SFZC will continue to offer classes, talks, workshops, and sangha gatherings through the Online Practice Center and residential guest student practice opportunities at all three temples. For a peek into a period only shortly before our own, we can use Brian Victoria's book Zen At War. The film was directed by veteran filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman and executive produced by physician, Shoshana R. At that time, Baker also became the official leader of the San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC). On one visit he decided to take the revolver home with him. Means of Authorization: Establishing Hierarchy in Ch'an/Zen Buddhism in America 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. 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. People interviewed had the luxury of hindsight. [15], In the twenty-five years since leaving San Francisco Zen Center, Baker has continued his career as a Zen teacher, founding and developing two practice centers. Shoes Outside The Door, p.237. Did it not occur to him that Richard had a family, too, as did many of the priests of Zen Center?" For an in-depth look at three special projects happening at SFZC, check out our new Impact Report. He may have slept with dozens; I personally have identified over a dozen, and spoken to many of them. Besides Suzuki's chosen heir Baker's questionable behavior, Downing reveals many of the senior people scrambling for positions of authority, power, money and perks. At the time of the purchase, Baker claimed he needed so expensive a car because of the amount of driving he did. Not only is the book a compelling read; it also, more importantly perhaps, provides raw data for observing Zen mythmaking in action. Great Experience with Western Zen Practice. 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. Zen Center survived, reorganizing in a manner that made it more democratic, but also more bureaucratic. The experience of legitimacy, realness and of being believable hides the underlying power relations. If some one would like copies, please email me at: slachs@worldnet.att.net . In fact, it was often not based on spiritual attainment at all, most especially so in Japanese Soto Zen, which is the sect of Suzuki, Baker and the San Francisco Zen Center. San Francisco Zen Center 300 Page Street San Francisco, California 94102 www.sfzc.org. Surely others felt the same way, but only Schnyer and Kelly have been so bold or articulate, have made clear the amorality, and the misogyny, that can infect Zen practice and enable its malefactors. They should take credit for the fact that we did it for many years. Five years later (in 1988), roughly fifteen months after Anderson had become abbot of the San Francisco, Anderson was arrested for brandishing this same firearm in public. It did not matter that Baker did not appear to offer his students the "living proof that the seemingly impossible goal [of Zen] can be realized in this lifetime" as Baker himself described the function of the teacher. There is a whole lineage built on the idea that Kapleau had transmission. But for Schnyer this constantly refreshing membership was proof that the sangha did disapprove of Shimanos treatment of women. One student expressed it as, "some of the senior priests were in it for a payoff-Transmission," another stated it as, "They were ambitious, and only Richard could give it [transmission] to them, because he was the only one who had it." From the perspective of power and control, the political and the religious spheres overlap. Foulk gives translations of two versions of the text, side by side and analyses their internal structure and contents. A number of Downing's interviewees spoke of receiving the true or pure Zen teaching from Suzuki Roshi. If someone attempted to question some aspect of Baker's behavior, both Baker and senior disciples reminded them that Baker was the only American Dharma heir of Suzuki. Kai C. Half Moon Bay, California. He writes a religion column forThe New York Timesand is on Twitter@markopp1. . There was an article and follow up piece by Brian Victoria discussing anti-Semitic remarks made by Yasutani roshi in Tricycle magazine (Fall and Winter 1999). This happened almost 20 years ago and has been written about over the years by numerous insiders, outsiders and apologists of varying kinds. 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. Institutional and personal motives played an important part in the composing of Buddhist biographical collections; this was especially so in earl Chan lineage texts. [8] Within a very short period of time Baker broadened the scope of SFZC, starting first with the acquisition of Green Gulch Farm in southern Marin county, in 1972. I highly recommend this book, especially the first 101 pages. Katagiri would go on to establish his own practice centerthe Minnesota Zen Centerin 1972 in Minneapolis. Join the San Francisco Zen Center Membership Program. Zen Center members did not think there was any thought control or propaganda necessary to escape when it came to Zen. Latest News. Thanks to Mr. Oppenheimer's efforts, women have come forward, some even using their names; we think this kind of courage can only embolden other survivors of abuse to speak out. These events are a helpful reminderboth to me and to othersof my vulnerability to arrogance and inflation. Its raison d'etre is to produce people who possess a fundamental insight into life, people who are not fooled by appearances or ideas. 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]. The tension was alleviated when Suzuki's Western students began gathering for separate services, albeit still at Sokoji, in 1961. This is not surprising, being, as it is, a natural result of the customs and environment created by the Zen institution. #28 of 84 Specialty lodging in San Francisco. Anderson remembered stowing the revolver away in the San Francisco Zen Center's garage and quickly retrieved it. [2], In the late-1980s Baker also gave shiho to Issan Dorsey, whom he had ordained as a priest in 1975. Finding Safe Harbor: Buddhist Sexual Ethics in America by Stephanie Kaza, Shoes Outside the Door: Desire, Devotion, and Excess at San Francisco Zen Center by Michael Downing: book review by Vladimir K. buy this book However, there is no surviving text of Pai-chang's Rules. Also see his forthcoming book on early Chan texts for a unique dissection of early lineage claims and their supporting texts . Zen Center members did not think there was any thought control or propaganda necessary to escape when it came to Zen. Baker Sums It Up [3] He has two daughters, Sally and Elizabeth, from a prior marriage to Virginia Baker. Find classes, retreats, practice periods, and many more offerings in the San Francisco Zen Center calendar of events. Hence, a number of questions were never openly raised: Was he acting in an arrogant fashion? As noted in the paper, senior members consistently reassured newer members that all was well when they raised questions about Baker's activities. It is clear that the senior members of Zen Center surrounding Baker were well-indoctrinated vessels of Zen ideology. Please see the Covid-Related Openings and Closings Updates page as well as the Calendar. Despite hesitance of some members of SFZC due to the size of 80 acres (320,000m2), Baker felt that acquiring Green Gulch Farm was very important for Buddhism in America. Some of the most senior members appeared afraid to raise difficult questions with Baker perhaps for fear of losing their own privileged positions. Baker then quotes Trudy Dixon, the editor of the book, thus endorsing her words: 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. 13 reviews of San Francisco Zen Center "This place is really awesome! This is a person without a defect, showing no self-interest, desire, interior calculation, or a shortcoming. Please consider a donation to San Francisco Zen Center. 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. The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion, Doubleday, 1967, pp. "Hollow" transmissions such as those between father and son are incorporated into the unbroken lineage to the Buddha. 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. If this was the case, it would seem that he failed this task in America. He exists freely in the fullness of his whole being. Baker adds he was "on a roll," was in love with his latest girlfriend and that his peers, est founder Werner Erhard and the well known Tibetan teacher Trungpa, had chauffeurs and large Mercedes, so "I thought I should buy a car." While traveling back to school after a vacation, he stopped with a friend at Dai Bosatsuthe Zen Studies Society's monastery in the Catskillsand was impressed immediately. It matters that we keep assenting to the stories. For some thirty years a significant group of scholars have been investigating the development of the Chan sect in Chinese Buddhism. If you're looking for some information that's important to you (such as research for work or learning how to manage your money), then the advice here is to first write down the relevant keywords on a piece of paper to figure out exactly what you want, which will be a lot more efficient. As is common among members of new religions, they viewed themselves as special. 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. [6], San Francisco Zen Center expanded quickly with Baker at the helm. Why do we need to rehash this one again? The social contract and national constitutions count because we believe them to count, because we will them into reality. 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. A descendant of Thomas Dudley,[4] Baker was raised in a family of moderate wealth. He found willing assenters, willing children eager to listen to his fairy tales. In the last few decades as opposed to the past, we have had a clear personal view of the actual people involved, Richard Baker being only one. In fact, David Chadwick, a student of both Suzuki and Baker, lent some credence to this assertion in his 1999 book about Suzuki, Crooked Cucumber. defending Deshimaru's teacher Sawaki roshi's wartime involvement dating from 1905 through WWII is available on the internet at, http://www.zen-azi.org/html/guerre_e.html#replybyb. A vibrant community in an urban temple in the heart of San Francisco. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. This reminder served an important purpose: the Center's members viewed Suzuki's authority as if it were a divine fiat, so that any dissent or criticism was ended. Read any of these texts of Zen, The Book of Serenity, a Soto sect koan collection, being one prominent example, and this will be abundantly clear. During his interview with Downing, Baker Roshi explains that having a "nice car," girlfriends and going out to dinner were implementations of Suzuki Roshi's commitment to lay practice. This would have led any impartial observer to question the spiritual implications of Dharma transmission. [2] However, San Francisco Zen Center's website now comments: "Although the circumstances leading to his resignation as abbot in 1984 were difficult and complex, in recent years, there has been increased contact; a renewal of friendship and dharma relations. The San Francisco Zen Center "scandal" was not unique in American Zen history. I believe that the reason for this surrender, in the case of Zen, is clear, structural, and self-perpetuating. San Francisco Zen Center's purpose is to make the teachings and practice of Soto Zen Buddhism widely available, to train teachers, and to help cultivate mindfulness and compassion in the world. It is a performance meant to confirm and display the current master's significance, authority and attainment. Upon Suzuki's arrival at Sokoji, the congregation was composed entirely of members of the Japanese-American population. Obedience, subservience, and discipline were well rewarded at a large institution like the San Francisco Zen Center, as Downing's book amply shows. 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. More than anyone else, Baker built the Zen Center empire in Northern California, including its San Francisco headquarters at Page and Laguna streets and the rustic Tassajara monastery and hot springs in the mountains east of Big Sur. The historical fact is that monasteries actively courted the state and elite elements of society, depended on donations from wealthy patrons and or the state, had tenant farmers work their often vast donated and inherited land holdings, etc. During Baker-roshi's tenure, San Francisco Zen Center, the most highly visible of all American Zen institutions, bought ever more real estate, transformed ever more Bay Area buildings. Today SFZC is the largest St organization in the West. It was not surprising, then, that when trouble arose at the Center it was mostly assumed that something must be wrong with the members themselves; that it was because they did not use or handle well Suzuki's pure teaching. Trouble At the San Francisco Zen 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. They will sit for five days or longer in the zendo before they are formally admitted into the monasterya physically daunting challenge. [9] In the midst of the growth, Baker became a popular public figure. Shoes Outside The Door, p.135. "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." He also ran a temple virtually under the control of Japan's repressive fascist era government. 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. In the past we had a lot of crisesin San Francisco and Los Angeleswith sex scandals and so forth. Under Baker's leadership, it appears that the Center functioned as a dysfunctional family, denying that anything was wrong or problematic. It was like a "game" of Zen where if any one speaks out or asks the wrong question, the "game" is ruined or finished, at least for that person. Political authority can function in this second way. [9] The building, designed by Julia Morgan, was built as the Emanu-el Residence Club in 1922 for the Emanu-el Sisterhood. When it came to Baker's transmission from Suzuki, virtually all the students interviewed by Downing assumed that it was a "real" transmission. [11][13][14][15], In 1976, SFZC purchased the Gallo Pastry Company to found the Tassajara Bakery, which became popular before being sold to the company Just Desserts in 1992. 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. 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. Yet for reasons known only to him he proceeded to make Baker his only American Dharma heir. Institutional power, authority, hierarchy and order are, hence, accomplished through self-censorship by the members, a more effective method for controlling dissent and questioning than coercion by the leaders. But in truth, neither Suzuki nor Baker fit the saintly mold. Anderson became entangled in an incident in 1987 that reached back to 1983 just after Zentatsu Richard Baker had resigned as abbot. This ancient twisted karma I now fully avow. The volunteer project's founding director was Frank Ostaseski, who served until 2004. Some former students say they were encouraged to believe that being groped by him was part of their. After all, the only two previous Dharma transmissions Suzuki gave, to his son Hoitsu and to Unknown, were not based on attainment at all. Learn and Practice at San Francisco Zen Center, residential guest student practice opportunities, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility, Conflict, Complaint, and Ethical Review Processes. Nevertheless, following extensive investigation, even Chadwick was forced to admit: "Anything Shunryu had done that could be considered remotely antiwar he had done before the Pacific war started" (p. 97). [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. And that very presentation is the freight of the Zen machine. However, it should be noted, that he let interviewees voice any number of inaccuracies without comment. In one well-known collection, the famous Grand Master Yunmen is not recorded at all. Richard Baker also survived. Others were more forgiving, but their trust in me and my integrity was permanently shaken. In the early 1990s the Board of Directors at the Zen Center created the "Ethical Principles and Procedures for Grievance and Reconciliation" for its members, for conflict resolution mediation guided by Buddhist precepts. By this time there had also been an abundance of scholarly writing and empirical evidence exposing much of the mythology surrounding Zen. Richard Baker is a man who through the ritual of Dharma transmission has been installed in the Soto Zen sect's "authentic" unbroken lineage going back to the historical Buddha. Not think there was any thought control or propaganda necessary to escape when it came to Zen the heart San. 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