SHIH-FU:

To my knowledge, there are no Zen monks in Japan. There are only Zen priests. The difference is that priests can get married and live with their families in a temple. They might follow the monk lifestyle, but so long as they get married, they are not monks. On the other hand, Japanese Zen nuns cannot get married. Presently, they are struggling for this right.

STUDENT:

But I thought one of the first precepts for becoming a Buddhist monk was to take a vow of celibacy?

SHIH-FU:

Zen priests take most of the traditional Buddhist vows, but do not take the vow of celibacy.

STUDENT:

This couldn't have always been the case in Japan. When and why did this happen?

SHIH-FU:

The change in monks being allowed to marry happened about a hundred years ago. It was a political move to weaken Japanese Buddhism. Monks were given a choice of returning to lay life or joining Shinto temples.

STUDENT:

When you become a monk or nun in China, you are a Buddhist and not specifically a Ch'an Buddhist or Pure Land Buddhist. Monks and nuns can try different practices during their lifetime. Is this also true in Japan?

SHIH-FU: