the real work which is
and has been  done on these issues is in Japanese, Chinese, etc.
	With respect to the original question concerning the
differences between Rinzai and Soto Zen, I think Yamplonsky's (sp ?)
contribution to "Zen in Transition" is as good a description of how
they differ in modern day Japan as you will get in 10 - 15 pages.  The
main difference involves the use of koans and, to a lesser extent,
what might be referred to as the "crazy wisdom" or "shock tactics"
usually associated with Rinzai masters.  There are additional
differences involving how these two Buddhist schools interfaced with
Japanese culture and politics, but these have more to do with the life
and history of the Japanese people than with Buddhism per se.
	The statement made by someone in a previous post about Rinzai
being for the "desperate" is rubbish. This is no more true than saying
that Soto is only for those who enjoy wallowing in pathetic and
shallow self absorption.  I think if anyone bothers to look closely,
they will see the differences between Rinzai and Soto as more the
product of the idiosyncratic nature of teachers, students, and the
reality of waking up rather than as some sort of deep and fundamental
rift.  Dogen and Hakuin have seen each other "face to face" along with
all the other patriarchs.  Read the section on Dogen in Dumoulin v2.
He trained with koans under Lin Chi masters as well as in Tendai
practices before connecting with a Tsao Tung (Soto) master who turned
out to be what for all intents and purposes was his "root guru".
Likewise Hakuin began with a Nichiren and Tendai background before
becoming perhaps the quintessential Rinzai Zen master.  I don't think
in either case that the preparatory practices each master underwent
before striking gold was somehow in vain.
	The awakening which Dogen experienced by "just sitting" is
what any Zen teacher, Rinzai or otherwise, hopes to precipitate in
students with his or her own particular methods and teaching style.
The Buddha has infinite skillful means at his disposal.  The Rinzai
and Soto methods are just two samples.

Yours in Dharma,
-Bill