their gestures, behaviour, in their everyday life. This is true for the young generation, too, although on the outside it shows signs of Americanism and globalisation. On the inside they are all very Japanese. Does it mean natural, Zen? K: Yes. Profound reverence and respect to others. Consideration of the others. A lot of goodness. Numerous natural characteristics. To be in Japan was a great pleasure for me. We have had also different experience. It is said that the Japanese divide people into the Japanese and the Gaijins, that means the White. According to this, a Gaijin is a person of lower value. There is allegedly a certain form of such xenophobia up to date. K: With travelling they now know Europe much better and the division into the Gaijins and the Japanese has been put an end to. However, it was still so 20 years ago. People who travelled to Japan had an experience that abbots of Zen monasteries, who are often holders of high degrees of martial arts, remain in this style of thinking. K: Then it′s mostly those who haven′t travelled much (laughing). Part of such an old Japan still exists. But, it is the part of Japan that suffers from the wounds and conflicts of the past. In Europe, but also in Slovakia, Zen is quite young, practiced by few people, and so it is live. In Japan, it is strongly institutionalised, which is given historically. Similar to how is institutionalised Christianity in our country. The Japanese Zen temples are said to collect huge amounts of money as gifts in the first two days of a new year. Does this not block the very Zen way that you are talking about? K: Yes, this was a bit of a problem at my last journey to Japan. I had to separate myself from this. But, there are still old masters in the mountains, who teach Zen in small temples and they are basically those who transmit the true teaching. Now, Zen in Japan is very politicized. The Japanese try to control the European Zen, too. They want all the Europeans who would want to be ordained and teach others to have to come to Japan and pay for the ordination there. I belong to the branch Soto [Ed. note: the second main branch of Zen Buddhism is the branch Rinzai]. There, one has to pay to Eiheiji, the main temple of the Soto branch. But, we want to practice our own ordinary European Zen. There are some problems with it. In Zen, there shouldn’t be any organisation. Zen is free. The Soto sect is said to be organised as strictly as the Japanese imperial court. K: Yes, but on the other hand, thanks to that Zen has survived for more than seven centuries. The question of organising will, however, always be a problem. The question is how to find balance between organising and freedom. That is a problem we cannot solve on the Earth. I want to pass down my knowledge to my disciples, and then they can do whatever they want with it. I will die. Then it will not be my business; it will be up to them. The penetration of eastern philosophies into Europe has been going on for several Q Q Q Q A A A Q Q A A 94 (4) Sandó Kaisen
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