At times, senior disciples needed to reassure newcomers who questioned Baker's behavior that all was in order. This was especially true of people wanting to climb Zen Center's ladder to positions of authority, power, and prestige, which was totally dependent on Baker's sanction. One justification sometimes heard, glib to my ear, is that enlightenment is not about morality. It is this idealized version of Dharma transmission that claims the master is an enlightened being that is the source of the Zen master's extraordinary claim to authority. For some thirty years a significant group of scholars have been investigating the development of the Chan sect in Chinese Buddhism. [5], In 1969, Sokoji's board of directors asked Suzuki to resign his position as the temple's priest, asserting that he was spending more time with his Western students than the Japanese-American congregation. This 1987 incident has had a damaging impact on Anderson's reputation as a teacher, since his arrest received national media coverage. 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. If you counted the blow-ups, youd say just a few [women,] but we think he ran his life like a Japanese businessmanlots of affairs, but most of them discreet. These and any number of other questions, complaints, hurts or criticisms harbored by his disciples, were not raised. One of the most interesting aspects of the Baker case is that the people at the SFZC did not change their fundamental understanding of the process they had gone through for, in some cases, twenty or more years. 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. The sangha was incorporated by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and a group of his American students in 1962. But in truth, neither Suzuki nor Baker fit the saintly mold. Ironically, what follows is in many ways a religious text. In the latter part of the book, Downing points out that the San Francisco Zen Center has beaucratized Dharma transmission so that in order to receive Dharma transmission a person must spend ten or twelve years going through the system. [31] 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. This is a mythology of Zen, a pure fiction. In this act lies the first step towards freedom." Others were more forgiving, but their trust in me and my integrity was permanently shaken. This is a very interesting piece of "history" which is no doubt destined to be repeated. In July 1987 Baker gave Dharma transmission to Whalen; Whalen later became abbot of the Hartford Street Zen Center (following the tenure of Issan Dorsey) in the Castro district of San Francisco. Perhaps tellingly, Baker made this claim at the height of the Vietnam War, when virtually 100% of Zen followers were opposed to the war and hence having an anti-war/anti -government roshi in his lineage was good currency. 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]. Downing, who lives in Cambridge, Mass., provides an outsider's view into the incestuous circles at the first Buddhist monastery in the West. I am greatly indebted to the works of the following scholars, among others, whose There is a saying, "It is difficult to convince a man of something if his paycheck depends on his not understanding it." Under the Zen approach, the Chan masters are clearly more potent than the monastics of other Buddhist sects, who merely explicate the Dharma through texts, often texts that are further distanced from their authoritative origins by the act of translation. After failing to re-create his Zen empire in Santa Fe, N.M., he settled in Crestone, Colo., where he presides over a much smaller Zen center. And what was Suzuki's intention here? "It was a fantastic drive," he said, it was safe to drive and that he liked to keep his legs in zazen posture. David Hume said in his Of the First principles of Government (1758) that "Nothing appears more surprising to those who consider human affairs with a philosophical eye than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few, and the implicit submission with which men resign their own sentiments and passions to those of their rulers." 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. "Zen Dharma transmission between master and disciple could occur whether or not the disciple had realized enlightenment, just so long as the ritual of personal initiation had been performed." It acquired property worth around $20 million and built up a network of affiliated businesses staffed by Zen Center students, which included the vegetarian Greens Restaurant in Fort Mason, a bakery, and a grocery store. Green Gulch An organic farm and garden in a beautiful coastal valley in Marin County Tassajara A monastery and retreat center in a remote mountain valley in the Ventana Wilderness Learn and Practice at San Francisco Zen Center SFZC Online Downing interviewed roughly eighty people, most of them Baker's students, approximately eighteen years after Baker was forced to resign. Many women and others in the Zen community have suffered as a result, and we regret and apologize for our collective failure to stop this harm. City Center A vibrant community in an urban temple in the heart of San Francisco. Foulk doubts that the Chan sect existed as a separate sect with its own monastic institutions during the Tang dynasty. But the Americans didnt know that. Zen Mind? Spiritual attainment, insight into timeless truth(s) or any other profound changes in one's inner life play virtually no part in the majority of these Dharma transmissions or in the every day functions of these roshis. There are two kinds of authority. [9], Although Baker claimed that his relationship with the woman was a love-affair which had not yet been consummated, the outcry surrounding the incident led to a series of accusations of impropriety on Baker's part, including the admissions by several female members of the community that they had had affairs with Baker before or during his tenure as abbot. pp.347-379. Analysis or active use of "the discriminating mind" is frowned upon, or worse, it is viewed as a sign of having too large an ego. San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC), is a network of affiliated St Zen practice and retreat centers in the San Francisco Bay area, comprising City Center or Beginner's Mind Temple, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. [Note: This section offers background mostly not covered in Downing's book.] This change in demography caused a rift in the Sokoji community. Suzuki's arrival came at the tail end of the Beat movement and just prior to the social movements of the 1960s, both of which had major roots in San Francisco. In the 1960s, four major Zen teachers came to the United States from Japan: Shunryu Suzuki, Taizan Maezumi, Joshu Sasaki, and Eido Shimano. Institutional mythology, which created a seamless picture of unbroken lineage along with pure, desireless perfection and attainment housed in the body of the master, was not questioned, and hence, remained intact. In 1966, Suzuki and Baker scouted Tassajara Hot Springs, located in Los Padres National Forest behind Big Sur, as a possible location for the envisioned monastic center. Its waves of people who say, Im done with this, I got what I can out of it and then a new group comes in.. He was doing what Japanese roshis are supposed to do, what they have done for centuries. One of the oldest and perhaps most outspoken members who was eventually forced out by Baker stated, "this was a system that was about staying asleep because it was too risky to wake up." With one or two exceptions, the only views expressed of Baker's errant behavior among the Center's members was in the context of their personal experience. By this time there had also been an abundance of scholarly writing and empirical evidence exposing much of the mythology surrounding Zen. Was he acting primarily with his own self-interest in mind? Baker is the sole western heir of Suzuki Roshi, a Japanese Zen teacher who founded the SFZC and its mountain training center, Tassajara established in 1967. Elizabeth is married to Jason Kibbey. It is common talk around Zen Centers to hear that the Master can tell your state of mind just in hearing your footsteps in going to sanzen/dokusan, in simply seeing you in any activity, seeing you with a single glance, or in the most idealized version, "he just knows from a distance!" It is clear from Downing's interviews that Zen Center members assumed that there was no ideology to be questioned, i.e., the unreliable history of Zen, the hagiographic picture of the lineage, along with its mythology of Dharma transmission, unbroken lineage, and enlightened Zen masters. San Francisco Zen Center 300 Page Street San Francisco, California 94102 www.sfzc.org. He was convincing not just because of his own facility with a story, but because he found Americans who were very receptive to that story. 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. The leadership of San Francisco Zen Center required Anderson to take a leave of absence from his position as abbot. The conception of an unbroken lineage based on the idea of mind-to-mind transmission going back to the Buddha superceded a previous idea of authority that was based on texts, i.e., the sutras, which were understood to embody the words of the historical Buddha. As long as it was understood that Baker was the only Dharma heir of Suzuki, it was exceedingly difficult for any one to question Baker's behavior and style. Original Dwelling Place by Robert Aitken book review by Robert Goss buy this book now If some one would like copies, please email me at: slachs@worldnet.att.net . Suzuki had asked Baker to locate a farm in the area for entire families to live a Buddhist life while working together. In this sect, Dharma transmission is commonly a father-son transmission ritual culminating in the son's inheritance of the family temple. Shimanos womanizing is of the sleaziest sort: He is married, and he has often picked for his mistresses much younger and disturbed women, the kind particularly susceptible to his twisted charisma. So it is natural to ask, why did Suzuki's and Baker's students mention this so often? Classes and workshops from our Online Programs, resources for beginners, zazen (meditation) and chanting, Dharma talks, and live online practice sessions with teachers. 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. It allows us a much closer look than we get through, say, looking at the many biographies of past masters from Chan in China during the Tang dynasty (CE 618-907). There is a whole lineage built on the idea that Kapleau had transmission. I am also thankful to Mark Baldwin, Sandra Eisenstein, Simeon Gallu, Grace Luddy, Kevin Matthews, Bruce Rickenbacher and Marlene Swartz for many hours of discussion, helpful suggestions, and editorial assistance. Although his salary was reportedly modest, he lived a lifestyle which many perceived as extravagant. I had a kind of insecurity and self-importance, which I didn't see for a long time, that was a bad dynamic in the community. 3. But Downing does approach the story with an open mind, and doesn't fall into the trap of trying to portray Baker as a monster or a saint. Founded in 1972 by the San Francisco Zen Center and Zentatsu Richard Baker, the site is located on 115 acres (0.47 km 2) in a valley seventeen miles (27 km) north of San Francisco [1] and offers a variety of workshops and classes throughout the year. Not surprisingly, virtually 100% of the time these breaches of morality serve the pleasure and interests of the supposed enlightened one. It should be kept in mind that the senior members, by 1982, were often over forty years old and had been practicing at Zen Center for fifteen or more years. This 1987 incident has had a damaging impact on Anderson's reputation as a teacher, since his arrest received national media coverage. The meeting, which Zournas had hoped would mark the end of Shimanos tenure, turned out to be another show of support. But in the 1960s and 70s, American Buddhists needed the foreigners. Students in their early 30s, even younger, could find themselves among the senior monks at Dai Bosatsu, in a tradition that is supposed to be ungraspable even after a whole lifetime of study. An interesting debate between Victoria and members of the Deshimaru group (A.Z.I.) Explore and learn more about the San Francisco Zen Center community. A vibrant community in an urban temple in the heart of San Francisco. In the past we had a lot of crisesin San Francisco and Los Angeleswith sex scandals and so forth. Baker manifested his authority by giving his followers two choices: obey his words without question or be marginalized, which was tantamount to being forced to leave. One was to make the state consider Chan the primary sect of Buddhism. Michael Downing's book, Shoes Outside the Door: Desire, Devotion, and Excess at San Francisco Zen Center (2001) describes much of the sexual scandal surrounding Richard Baker, as well as financial problems and Baker's generally arrogant behavior. Please consider a donation to San Francisco Zen Center. Used with permission. For example, Afable might have added that at Chobo-ji, a Zen temple in Seattle, Genki Takabayashi made passes at his female students. Please visit the Calendar page for more details or sign up for our weekly Sangha News email to receive notices of upcoming events. Their sins are far worse than what goes on in Zen circles. I took a course at Rochester, an overview of Eastern religion and Confucianism. Sokojifounded by Hosen Isobe in 1934had been housed in a former Jewish synagogue that is now Kokoro Assisted Living. It is a performance meant to confirm and display the current master's significance, authority and attainment. After all, the only two previous Dharma transmissions Suzuki gave, to his son Hoitsu and to Unknown, were not based on attainment at all. 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. Was his lifestyle less than exemplary? Rather than report this to the police, Anderson returned to the body over several days to meditate over the corpse. In 2003 Paul Haller, who received transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman in 1993, was installed as co-abbot with her. Unfortunately, this issue is not raised or considered by any of the Zen Center members interviewed in the book. There is nothing in the description that allows someone in the future to distinguish Suzuki, Hoitsu or any of their heirs from any of thousands of hallowed ancestors. Downing adds, "Suzuki reminded Richard [Baker] that Hoitsu had a family and two children. One of the earliest texts extant is "Regulations of the Chan Approach" (Ch'an men Kuei-shih, which cannot be dated earlier than 988) that some scholars think was the preface to Pai-chang's Rules. How bad was Shimanos womanizing? I asked Schnyer. 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. Most of the narratives of the early heroes of Chan that we have today were composed hundreds of years after the ostensive events, complete with verbatim accounts of the master's interaction with a disciple presented as if a court stenographer had been recording the entire interaction. [6] One student who followed him to his new community was the priest Philip Whalen (ordained by Baker as a priest in 1973), who became tanto (head monk) of the new center. You can quarrel with their authority, but if the gun works, or if the experiment was well designed and conclusive, you are likely to lose the argument. Besides the personal power of his position Baker lived with paid travel, an abundance of high-priced worldly goods, a number of well-appointed residences, a steady supply of household help and assistants, sex with his students and access to high profile friends. Introduction Despite this, few people interviewed seemed to be aware that by continually repeating the transmission story without reflection and without making the effort to understand what they were part of, they were in fact becoming an integral component in the creation of a new myth-which was then used by people like Richard Baker. What I mean by the "Zen" institution, for the simple purpose of this conversation, is the organized set of structures that support the standard model of Zen. 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 by James Ishmael Ford Also see his Zen War Stories to be published December 2002. He may have slept with dozens; I personally have identified over a dozen, and spoken to many of them. [7] Thich Nhat Hanh wrote of Baker, "To me, he embodies very much the future of Buddhism in the West with his creative intelligence and his aliveness. Berger begins, "Every human society is an enterprise of world-building. You have to ask whether Suzuki was aware of the claims made by Baker and, if so, why he permitted them to stand without correction. Baker's friends and supporters say the Zen Center never regained the spark and spiritual power of the Suzuki/Baker years. He is now a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, and in December 2012 I spoke with him by telephone. Ungerleider.[26]. The Zen Buddhist Who Preyed on His Upper East Side Students, The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side,. And all of us worshipped him to a certain extent., Nobody was as worshipful as a student named David Schnyer. Therefore, in the living world of flesh and blood we have people with some very limited level of attainment occupying a role that is defined as Buddha-like, actualizing perfect freedom and unfathomable compassion beyond the ordinary person's understanding and hence above question. The idea of the enlightened Zen master authenticated through the ritual of dharma transmission and maintained by an unbroken lineage going back to the historical Buddha is at the heart of the Zen tradition. For a very fine book review of Shoes Outside the Door, see Crews, Frederick, "Zen & the Art of Success," The New York Review of Books, 28 Mar. Zen practice is not required to stay at Green Gulch, though guests are welcome to participate in zazen or any other activities. Suzuki's prestige grew enormously. [34], Following Baker's resignation, Dainin Katagiri led the community until 1985. 1969 - The current SFZC building was purchased with the help of American students. 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