<p>When the student is ready, the teacher appears. It all depends on the disposition of the students. No bona fide teacher can help an unready student.</p>
<p>Also, being an artist, painter or psychologist is not an inherent perquisite or advantage for a student of Buddhism.</p>
<p>Since Robert Wright does not understand Buddhism very well and also appears to pursue Buddhism for a commercial purpose, his opinion appears to not represent reality.</p>
<p>The Buddha himself said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When you know for yourselves that, &quot;These qualities are skillful;
these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the
wise; these qualities, when adopted &amp; carried out, lead to welfare &amp;
to happiness&quot; — then you should enter &amp; remain in them.</p>
<p>Kalama Sutta</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-01T07:21:04.830Z
2020-12-01T07:27:22.677Z
2020-12-01T07:27:22.677Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>That quote has absolutely no founding in reality.  You could plumb the psychological depths of the alayavijnana in Tibetan Buddhism or Rinzai Zen, paint masterful works in Soto, compose gathas in the Theravadan, or do absolutely none of those things in any of those traditions.  A good teacher is worth more than the lineage he or she teaches.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-01T12:58:31.343Z
2020-12-01T12:58:31.343Z
user20120
<p>Dhamma-Vinaya, the Buddhas path, is for those seeking release from suffering, and of course, has less to do with the mentioned householder trends.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-01T04:10:32.403Z
2020-12-01T04:10:32.403Z
user20117
<p>When choosing between the contemplative traditions—Vipassana, Tibetan and Zen, is the following saying accurate?</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Zen is for poets, Tibetan is for artists, and Vipassana is for
psychologists (<a href="http://whybuddhismistrue.net/?p=256" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Robert Wright</a>).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This would enable me to recommend them separately to future students of Budhism.</p>

<traditions><contemplation>
Choosing between contemplative traditions
# Choosing between contemplative traditions

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-12-01)

When choosing between the contemplative traditions—Vipassana, Tibetan and Zen, is the following saying accurate?

> Zen is for poets, Tibetan is for artists, and Vipassana is for
> psychologists ([Robert Wright](http://whybuddhismistrue.net/?p=256)).

This would enable me to recommend them separately to future students of Budhism.

**Tags:** traditions, contemplation


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-12-01. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

That quote has absolutely no founding in reality. You could plumb the psychological depths of the alayavijnana in Tibetan Buddhism or Rinzai Zen, paint masterful works in Soto, compose gathas in the Theravadan, or do absolutely none of those things in any of those traditions. A good teacher is worth more than the lineage he or she teaches.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-12-01. Score: 3

Dhamma-Vinaya, the Buddhas path, is for those seeking release from suffering, and of course, has less to do with the mentioned householder trends.


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### Answer by username_1 on 2020-12-01. Score: 0

When the student is ready, the teacher appears. It all depends on the disposition of the students. No bona fide teacher can help an unready student.

Also, being an artist, painter or psychologist is not an inherent perquisite or advantage for a student of Buddhism.

Since Robert Wright does not understand Buddhism very well and also appears to pursue Buddhism for a commercial purpose, his opinion appears to not represent reality.

The Buddha himself said:

> When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are skillful;
> these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the
> wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare &
> to happiness" — then you should enter & remain in them.
>
> Kalama Sutta


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