Used with permission. In the West in general, but particularly in America, we place great importance on each person's individuality and uniqueness and hence on our personal experience. A theme repeated in Downing's interviews is Suzuki's seemingly quirky idea of reforming Soto Zen in Japan by having his American students go there as living examples of reform. Shocked by the series of scandals involving its senior teachers, the organization decided to appoint two abbots, who would share the position at any one time. It simply means that a power structure has evolved that will perpetuate itself even if it means imputing "attainment" to people who don't really have it. Although Baker claimed that his relationship was a love-affair which had not yet been consummated, the outcry surrounding the incident led to accusations of impropriety, including the admissions by several female members of the community that they had had affairs with Baker before or during his tenure as abbot. It is interesting to note that these beliefs persisted strongly even into the year 2000, roughly the time of Downing's interviews when there had been thirty-five years of sexual and financial scandals in the Zen community in America. Likewise, Dharma transmission was as much about institutional prosperity, prestige, authority, continuity and acceptance and control by imperial authorities as it was about notions of enlightenment and spiritual perfection. An organic farm and garden in a beautiful coastal valley in Marin County, A monastery and retreat center in a remote mountain valley in the Ventana Wilderness. This "non-person" i.e., a roshi, is a generic person, who supposedly is a real member of the Buddha's family, the holder of absolute truth, whose function besides producing an heir to keep the lineage alive, is to wield authority: to be listened to, obeyed and bowed down to. Others have told me that my view, informed by historical scholarship (as opposed to Zen's own fictional history), sociology, political and social analysis as well as long personal involvement, has been helpful in clarifying some of the illusion and in reducing some of the pain. The Zen Studies Society was marked by frequent turnover. In 1971, he became resident priest at Haiku Zen Center, a practice center in Los Altos where Suzuki-roshi had been giving lectures, and soon after the sangha there grew and changed its name to Bodhi. In addition, the few American students of his who went to Japan came back disappointed, which upset Suzuki because he thought these students would then think less ofBuddhism. In fact, a number of older students who had known Baker for years left the Zen Center when he was installed as both abbot and roshi of SFZC. And he found them quite easily, because Westerners practicing Zen have an almost infantile relationship to what they perceive to be the authentic, Oriental father. This paper can also serve the non-scholar as an overview or introduction to modern Zen scholarship and introduce a critical view of the important Zen ideas of master, Dharma transmission, and unbroken lineage. The Zen master is a role that stands as a representative of the entire Zen institution. This is hagiography, which is necessary for Chan's self-legitimating claims of mind-to-mind transmission and unbroken lineage. Baker then moved to Crestone, Colorado and Germany to found other practice sites for Dharma Sangha. SteveSiesta. [10] The community's sense of crisis sharpened when the woman's husband, one of SFZC's primary benefactors, threatened to hold the organization legally responsible for its abbot's apparent misconduct.[11]. Some people felt that I had committed an irrevocable betrayal of trust, and have discounted me and my teaching ever since. The teacher knew all; the American knew nothing. ", Read more about this topic: San Francisco Zen Center, Problems, laws havent the slightest interest for meexcept in the world of science, in which they are always changing; or in the world of art, in which they are unchanging; or in the world of Being in which they are, for the most part, unknown.Margaret Anderson (18861973), One does not arrest Voltaire.Charles De Gaulle (18901970). The film was directed by veteran filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and executive produced by physician, Shoshana R. You can see how much more potent it is to have a teacher presented as a living Buddha or at least Buddha-like, who, instead of simply interpreting and explaining the words of the Buddha, actually speaks with the same voice as the Buddha. Nor did anyone even think to view the situation through the lens of the Buddhist teachings themselves or even the particular teachings of their beloved founder Suzuki. According to a 1982 letter from George Zournas to Jack Clareman, the Zen Studies Societys lawyer, a litany of charges was read against Shimano at a board meeting on September 14 of that year. Perhaps the biggest change is that the two current co-abbotts are women. It was almost like a magic theater, where if someone received Dharma transmission, and hence, was a supposed enlightened being, he would become a different person who could do anything he pleased. More tellingly, Baker, inserted the very idealized description of qualities and characteristics supposedly of Suzuki Roshi, generalized to all roshi, knowing it would inevitably, indeed shortly, be applied to himself. Rather than report this to the police, Anderson returned to the body over several days to meditate over the corpse. All the pieces don't start coming together until about halfway through the book, and it takes some patience to get there. Had he misused confidences given to him in dokusan (a private meeting between teacher and student pertaining to the student's practice, an extremely important element in Zen training) for self-serving reasons? Interestingly, Suzuki did not mention "spiritual attainment," but rather commitment. Zen's highly ritualized activities added a visceral instantiation to the cognitive edifice. Shocked by the series of scandal involving its senior teachers, the organization decided to appoint two abbots, who would share the position at any one time. San Francisco from the 1960's into the 1980's was considered by many to be the freest city in America, especially when understanding "libre" as freedom from ideological constraints. Shoes Outside The Door, p.289. I am thankful for Michael Downing's work, which is extremely valuable. With this view in place, the entire spectrum of permissible thought is now caught and limited within Zen's mythological presentation, which was a completed creation by the eleventh century in China. Not what the holy man is but what he signifies in the eyes of those who are not holy gives him his world- historical value. [34], Following Baker's resignation, Dainin Katagiri led the community until 1985. One student stated it as, "The one thing that seemed unquestionable was Richard's Transmission." His death came shortly after the publication of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, a collection of lectures translated into numerous languages and considered a classic of contemporary Zen literature. [3] He has two daughters, Sally and Elizabeth, from a prior marriage to Virginia Baker. He convinced the American Zen community that he was, in effect, the Second Coming of Suzukibut even better, because he was here to stay. We seem to forget that we live with other humans and that society is a human product that we act upon and that acts upon us and in a sense produces us. But there is another kind of authority, an opposite kind, grounded in the invisible, the faith-based, the fictional. Classes and workshops from our Online Programs, resources for beginners, zazen (meditation) and chanting, Dharma talks, and live online practice sessions with teachers. But in truth, neither Suzuki nor Baker fit the saintly mold. Zen at War by Brian Daizen A. Victoria: a link to varioius book reviews buy this book now Did it not occur to him that Richard had a family, too, as did many of the priests of Zen Center?" It allows bureaucratic transmission, but it also uses "historical" biographies of eminent masters presented as desireless beings, the koans, and the many Zen stories and dialogues (mondo) to legitimize and to enhance authority, that make clear that transmission is given because of a deep insight into reality or spiritual attainment. Its raison d'etre is to produce people who possess a fundamental insight into life, people who are not fooled by appearances or ideas. His first wife contracted tuberculosis and returned to her parents shortly after marriage; his second wife was brutally murdered by an erratic, antisocial monk whom Suzuki had retained as a temple assistant, despite contrary advise from neighbors and colleagues. In addition, if there were something to reform in Japanese Soto Zen, the automatic Dharma transmission for virtually all priests, often between father and son, would be high on the list. The San Francisco Zen Center "scandal" was not unique in American Zen history. Over the past 10 years, San Francisco Zen Center has devoted time and energy to studying the best practices around conflict resolution, difficult conversations, sexual harassment prevention, appropriate teacher/student boundaries, giving and receiving feedback, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, working with trauma, and Right Use of Power trainings. While jogging through Golden Gate Park, Anderson deviated from the path to urinate in some bushes. His American students accept this theme unquestioningly. Mind-to-mind transmission implies that the student has attained an understanding equal to his Zen master/roshi and so on backwards, hence being equal to the original, unmediated wordless understanding that supposedly passed between Sakyamuni and Mahakasyapa. Upon his final visit he found the body no longer there, and a fellow priest in whom he had confided showed him a newspaper article covering the apparent suicide. Public opinion shows that while parishioners are, of course, disturbed by priests' abuse of children and young teens, they are more upset by the institutional cover up and denial of that behavior. Downing adds, "Suzuki reminded Richard [Baker] that Hoitsu had a family and two children. This formulaic collection of qualities of a Zen master, is not neutral. Please visit the Calendar page for more details or sign up for our weekly Sangha News email to receive notices of upcoming events. At the time, Schnyer was just 24 years old, yet he had been a Shimano student since he was a teenager. There are two kinds of authority. San Francisco from the 1960's into the 1980's was considered by many to be the freest city in America, especially when understanding "libre" as freedom from ideological constraints. From 1986 to 1988 he served as abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center, and from 1988 to 1995 he served there as co-abbot with Sojun Mel Weitsman. Hence, roughly 95% of all Soto priests in Japan have Dharma transmission, most receiving it after spending at most three years in a monastery, some with as little as six months. In 1989, some six years after Baker was forced to leave, he threatened to take back Zen Center by going to court. Importantly, teachers can inspire followers by setting a living example through interactions with their students and others and, with the conduct of their own life, demonstrate that Zen practice can make one a wiser and more compassionate human being. 4 Thank Kai C . An interesting debate between Victoria and members of the Deshimaru group (A.Z.I.) In fact, Suzuki's lineage, now and as long as the line survives, comes through his son Hoitsu and Baker and that unknown person. In short, the biographical approach to history seems to be used because it has intimate real-life immediacy. But Shimano is hardly alone; his is not an isolated case. A student was also liable to believe that her teacher was conveying the one true form of Zen Buddhism. Explore hundreds of dharma talksby San Francisco Zen Center teachers, practice leaders, and speakers from the wider community. Also see his forthcoming book on early Chan texts for a unique dissection of early lineage claims and their supporting texts . Baker's use of Dixon's words begins the description of Suzuki Roshi, with the strange phrasing "a roshi is" This substitutes what is supposed to be a description of their close and beloved teacher Suzuki Roshi, a real person, with an abstraction, "a roshi." He then drove after the alleged mugger and followed him into a housing project with the revolver (unloaded) in hand, being arrested minutes later by a police officer with his own gun pointed at him.[36]. Original Dwelling Place by Robert Aitken book review by Robert Goss buy this book now The bakery was closed altogether in 1999. It is no longer ruled by an almighty abbott-for- life, but abbotts with term limits. One member suggested that the Shimanos instead be given an extended sabbatical. Newcomers naturally looked to senior priests as guides or friends, but in doing so, they may have been mistaken. They have shown us clearly that much of what has been presented by the tradition as "history," is really a myth created with two purposes. Not only is the book a compelling read; it also, more importantly perhaps, provides raw data for observing Zen mythmaking in action. Means of Authorization: Establishing Hierarchy in Ch'an/Zen Buddhism in America See Alan Cole, "It's All in the Framing." A pioneer of gourmet vegetarian cuisine in America, the restaurant's first chefs were Edward Espe Brown and Deborah Madison. [5], In 1983 Tenshin Reb Anderson received shiho (Dharma Transmission) from Richard Baker. The other was to establish Chan's primacy over the indigenous teachings of Confucianism and Taoism in the eyes of the state and the elite of society. Baker and the senior priests dismissed any questioning of Baker's behavior or activities as a lack of insight into enlightenment on the part of the questioner. Seeing Through Zen by by John R. McRae book reviews buy this book, Coming Down from the Zen Clouds: A Critique of the Current State of American Zen, Means of Authorization: Establishing Hierarchy in Ch'an/Zen Buddhism in America, The Zen Master in America: Dressing the Donkey with Bells and Scarves, Holding the Lotus to the Rock: reflections on the future of the Zen sangha in the West, Sanbkydan Zen and the Way of the New Religions, Finding Safe Harbor: Buddhist Sexual Ethics in America, Shoes Outside the Door: Desire, Devotion, and Excess at San Francisco Zen Center, Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Teachings of Shunryu Suzuki, Not Always So: practicing the true spirit of Zen by Shunryu Suzuki. But there are many lesser-known yet just as randy Zen teachers. Although his salary was reportedly modest, he lived a lifestyle which many perceived as extravagant. Koun Yamada was Yasutani roshi's Dharma heir. San Francisco Zen Center offers seven charming guest rooms for short-term stays. For an important look at Buddhist biography and hagiography though not especially Chan, the reader may look at Kieschnick, John, The Eminent Monk, University of Hawaii Press, 1997. And stayed for 10 years.. critical insights into Zen/Buddhism have strongly influenced my views: Robert Buswell, Alan Cole, Bernard Faure, T. Griffith Foulk, Robert M. Gimello, Peter N. Gregory, John Kieschnick, John R. McRae, A. Charles Muller, Mario Poceski, Robert H. Sharf, Morten Schlutter, Gregory Schopen, Brian Victoria, Albert Welter and Dale Wright. [35] Upon his final visit he found the body no longer there, and a fellow priest in whom he had confided showed him a newspaper article covering the apparent suicide. Visitors can enjoy the springs, go swimming or on hiking trips, and have the opportunity to arrange for practice with the community living at the monastery for a few days. It is a sanitized description wherein any one roshi is replaceable by any other roshi, which is really no person at all. Foulk, T. Griffith, "The Zen Institute in Modern Japan", pp.157-177. Mark Oppenheimer hosts the podcast Unorthodox for Tablet magazine and writes for The New York Times Magazine, Mother Jones, and GQ, among other publications. It will not do for future generations if there are gaps in the line of saintly figures. Baker presided over it all like a feudal lord, hosting dinner parties with then-Gov. [32], These revelations led Baker to resign as abbot in 1984. Shimanos Japanese ways suited Schnyer. This ancient twisted karma I now fully avow. Please consider a donation to San Francisco Zen Center. To legitimize the various family lines within Zen, Zen's self-definition necessitates establishing a continuing unbroken lineage of transmitted masters connected to the historical Buddha. There are some good, and unavoidable, reasons for Americans dependence on Japanese roshis (and, more recently, as Americans have become interested in Tibetan Buddhism, for their dependence on foreign teachers like the Dalai Lama). He occupies an authoritative place in East Asian cultures that have already been imbued with a special level of hierarchy since ancient times. This is the consistent view of the master presented by Zen, the pure, simple, desireless and self-contained roshi, and was accepted unquestioningly by Zen Center members. Eighteen years later, there is still lingering bitterness about his overthrow. But in the 1960s and 70s, American Buddhists needed the foreigners. He was joined by his wife Mitsu (also from Japan) in 1961. He was a very traditional Rinzai master: stern when he needed to be, very rarely encouraging. Baker was a charismatic leader, brilliant lecturer and dedicated Buddhist. 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