Friday, February 11, 2011

Eido Tai Shimano (continued)

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This is a continuation of the first Eido Tai Shimano thread which, after 5,000 posts, refuses to accept new ones. I am also posting the original introduction to that thread.
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
letter to Eido Tai Shimano
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What follows is a letter I wrote in 1982 to Eido Tai Shimano, the chief executive of Zen Studies Society in New York and Dai Bosatsu Monastery in upstate New York. Mr. Shimano is a Zen teacher.

The reason for posting a letter of so many years ago is not to open the old wounds that bled freely in their time. Nor is it to deny that Zen Buddhism in America has made great strides when it comes to the sexual and financial abuses that it has faced and continues to face from time to time. Nor is it to suggest that I have not been a hypocrite. Nor is it to elevate my own status as a rebel or nay-sayer or promoter of some one true virtue. I too love Zen Buddhism both in its directions and in its experiential truth.

I am posting it as a reminder that the past is or can be very much the present and further that the 'scandals' that have occurred involved very real and particular people and that those people suffered in ways that are contrary to Zen Buddhist teaching. Not for nothing did the teachers of the past make upsetting the sangha a no-no. Not for nothing did they encourage repentance when it was warranted. And not for nothing were they aware that in the human sphere, however elevated and adored, the room for error was and remains a very real possibility.


November 1, 1982

The Rev. Eido Tai Shimano
New York Zendo
223 East 67th St.
New York, NY 11021

Dear Mr. Shimano:

Thank you for your creative letter of Oct. 19, 1982 with its equally masterful enclosure of Oct. 21 to Mr. George (Jochi) Zournas. I must say that as I began to read your work I felt some vestigial hope that you might in fact clear the air, turn some metaphorical corner and clarify what, over the years, has become murky with the stuff that Soen Roshi has learned to call your “lies.” By the time I finished reading your words, I was, of course, disappointed if not surprised.

“So much sitting, so many sesshins, so many dokusans…” and still Soen Roshi calls you a liar. Could you tell me why? Is this perhaps another encouragement to “bravely march on?” Coming as Soen Roshi does out of a society that takes pride in indirection, still he uses this most direct word, “liar.” Why? Coming as he does out of a discipline that enjoins confession and straight-forwardness, he calls you a liar. Why? Among the monks at Dai Bosatsu last summer you managed to plant the idea that Soen Roshi was an alcoholic and/or senile. But why would a senile alcoholic even bother to call you a liar? Politics, you say? – because Soen Roshi wants Dai Bosatsu, to become king of the some American Zen castle? If Soen Roshi actually did want Dai Bosatsu, why not give it to him? Do you not owe him a great debt for his teaching, perhaps as Torei felt he owed Hakuin? As a ‘true man without rank,’ with so many sesshins, so much sitting, and so many dokusans behind you, surely you recognize that the toys of Zen Buddhism – the robes and monasteries and power – are only dreams. Could you, a ‘Zen Master,’ be fooled by a dream?

But this, of course, is not your understanding. Your understanding seems to be that They are all out to get you – you who are blameless in administration, honest in the dokusan room, pure and “fair” and deserving of respect from those who support and make possible your meaning as a person of rank. It is the questioners who are “insane” or full of “intense personal hatred” or want Your zendo or want Your monastery or hate you because you have money and they have not or don’t understand the ‘Japanese’ group and you…you bear it all so remarkably well, so staunch and patient. You are really very good at it: masterful, if not the master.

Besides those Jochi George Zournas mentioned in his letter (those Others who were out to get you), I would like to take this opportunity to recollect some others, perhaps not quite so august, who have left our own sangha. I am not now referring to those who left because they moved or to those who made an easy personal choice, but rather to those who left after some discovery in that beautiful zendo where there is room for our lifelong practice. True, some left in anger or confusion, but what was it they really discovered? Is it possible they discovered what Soen Roshi called your “lies?” I really don’t know, but I recollect them now and express my sorrow at their leaving: Daishin Peter Gamby, Maishin Mike Sopko, Reimon Ray Crivello, Genmyo Elihu Smith, Sojun George Seraganian, Bunyu David Bogart, Roca Lorca Morello (all of whom were residents as Sho Bo Ji with your blessings),Kanzan Bruce Rickenbacker (your monk who memorized the whole of the Diamond Sutra), Daiko Charles Carpenter (another of your monks), Shoro Lou Nordstrom (another of your monks), Kozen Peter Kaufman (another of your monks), Jonen Sheila Carmen (pseudonym), Wendy Megerman, Nennen Merry White, Toni Snow, Reishu Jim Gordon, Shinso Merete Galesi, Ishin Peter Mathiessen, Jean Day, Carol Binswanger, Jochi George Zournas, Wado Vicki Gerdy, Rinko Peggy Crawford and Mushin Frank LoCicero. You will recall, or course, that, over the years, the list has grown much, much, much longer and is filled with people who did not show sufficient “skepticism about rumors,” as you so quaintly put it.

How many of them came to you directly in 1975 and 1979 (when what were humorously referred to as the “Fuck Follies I” and the ”Fuck Follies II” were unveiled)? How many? Was it 10 or perhaps 20? Without any exception I know of, each of those who came to you directly came in a spirit of admiration and love, in hopes of clarifying a delicate matter without public exposure. The situation: your manipulation of the dokusan setting for your own periodic sexual satisfaction (seducing women); treating lovers taken from within the sangha with contempt once you had finished with them; and taking no candid responsibility for your own behavior but rather answering direct, honest and caring queries with, in one form or another, the line you used in a jam-packed zendo in 1975: “It’s none of your business.”

The line of people outside your door is long, very, very long. In my mind, they wait silently – the They and Them whom you so easily accuse of insanity or intense personal hatred. A long line of crazy people outside your door. What brought them there? Even crazy people have their reasons, don’t you agree?

Look! There’s Merry White. Remember her? She was the one who sent a letter to the Board of Trustees in 1979 outlining without rancor your sexual blackmail. It was she who wrote: “Personally, I found his (your) seductions very distracting and jarring during the first Kessei…I wonder now if I would not have been a better student in the long run without it. ... And last year (1978) during my second stay at Dai Bosatsu, it hurt me that he treated me very distantly for quite a while. When he warmed up, it became sexual again. That kind of either/or situation made it very difficult for me (or, I would think, any woman) to be his student. You want his attention and his help, and that, I think, is how it begins. He takes this emotional opening-up, which is normal and right in a spiritual student-teacher relationship, as a sign of sexual readiness.” Clearly the Board of Trustees, your Board of Trustees, took the only possible sane action by never fully discussing the matter and by issuing a letter, signed by Korin Sylvan Busch stating, “we affirm our confidence in Eido Roshi and his leadership of our sangha.”

And there’s Jane Smith (pseudonym)! Remember her? December 24, 1977, Room 1100A at the Statler Hilton after dinner at Mama Leone’s. Remember how the board of Trustees covered that one when Jochi and Korin, at whose instigation I can only guess, spread lies and rumors about Jane – how she was only dreaming of an affair with you? And how even Jane was drawn into the lies and told them on herself because she believed the truth would be harmful to you and to Zen practice in America? She was the same one who commented later in front of witnesses that “he (you) never even said thank you.”

And Carmen!… But of course you will recall this and much, much more.

On and on and on it goes down that long, long line. Person after person, Bodhisattva after crazy Bodhisattva, each of them willing their suspicions to silence. How is it possible they were so willing, so stupid? Perhaps it was because many people begin their spiritual practice with the understanding that the ascendancy they have previously granted to their emotions and intellect is the source of much suffering. Because of that pain, they were willing to set aside their own emotions and intellect (to the extent possible), and to be as faithful and obedient as possible. Perhaps they counseled themselves that intellect and emotion are more delusion. And perhaps they trusted that your emotions and thoughts were not based in delusion. This trust, however misguided, was surely human and understandable. Unfortunately, it was and is open to manipulation and deceit. There are many I know, myself among them, who practiced with you and were grateful to you, until, a little at a time, they began to wonder. In their wondering, they came to you in their twos and threes and tens, not even caring very much that you took lovers on the side, but curious about a wider pattern of contempt and manipulation. No doubt you saw them as insane people out to take your toys. Well, they didn’t get them, did they?

To some you said your Japanese heritage and samurai code of honor kept you from understanding or responding to these puritanical “barbarians.” Isn’t it odd for a so-called Zen Master who has lived in America for 20 years to claim he understands neither his students nor his environment? Isn’t such a person in the wrong line of work? No doubt it is equally insane to suggest that a real Japanese man would know something of discretion and that a true samurai would not exhibit contempt and dishonesty towards those in his own circle of honorable endeavor.

Of course it was more difficult to use this line on Dr. Tadao Ogura, the psychiatrist who offered to act as arbitrator in the present upheaval. He was the one who suggested taking three “impartial” observers from the sangha with him when he listened to the direct testimony of those involved. The group would then have reported to the Board of Trustees, your own Board of Trustees. Perhaps he too was one of the insane ones, the ones who had to be stopped. And stopped he was when Korin Sylvan Busch, at whose instigation I can only guess, let it be known that three “impartial” sangha members could not be found.

The long line outside your door does not say these things. They are silent. They are gone. It is I who say them, I, Kigen. I take responsibility for saying what I have said and doing what I have done. I have company, but I take responsibility for myself. I am one of Them, those Others whose fault it all is, one of the ones who supported you well, offered you gratitude, did his best to practice the Zen Buddhism of the Patriarchs, lied or remained silent for you on numbers of occasions, lied or remained silent to myself about you, endured and perpetuated your deceits, and, finally...went...”insane.”

It is out of that insanity that I also offer you my most sincere and honest thanks. I offer thanks without irony or sarcasm. You have taught me well and I am grateful. Besides the mechanics of Zen Buddhism, you have also taught me what a Zen Master is not – a teaching worthy of a true Zen Master. Although your teaching lacked the creative clarity, the nurturing of the Buddha Dharma, and the straight-forwardness of a truly enlightened man, still I say your teaching was fine. As I value my life, my Zen practice, so I value this teaching.

This is a time for potential new beginnings – yours, mine, the sangha’s. Always new beginnings. I pray now and will continue to pray that each of us may one day face death with strong, even breaths and perhaps a small smile of true understanding.

Thank you and goodbye.


Adam Fisher


It was during that same time period that I heard perhaps the sharpest rebuke I have ever heard in my life. At one point, Soen Roshi was talking face to face with Mr. Shimano and discussing the reported disharmony Mr. Shimano played a role in. Mr. Shimano offered his responses. And Soen Roshi reportedly said sadly, "Now it comes -- dead rock!"

2,180 comments:

  1. the genkakoos ponder the latest from the Kobooboo collection of historical miasma.

    "If DBZ is to survive, it needs to strip down the ritualistic aspects of the practice to an absolute bare minimum and spend the next twenty years simply nurturing the real world environment around the monastery."
    OK,
    To do list: Increase logging: more roads, trucks, equipment; rebuild Sap House-check; homes for students so that they can start families a la Green Gulch, check; Invite more groups; cut back the 6 sesshins a year to 2 or maybe just 1; have more new age type workshops and seminars, charge enormous fees, check. The ideas for raising funds are as endless as Eido's desire.

    then Yosarian speculates,

    "Hmm... looks like little Eido was pitting the squeeze play on Mrs. Carlson for more dough...."

    she didn't need it after all did she, such a wealthy woman, how could she spend it all herself.

    could monies be missing and unaccounted for still?

    G himself is concerned

    "What happened to that money? If after, what was it spent on or where did it go?"

    He placed in an off-shore account for future use. In the interim while he played the role of sincere zen buddhist monk, he dreamed of when he could unleash his revenge on the Allied forces the only way he knew how to, by seducing as many of their women as possible by buying them nice gifts; eat only in the finest restaurants; buying as many historical scrolls and statues he felt like, of Japanese design of course; purchasing hundreds of brocade raksus; and using the last of the funds to build a Big Japanese Gate. All this while the aging building's pipe's leak, walls crack, doorknobs fall off, and his students struggle to keep body and soul intact. The world of Japan forever, firmly and deeply rooted in this barbarian land. BTW this plan was loosely put together with Yasutani and other Japanese imperialist zen buddhists back in the mid-60s when they realized Tai-san would be a good choice in seeing their plan to fruition.

    O heck, we gotta find that money.

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  2. Robert S.,

    Thank you for your excellent summary. I am going to call the National Organization for Women in NY State and see if anyone there is working on laws for clergy sexual and emotional abuse.

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  3. genkaku said...
    Observer -- Was that plea for money before or after the $3 million donation that was made at one time?
    ...........................................................

    I still haven't seen the answer to your question. But the money needed to accomplish something continues to interest me regardless if it for a Zen center, a recreation center, a community center, or a prison.

    Flipping it around, does someone have a handle on how much it cost to buy and renovate the building 223 East 67 St, NYC that became Sho Bo Ji, and how much did it cost to buy the Beecher Lake property which had originally, what, one building on it? How much did it cost to build Dai Bosatsu Zendo including the caretaker's residence, garages, equipment sheds, etc.

    Also the acreage of DBZ seems to have gone down from 1400 to 1200 acres. What happened to the missing 200 acres? Why was it sold, how much was it sold for and to whom?

    Further I found a site that claims to be able to comoute equivalent amounts amounts over time. That site assumes an reasonable average annual inflation over this period was 4.30%. So, accord to the site http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm
    the stated annual operating cost of $70,000 in 1974 would be over $330,000 in 2011. Which to me says that the 1974 was probably greatly exaggerated or included things other standard operating costs of the facility.

    But even if the current operating costs are now around $120,000 how are they managing that on top of the Shimano's pensions and benefits packages?

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  4. genkaku said...
    Dear Fight -- OK, you win. All your arguments and observations are clear-headed and true. Mine are craven and without substance.

    Is that enough or do you want me to change your diapers as well?
    September 10, 2011 5:39 PM

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  5. Looks like he desperately wants you to change his diapers, Adam. But he's so full of it, it would probably be a pointless act. Probably best to ignore the petulant little pest entirely.

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  6. YoungWoman said...

    "Robert S.,

    "Thank you for your excellent summary. I am going to call the National Organization for Women in NY State and see if anyone there is working on laws for clergy sexual and emotional abuse."

    YW --

    I think that is a good idea to follow up on the Clergy Abuse laws for NYS, thank you. If you learn anything of value from NOWNYS please consider reporting it here.

    Also, if you haven't done so already, I highly recommend spending a little time pursuing the shimanoarchive.com to further familiarize yourself with the Shimano's history in the event that NOW has any interest in this particular case. You might even want to give particular attention to what has occurred beginning August, 2010.

    As far as I know the last widely reported episode of clergy abuse found it's way into the New York Times in August of 2010. See
    Sex Scandal Has American Buddhists Looking Within

    I have no idea if Shimano has made any further attempts. As you have read in those articles I recommended last time, he does his very best to elicit sympathy and secrecy regarding these affairs.


    Prompted by that latest incident a complaint made to the NYS Attorney General Division of Social Justice, Charities Bureau. The office responded saying they would be looking into the complaint.
    See http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDFs/20100823_NYSAG_Fisher.pdf
    I have not read nor heard anything since.

    In September of 2010 Shimano allegedly wrote an email in very vague terms may have intended to be construed as addressing the incident and other events leading to the Times artilce. However in that email he admitted to nothing specific:
    http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDFs/20100907_Shimano_Sangha.pdf

    Then we learned that Shimano supposedly sent a letter to the New York Times stating I do not want this article and my retirement to be linked. One has nothing to do with the other - there is no cause and effect." See http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDFs/20101201_Shimano_NYT.pdf

    The author of the Times article posted an entry on his blog that gave a very thorough response to the points Shimano made in his letter:
    http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDFs/20101228_Oppenheimer_Blog.pdf

    Note: That the board never officially announced that the retirement and the history of clergy abuse were linked in any way.

    After the NY Times article and before Shimano installed Shinge Chayat as abbot of ZSS and then retired, there was a great deal of activity. Two things that have stood out in my mind was a petition for Shimano's resignation (although that word was never actually used for some reason). See http://www.sanghaconvergence.org/ Also, a number of American Zen teachers sent letters to the board of ZSS letters asking that Shimano "not be allowed to continue in any capacity that allows him access to students." Most of those letters were open and were uploaded for public viewing here: http://monkeymindonline.blogspot.com/2010/12/letters-from-zen-teachers-to-zen.html

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  7. I slept with Shimano.

    One of the reasons I am posting this is because, from reading Genkaku’s blog for the past months, if I did not know better, I might think Shimano slept with only a few women through these fifty some years – the few mentioned on the blog. I know other posters believe this.

    From my short time around ZSS, I know, personally, three other women who slept with him, none of which have been mentioned.

    The more tragic thing is that I know two young women, both about 18, whom Shimano tried to seduce but they were strong enough to refuse. One was extremely traumatized by the attempted seduction. The other, with great maturity, told me she looked at it as a good thing: to never, ever trust men of authority.

    So that was 6 attempts, 4 successes, within a few short years. Six that I know of! How many do you think he slept with or attempted to seduce through all these years?

    I will not get into the details of my experiences. I have considered “telling all” through these past months but after much consideration, have decided “no.” What good would it do to tell all? Certainly would not consider talking to the ZSS board. And I don’t know who’s on this blog. Very few people (myself included) have the courage to use their real names – so I see no point in telling my story to a group of anonymous people.

    But – to get to the point: Great appreciation to Kobutsu and Genkaku for all that they have done. If I had had access to this blog and the archives, I would never have connected with ZSS in the first place.

    Which brings me to the purpose of this letter. Who knows what will happen down the line with ZSS. Who knows if ES will find a way to start teaching again. My one hope is that there is a way that the blog/archive information is made available to any person who may possibly come in contact with ES in the future as a student.

    I don’t know how this may be accomplished. I am hoping there is a way!

    One request to Kobutsu: You have put endless hours of work into creating and maintaining the archives and I apologize for asking for more. But . . . several months ago, when I first started reading the posts, there was so much information I was not able to get through it all.

    Could you possibly choose the most relevant & powerful posts – maybe 10, 20, 30 – and create a new page – a condensed, mini-history of the past 40, 50 years which could be used as a post to which we could refer people. Then, possibly, this could be compiled and distributed to future students, if it should come to that, to warn them of who they are choosing as their teacher.

    These months (well, years actually) have been so difficult for so many people. Personally, knowing at least that others will be warned would be a huge part of healing.

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  8. How many innocents would have been spared trauma if this information had been forthcoming in a timely manner?

    By all means, don't contact ZSS or its ethics committee. No one will blame you for not risking re-traumatizing yourself. As for future innocents ...

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  9. A most important service rendered by this blog & the Eido Roku is, indeed, the warning to any prospective practitioners about Shimano and the long, sordid history of ZSS.

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  10. .
    There is only one single first hand account by a survivor who slept with Shimano in the archive; and that by Olivia only twenty two days ago...

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  11. One doesn't need a first-hand account. Just the essay below (which is based on material in the archive) and the Robin Weston article (which is in the archive)are enough to form an accurate assessment of Shimano & ZSS.

    http://www.thezensite.com/ZenEssays/CriticalZen/Aitken_Shimano_Letters.html

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  12. Weston's article is actually a first-hand account...

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  13. "One doesn't need a first-hand account. Just the essay below (which is based on material in the archive) and the Robin Weston article ..."

    To beat the ZSS Board over the head in order to effect needed reforms, and to prevent further abuse, every firsthand account must out.

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  14. "TO PREVENT FURTHER ABUSE"

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  15. Check out Brad's Warner's interview with Davind Chawick, if you haven't already, on Hardcore Zen, watch it to the end for its sardonic take on all the "sexual intrigue" occupying the times and minds of zen buddhist, while ignoring other, as serious, concerns.

    Shimano's sexual appetite appears insatiable and if what we are hearing about him is true he would fit right in with these monkeys doing what monkeys do in the film DC mentions.

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  16. Sorry about that name, DC

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  17. One of the Seduced,

    I'm the "Olivia" (I did not use my real name) who wrote my first hand account as an open letter to the ZSS board and gave permission for it to be placed in the archive as a public witness. It's not my full story.

    I agree with you totally that writing privately to the board has been fruitless. But public knowledge and pressure is very powerful and began to push ZSS into beginning to make changes. Sad but true.

    After following the archive and blogs for more than one year I felt that someone had to break through the false assumptions that Shimano's "affairs" with adult women were "among equals" - that they (or the ones I knew about) were consensual or even (and this is pretty outrageous) initiated by the women involved (what Shimano would like everyone to believe). Nonsense!! In some ways it's been freeing and healing to write it and put it out publicly, but no one should pressure you to do this - including me.

    I would love to talk to you anyway, and that conversation would be private and not go beyond me. I told Kobutsu how to reach me if you are interested. Hope so.

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  18. One of the seduced said...
    I slept with Shimano.


    First, I am so sorry of what you have been through. I also applaud your courage in telling part of your story.

    As someone pointed out, there is only one first-hand account in the Eido Roku of Shimano's actions – that being Olivia’s letter to the ZSS Board of Directors. (The Robin Weston piece doesn't qualify because he failed in his attempt with her.)

    Olivia’s account is remarkable because of the courage she displays in sharing it. For those of us who have known Shimano for years, it also includes descriptions of behavior that are very recognizable as his. This helps to convince me that her account is dreadfully true. As is often said, you can’t make this stuff up.

    The first-hand accounts are critical for a couple of reasons. First, they are not hearsay and more difficult for people to pass off as improbable – a defense still being used by the remaining handful (and, yes, it is only a handful) of Shimano devotees. Second, they reveal the depth of his depravity and indifference to other sentient beings. Third, they lessen the unjustified stigma felt by some victims by simply reinforcing the fact that they are not alone and not to blame for what happened – they were hunted by a very skilled predator. Fourth, the more people that speak up the greater the pressure imposed on Shimano, and the more pressure there is the more people will know, which will disarm his ability to manipulate, abuse, and rape in the future.

    From personal experience, I know the difficulty of speaking of one’s own experience. I also know that speaking out can be liberating both by releasing the negative force one can feel subjected to and by knowing that speaking out protects others from becoming future targets of predation. Disclosing the details of one’s experience I believe is liberating, although the shame response, which is probably our most influential emotion wishes us to believe otherwise.

    Lastly, I think the record of the trail of destruction needs to be known. Not knowing ensures that either he or others in the future will succeed and society will not learn from the past. Because I believe Shimano could be one of the largest sexual predators alive, the world needs to know, first-hand, the damage that he has caused. And to accomplish this we need to hear the experiences of those impacted by him.

    We also need people with access to ZSS communications to make those available, anonymously, to the archive. I personally know of a couple of people who have relevant and recent documentation that frankly needs to be made public. People need once and for all to say no to this situation, and the release of those documents is necessary to put a final stop to this.

    Fear is a powerful force – just ask those who experienced the tactics used by the fascists of our time: Mussolini, Hitler, Pinochet, and B*sh. Fear hides the truth, and hiding the truth increases the power of those hiding the truth. Revealing the truth is how democracies remain democracies.

    To me, there is no difference between a cult and a fascist society. A despot is a despot, whether they wear Armani, brocade robes or Kesa, military uniforms, or galabeya.

    Folks with first-hand experience and those with documentation, please for the sake of society, reconsider making your stories and documentation public. Anonymity can be retained. It is that simple.

    Peace,

    tenshin

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  19. One of the seduced said...
    "I slept with Shimano."

    OOTS -

    Please consider what you wrote and Tenshin's thoughtful response and request to say more and let it go into the archive.

    While some of us realize that it was not just a few women, the notion for some is difficult to get their minds around. Thank you for at least pointing that out. But bear in mind that, it is one thing to make assertions, it is quite another to tell some part of one's own story.

    Some of the things that Shimano said that I personally heard and learned
    that others heard were shocking, bizarre, even pretty disturbed at times. Here's an example:
    I'll never forget that Shimano told me with no one when around that sesshin participants should pair up and have post sesshin sex, because it would be great. Being a young single male at the time, I'd didn't think to much of it at the time, other that it probably was true if both partners attended sesshin and had a relationship, but that simply "pairing up" didn't make a hell of a lot of sense. Then after a subsequent sesshin at DBZ a female friend approach me and put one of her arms through mine and said to walk with her past Shimano. Already in a post sesshin haze, I was even more confused, but I complied but didn't make the connection until she explained. She said she did that because she wanted Shimano to believe we'd paired off and so he would leave her alone.

    Clearly she knew what was going on, but for some reason still wanted to do not just do the sesshin but to finish the kessei without having anything to do with Shimano. The more time passes the sicker the whole thing sounds to me.

    If you do choose to tell your story, OOTS, perhaps Olivia's approach was the most practical in terms of protecting her privacy yet telling her story by admitting upfront that she wrote under a pseudonym.

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  20. Just a tobacco farmerSeptember 14, 2011 at 1:04 AM

    Ya'll know, all this back-and-forth ain't gonna change much beyond where it is at. Roko is compassionately and intellectually lacking, and plus she gets paid to do very little. She is a featherbedder.

    So, here's an idea. Why not a class acion suit against ZSS by all of those who are sick of the organizations unwillingness or inability to clean up this hog wallow? I mean, "you're a member and must pay your dues," oh, but they were never a membership org. That is fraud.

    Or, our teacher Tai Shimano is sanctioned to teach, yet he does not appear in either the Ryutaku-ji records or the Myonshin-Ji records. Uh, Fraud.

    Donate money for X, and discover it was used for something else. Fraud.

    I suspect it's a long list.

    Why not put an end to this by taking them to court, and force the dissolution of this fantasy? It's like Mt. Wu Tai... go see Manjusri and magical rainbows. Shut the frigging place down, once and for all.

    And deport the nutria that he is.

    Just a thought.

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  21. TF, you're calling Shimano is a "nutria"?
    I can see a slight resemblance, but the nutria are cuter.

    A multi-faceted fraud case? Covering just about everything from falsification of qualifications, flagrant clerical emotional / sexual abuse, numerous financial improprieties, Interesting...

    First motion should be to video tape the entire proceedings!

    With all the dirty laundry that would have come out of all the closets, even if we "lost" some issues we'd win on others. Bear in mind that we'd need a great deal of Fabreze, though.

    I wish some of those defrauded blue haired ladies were still around as I suspect such a case would cost upwards of $50,000.

    How about a bake sale? Can we can get Crumbs to donate a portion of their sales?

    Or really do a fund drive? Even if it sounds like a potentially messy business....

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  22. Just a tobacco farmerSeptember 14, 2011 at 5:55 PM

    Philip Morris said...
    TF, you're calling Shimano is a "nutria"?


    Okay, Boss-Man, I stand corrected. In some parts, nutria make good eating. Shimano doesn't fall into this category.

    Was more referencing their ability to damage the environment in which they live. Kind of like taking a dump in your food stores. This is where I believe the similarity exists between Shimano Vulgaris and Myocastor coypus.

    But, then, what do I know? It's curing time, gotta take care of my leaf.

    TF

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    FYI

    Smoking and Health

    Smoking causes many serious diseases including cardiovascular disease (heart disease), lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema, chronic bronchitis). Smokers are far more likely to become sick with one of these diseases than non-smokers. Smoking is also addictive and can be extremely difficult to stop. These are the views of every leading medical and scientific organization around the world. And they are the views of Philip Morris International.

    Assessing Risk Reduction Potential

    Our goal is to develop methods to assess whether a product is likely to reduce the risk of smoking-related diseases without waiting decades – the time that many smoking-related diseases take to develop. To do so, we are combining the strengths of classical scientific methods—non-clinical and clinical studies—with systems biology, state-of-the-art computational science, and disease modeling.


    -- From the Philip Morris Internationalweb site.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Philip Morris said...
    NOTICE TO TOBACCO FARMERS AND ALL SMOKERS

    FYI

    Smoking and Health...


    Well, there has been some talk about that - but I've friends in their 80s whove been smoking their whole lives, and they are fine. Remember, America is a FREE union, and government shouldn't meddle in good folks' personal affairs.

    Plus, what else am I going to grow in this red clay dirt I've got? I do grow some dent corn for a neighbor who likes mash, but that's a freebie - well, I do get something in return, but it's not cash

    Honestly, tobacco grows mighty well around here, and the flowers are wonderful. It's about the last crop in the US that isn't factory farmed. Just a bunch of small farmers with 5 to 20 acres, tops.

    And at least there is a Rinzai fellow with a group not too far from me. A good, simple life. Zazen and my curing barn!

    -TF

    ReplyDelete
  25. Based on a comment elsewhere that suggested that Dharma was just the natural flow of things and imply that therefore a relativistic morality should rule the roost, I had occasion to look up Sanbo-Kyodan's apology for founder Haku'un Yasutani's jingoistic and anti-Semitic utterances before and during World War II. With the apology, Third Patriarch Jiun Kubota distanced Sanbo-Kyodan from sentiments that might rightly be construed as encouraging war, racism and a lot of horror.

    "For the offense caused by these errant words and actions of the past master, I, the present patriarch of the Sanbo-kyodan, cannot but express my heartfelt regret."

    The apology may be seen as comparatively tepid, but I did wonder what other Zen 'master' would step up to the collective Zen plate and acknowledge personal ("I") concern and responsibility when it came to misusing the banner of Zen.

    http://web.archive.org/web/20080704201754/http://www.mkzc.org/apology.html

    ReplyDelete
  26. Just a tobacco farmer said...

    Remember, America is a FREE union, and government shouldn't meddle in good folks' personal affairs.

    I agree wholehearted. However I want to point out a couple of things. First, I like the fact that my namesake company is no longer denying the seriously detrimental effects of smoking. Second, that I think that the government at the very least is being responsible to the people by ascertaining that the research on the effects of tobacco smoke is correct, and warning the people of those detrimental effects (although sometimes governments like NYC's anti-tobacco ad campaign can be heavy handed).

    Now that those findings have been confirmed and warnings clear and extended over time, a case for an extreme Tea Party approach to health care for smokers may one day take hold and smokers suffering from the effects of tobacco may one day not be covered by Medicare and Medicaid and, worse for the many, the health insurance industry may be allowed to refuse coverage to smokers or charge smokers significantly higher rates. (I can see that abused so any health issue to a smoker will be denied automatically as being related to smoking.)

    TF, If you connected all the dots yet, let me give you a shortcut -- you might want to look into a way to do something else with your "red clay dirt " sooner rather than later.

    Just think about it.

    ReplyDelete
  27. "I've friends in their 80s whove been smoking their whole lives, and they are fine. Remember, "

    Man, are you for real?

    Yeah, get your priorities in line. You need a class action lawsuit set you straigght. I mean, your producing a product that results in slow, painful deaths, (I had friends who weren't fine), and numerous chronic diseases, and probably making money off of it. You should be educating people of the danger of tobacco addiction, its risks and complications. Then grow your weed. How could you feel yourself superior to a person who seduces young women. Granted there's allegedly many women, but in my mind it still is a lesser evil than what the tobacco companies did and continue to do, for the past 50 years!! Knowingly marketing a product, especially to the young, that causes serious illness and slow, prolonged and painful death. RIght, its a free union, I won't bother you any more, shouldn't meddle in your private affairs.
    Kinda like Genkaku's subdued praise of Colin Powell's moment of integrity-it doesn't impress me at all. Like sayin, OK go kill hundreds of thousands of people, and, if you're able to say with feeling that you made a mistake, we will forgive you.
    Convince us, tobacco farmer, your aware of the serious consequences to smoking tobacco for the thousands who die of lung caner, COPD, heart disease, etc.,-all directly linked to smoking- then you can rant on about Shimano, I just want to make sure you have integrity.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Advocates:

    Ongoing public reports about child sexual abuse cases continue to fuel our belief that the Statute of Limitations (SOL) in Massachusetts must be repealed. Whether a member of the Tennis Hall of Fame, a renowned pediatrician, or a summer camp counselor, no sexual abuser should be allowed to commit sexual abuse with impunity and escape accountability because of an arbitrary legal time table.

    This year we have another chance to repeal our state's criminal and civil SOL and our current charitable immunity law so that victims can be supported in their healing, abusers can be held accountable, and children can be protected from abuse by these individuals and the institutions that give them cover.

    We encourage you to join with other survivors, advocates and legislators on Tuesday, September 27th for the Rally to Reform SOL to be held at 11 AM in front of the State House. Public Hearing on the SOL bill by the Judiciary Committee will begin at 1 PM in Room A-1.

    Please let us know if you'll be attending one or both events by responding to this email or you can RSVP on our Facebook event page. Go to www.CORSAL.org for a list of the bill's sponsors and Judiciary Committee members. We encourage you to contact them now and as the hearing date approaches to urge them to support the movement to REPEAL SOL.

    Thanks for all your past efforts that helped set the stage for this latest push for repeal. We need to finish the job we started when in 2006 we succeeded in increasing the SOL for criminal prosecution of child sexual abuse from 15 to 27 years. Let's send a big message now again that there's no justification for SOL when it comes to preventing the sexual abuse of our children.

    Jetta Bernier,
    Co-Chair, CORSAL
    Executive Director
    Massachusetts Citizens for Children

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hey Genny: your blog is soo relevant!

    ReplyDelete
  30. A few messages ago someone mentioned that there was a lack of first person accounts regarding Shimano's sexual misconduct. This is contrasted with what some here believe that there were literally hundreds of unreported encounters.

    Two first person pieces were referred to; one by Robin Westen and another by Olivia (a pseudonym). Westen did go further an interviewed other people as well as tell her own story.

    I was searching for something else and this redacted letter from 1993 came up in that search:


    Anonymous said...
    There are many letters that have already been written. Here is one from 1993; redacted to protect the identity of the victim.

    XXXXXXX XXXXXX
    XXXX XXXXXXX XXXX
    XXXXXX, XXXXXXX XXXX
    XXX-XXX-XXXX

    August 5, 1993

    The Board of Trustees
    Zen Studies Society
    223 E. 67th
    New York, N.Y. 10021

    Dear Board of Trustees,

    On September 3, 1992, I arrived alone at Dai Boatsu Zendo with much anticipation. This was to be my first experience at a Buddhist monastery and I naively did not know what to expect. I looked forward to zazen, Buddhist studies, Dokusan, and koan study with Eido Roshi. He had been highly recommended as a great teacher by my well respected peers and instructors in XXXXXXX.

    From the very beginning, I felt Eido Roshi "noticing" me. He would often stop me in the hall or call me into his meeting room to give me a small gift, I assumed he was this way with everyone. However, my assumptions changed the first night o f Dokusan during Golden Wind sesshin when he pulled me toward him and kissed me on the mouth! He said, "The first time I saw you, something clicked into place for me. Perhaps something will happen between us in the future... hmmm?" This was the first time physical contact had occurred between us. This same behavior continued during 80% of subsequent Dokusans, but he progressed from hugging and kissing me to touching my breasts. At one point, he told me that he wanted to make love with me. I told him, "No." He looked directly in my eyes and said " don’t wait too long." I experienced his statement as a veiled threat that he would abandon me spiritually and emotionally if I did not comply with his wishes. So, due to my own weakness and fear, I did as he wanted. At the end of "Dokusan" he would make a date with me to visit him in his quarters that night where we would have sexual intercourse, He made it clear to me that no one was to see me entering his quarters as it would cause him "a lot of trouble."

    During three different occasions I expressed my concern to him that I was deceiving my dear friends, XXXXXX and XXXXX, and my fiance, XXXXXX. I told him that I wanted to tell them because I did not feel right about keeping a deliberate secret of this magnitude. He said, "Lie" I was literally sick after he said this. I felt poisoned. On one hand, I did not want to cause trouble for him, and on the other hand, something was extremely wrong for me! This miserable affair lasted until I left, the zendo on December 11. 1992.
    February 21, 2010 10:23 PM

    ReplyDelete
  31. Knife-sharpened Tippy Toe?September 16, 2011 at 10:36 AM

    "This miserable affair lasted until I left, the zendo on December 11. 1992."

    " ... there were literally hundreds of unreported encounters."

    Here is an example of why the Shimano defenders don't give in. The female *participant* calls it an "affair", not rape, not abuse, not being taken advantage of, just, eventually after months, "wrong for me".

    And Robert the reporter backs off his characterization of sexual misconduct, i.e., rape, sexual abuse, power abuse, etc., by calling it an "encounter".

    Were most of these women 'hypnotized'? Sounds more like 'stage hypnosis' for some rather than the real thing.

    Note: I said 'SOME', not all! Being raped while drunk (or at any other time) is a crime!! That is the one Shimano needs to be nailed for above all.

    ReplyDelete
  32. KSTT,

    Thanks for pointing out that "encounter" was tepid. I thought my meaning was sufficiently clear in context.

    KSTT said, "Being raped while drunk (or at any other time) is a crime!! That is the one Shimano needs to be nailed for above all."

    Yes, Shimano's misdeeds seem to me to be classified as something more than seduction but less than rape using alcohol, drugs or physical force. I have heard second and third hand that he did use force and hence committed rape.

    I do think you underestimate the ability of some to be unduly and improperly influenced when undergoing some serious, ongoing emotional turmoil in one's life which, more often than not, is often the real reason driving some if not many to the "silence" of meditation. (As you probably know, some therapists recommend meditation as a therapeutic form of stress reduction, but not intense and protracted "Zen Training" (e.g. zazenkai, sesshin, kessei) but, still, sometimes, using breath counting and breath awareness, very common forms of meditative practice.)

    In any case, we have to deal with what we know he did do. We have to deal with what people state he did to them and we have to respect their confidences.

    To further clarify, I find most of cases I have been informed of not simple seduction i. e. he persuaded a given woman to have sex with him subtly, through being kind, polite, chivalrous, having real caring and concern, etc. which is still clergy abuse, but instead within the context of deception and secrecy. Westen claimed he misled her by saying things that lead her to believe what she experiences was or that she was near to experiencing "kensho." Others have stated that he claimed to suffer from the same sense of loneliness that the women confessed to. Always he insisted that the relationship be kept secret even from the women's families and, of course, from his wife.


    Be well,

    - RS

    ReplyDelete
  33. "Always he insisted that the relationship be kept secret even from the women's families and, of course, from his wife."

    Arranged marriage or not, this fact, that he was known to be married, yet the 'relationship' went forward anyway, is tough for some to rationalize away ....

    80/20?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Okie Dokusan said...

    "Always he insisted that the relationship be kept secret even from the women's families and, of course, from his wife."

    Arranged marriage or not, this fact, that he was known to be married, yet the 'relationship' went forward anyway, is tough for some to rationalize away ....

    80/20?


    Unlike some here I do think that at least some of the women who went forward with their relationship with Shimano bear some responsibility. I do not think the responsibility can be glibly quantified nor should it be. The amount of responsibility differs in each case. However I do think that the assumption of vulnerability should take precedence in every case. Which is why I believe any intimate relationship with Shimano should be considered abusive prima facie given what he has done over the long run.

    In fact it took to long for it to occur to me to look at his realtionship with his wife. I'm finally starting to consider that in Aiho's case there was and still is it was an extremely abusive relationship. She probably never adequately addressed it partly due to culture, misguided attempts to protect her sense of self esteem, ignorance, due to it being an arranged marriage and partly due to the fact she was in America without a support network.

    Also, I tend to think when Genjo made that 80/20 remark he was still in a highly defensive rationalization phase of processing the offensive behavior of his beloved teacher. (Although for the life of me, I cannot fathom how he became Shimano's "heir" and claimed that he believed that he was unaware of Shimano's seriously flawed character and activities.)

    Given that Genjo still hasn't publicly apologized to Kobutsu, Aitken, Genkaku, Lachs, et al, for what he said early on, and that he is still rationalizing calling Shimano a genius instead of a manipulative con man, he sill hasn't really come to terms with things.

    I know after many years I still haven't fully processed the extent of Shimano's criminality and still new things keep coming up.

    ReplyDelete
  35. "(Although for the life of me, I cannot fathom how he [Genjo] became Shimano's "heir" and claimed that he believed that he was unaware of Shimano's seriously flawed character and activities.)"

    Eido Roku was available worldwide only as of March, 2010. You are ignoring this plus 15 years of non-controversial or off-the-radar ER behavior.

    Genjo became an heir just like Andy, Sherry, and all the rest.

    Was Shimano's behavior reprehensible? Yes.

    Was he a brilliant zen teacher? Also yes.

    Sorry, you want black or white, wrapped up nice and neat. This is much more complex.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Indeed one of the complex disturbing facets of Eido Shimano’s “seductions” are the reports of crude and forceful behavior on his part in approaching a woman he has fixated on completely lacking general decent social grace. Given the reports of Robin Westen and the mention made by “One of the seduced” involving two eighteen year-olds, one can only wonder how he might have come-on to essentially kids… I can imagine a hurried “grab –and-plant” in a deserted hallway – imagine the rush and thrill of the “danger” of discovery stimulating Shimano blind. Consider the courage and fortitude of the young women who resisted any such forceful sexual assaults.

    This man’s mind does not seem to function in the realm of acceptable social standards. Mr. Shimano appears to be so incredibly caught up in his own arrogance that he completely disregards the feelings of others, either that, or he simply doesn’t give a damn. Whichever way, his behavior belies his “purported” mastery of Zen. How can someone who confuses his own desire to dominate with how it affects other beings function in dokusan? If he cannot see past his own lust, in normal social situations, how is it possible for him to serve as a gauge of other people’s states of mind? Given his job, his role in the dokusan room, if he were genuine he would not be attending to his own sexual appetite in the dokusan room. Running the end of the keisaku around a woman’s breast in dokusan? It raises serious doubt as to his guidance as a teacher for anybody. A koan master – more like a theatrical performer of rote literary and rhetoric skills…

    Which brings into question the substance of his teaching over the years. On many occasions he has bemoaned his inability to “understand” Americans. In several instances he has arrogantly refused to accept people’s perceptions of precarious mental health situations with residents that in at least one case resulted in a very serious suicide attempt on DBZ property. In that particular case, he had been cautioned as to the mental health of the individual but chose to ignore people who tried to tell him that the DBZ/ZSS culture and regimen was unhealthy for the individual. How is it that he is such a poor judge of mental stability in his own students?

    How is it that four out of five of his own hand-picked Dharma heirs have distanced themselves from him. The remaining loyalist is a reputed former mistress who categorically denies any involvement… privately, but will not do so in public, herself. Mr. Shimano is not at all what he pretends to be, the archive has made that abundantly clear on multiple levels. All of us who were involved with him as students were, at one time or another, taken in by his theatrical presentation as a genuine “Zen master.” The awkward reality is that we were all snookered at some point. Cadres of enablers have very carefully hid the truth from the sangha and people of their ilk are now in control of the ZSS. Some of us woke up years ago, many more only since the advent of the shimanoarchive.

    In time, those who have awakened will grow in their understanding and in recognizing their own innate Buddha nature, will come to realize that what Mr. Shimano was propagating wasn’t at all Buddhadharma…. In so realizing, folks will truly awaken to their own Buddha nature. Yes, we were suckered… yes we were exclusive, yes we enabled, yes we “went-along to get-along” but we can now see past all that with no need for shame or guilt. This is liberation; what Shimano perpetuates is enslavement….

    ReplyDelete
  37. Robert S. wrote: "The amount of responsibility differs in each case. However I do think that the assumption of vulnerability should take precedence in every case. Which is why I believe any intimate relationship with Shimano should be considered abusive prima facie given what he has done over the long run."

    This, to my mind, is right on the money! And no serious Zen student is unaware of what it's like to be, by the nature of the adventure, vulnerable.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Would you stay true to your Western values and culture if you moved to Japan, or would you 'turn Japanese'?

    Do you have any inkling of how deeply sexist and patriarchal Japanese society still is?

    Have you ever spent any time watching Japanese TV, especially their 'reality' shows, to see what they think is 'funny' or how women are treated?

    "How is it that he is such a poor judge of mental stability in his own students?"

    Yes, especially as regards women, he is just like you: he sees what he wants to see.

    Remember in one of his letters, he said he was not "together"? This is a clue to his rationale, becuase that term is pure 60's 'free love' era vocabulary. Too self-serving and deaf to American culture as it has changed.

    When you yourself went to dokusan, how did it go for you? Did you successfully present? Were you disappointed when you got 'ringed out'? Did you struggle to prolong your minutes so you wouldn't be embarassed that, as a senior student, your practice wouldn't appear 'weak' to other observers? Did you continue your koan studies with another teacher, or did you realize that it wasn't for you, and rationalize breaking it off? Perhaps, not so dedicated yourself, yes? Hence, not so willing to give props to someone with the patience, day after day, month after month, even year after year, to deal with your shit?

    ReplyDelete
  39. "All of us who were involved with him as students were, at one time or another, taken in by his theatrical presentation as a genuine “Zen master.” The awkward reality is that we were all snookered at some point."

    Not true, if you did your own righteous work. Ultimately your progress is entirely up to you.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I can almost smell them roostin' chickens cookin'...

    ReplyDelete
  41. Rock the Roku said...

    "Was he a brilliant zen teacher? Also yes."

    Dreams and fantasies. Wishful projections.

    Rocky Roku Please elaborate. And be specific.

    In my opinion, there is no genius or brilliance whatsoever.
    Teachings? Derivative at best. Certainly not scholar.
    Showmanship? At best rarely reached third rate entertainment value. Overvalues expensive costumes. Undervalues simple garb.
    Aesthetics? So may be he should have been a short lived interior decorator of spartan japanese style. I've seen People without Zen having better Japanese aesthetics. I'd rather study with a Tea Master.
    Originality? You got me there.
    Life as an example? Hahahaha!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Erasmus The Obscure, your September 16, 2011 8:05 PM post is quite comprehensive and, I believe, to the point and accurate.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Erasmus The Obscure said...

    "All of us who were involved with him as students were, at one time or another, taken in by his theatrical presentation as a genuine “Zen master.” The awkward reality is that we were all snookered at some point."

    Okie Dokie 'San said...

    "Not true, if you did your own righteous work. Ultimately your progress is entirely up to you."

    Actually ODS, ETO's statement is far more correct. Behaviors like Shimano's particularly in a role of teacher no doubt negatively impacted and continue to negatively impact many, many people in many many ways over the years. To say that ultimately one's progress is entirely up to one's self is simple and naive at best and at worst it neglects sangha completely.

    I advise reconsidering that position at least to be more considerate of others who need and are helped by group practice , i. e. sangha.

    ReplyDelete
  44. The Colonel said...
    I can almost smell them roostin' chickens cookin'...

    Colonel, could you explain how you get so much grease and salt into those itty bitty pieces of chicken?

    As for the good chicken, mamma used to say that those folks in Kentucky might know something about growin' horses, but that everyone know the Louisiana folks can cook, drink and play some mighty good jazz.

    No matter, be sure to finish the evening of grease with coffee and beignets.

    ReplyDelete
  45. "The awkward reality is that we were all snookered at some point."

    Only those who love being snookered.

    If anyone else derived a benefit, they know it, and you never will.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Dear Bloggers,

    I do appreciate your suggestions that I tell my whole story. One of the reasons I will not do that at this time is that – if I did, I would be very clearly identifying myself – a pseudonym just wouldn’t cut it. And as I said, I am not ready to do that.

    Erasmus, I thought your post hit many points so right on.

    From my experiences with him, I totally agree that he actually loves danger and the thrill of the possibility of being caught. I’ve often wondered at the processes of that man’s brain that manifest in such contradictory actions. On the one hand, he consistently initiated “necking sessions” in locations that were very likely to be seen by others. On the other hand, he warned women to lie about their involvement with him (actually, I don’t recall him telling me that but I have read it happened with others).


    The first time I slept with ES, it was the result of date rape. He intentionally got me drunk. I was absolutely caught off guard, blindsided and completely devastated. The sad fact is that after the trauma of the situation and my immediate intention to leave and never return, I actually wound up sleeping with him two more times. And that is the shame I have carried with me and beaten myself up over for years.

    Erasmus said:
    “If he cannot see past his own lust, in normal social situations, how is it possible for him to serve as a gauge of other people’s states of mind?”

    There is so much to that statement!!!

    “A koan master – more like a theatrical performer of rote literary and rhetoric skills…__”

    So true!

    “Yes, we were suckered… yes we were exclusive, yes we enabled, yes we “went-along to get-along” but we can now see past all that with no need for shame or guilt. This is liberation; what Shimano perpetuates is enslavement….”

    Workin’ on it, thank you!!!

    ReplyDelete
  47. Enablers have created bad entangled karmaSeptember 17, 2011 at 6:24 PM

    Rocky Roku said...

    "Erasmus The Obscure said...
    ""The awkward reality is that we were all snookered at some point.""

    "Only those who love being snookered."

    "If anyone else derived a benefit, they know it, and you never will."


    Rock the Roku, you sound like you aspire to be a top shelf Shimano Enabler and are quite proud of it. You've gotten so snookered you still can't even see it.

    With the talk of benefits, you probably have praised Bernie Madoff too.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Dear OOTS:
    Thank your for your presence. Please continue.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Thank YOU for your presence, that is. Sorry for my clumsiness... :)

    ReplyDelete
  50. Robert Aitken Rodaishi – August 2, 2010 - Three days prior to his death:

    Question – Is there anything else you would like to say about or to the woman who come forward?

    Aitken Rodaishi – I’m awed by their courage. I want to give them all the possible encouragement I can.

    ReplyDelete
  51. faroukh said...
    oots = robert s!

    Nope. I am Robert S. and I am not OOTS, nor was I among those sexually seduced.

    Seems some person comes onto this blog who needs to project that onto me.

    Tell us, faroukh, what do you gain by trying to publicly trying to "out" someone who may have been sexually involved with Shimano? What purpose of yours does that serve?

    ...whatever....

    But I was among those who temporarily thought more highly of Shimano than I should have. First, early on I had some intuitions that I dismissed. Later, I had hope that Shimano would see his way clear to improving his behavior, and gave him a decent amount of time to at least begin seriously working on his stuff; instead I just saw stubbornness, a great deal of denial, and even truculence.

    Which is partly why I now have virtually no hope for the man or for the board and still have no reason to have hope. Another part is that many years later Shimano still hadn't noticeably changed in that regards and may have gotten worse. I recently learn more here and from the archive of the multiple attempts to have sex with 18 year olds when he was, what, in his forties and fifties or even older. And still at least two of his heirs call him roshi, a genius, etc.. Shinge shames us all still on the DBZ site where "Shinge Roshi expresses her gratitude for “Eido Roshi’s uncompromising and penetrating Dharma Eye, which reveals directly the luminous power of the unconditioned mind.”

    So, faroukh do you have anything to add to this ever-so-long discussion of ETS & ZSS?

    ReplyDelete
  52. Oh haha

    little robert, you are like younger brother bani, always yipping at heels

    Yip yip, little robert, yip yip!

    ReplyDelete
  53. faroukh,

    "younger brother bani, always yipping at heels."

    Now I see why Observer called you a troll....

    While you have absolutely nothing to add to the discussion except to act like a spoiled brat expressing negativity and hatred. Worse, you speak of your younger brother as though he is a dog.

    You make light of this while ignoring him only concerned about your bloody heels. What a telling image!

    It sounds like you are from an abusive family, and you are barely aware you are still entangled in the dysfunction of that group. Which is probably why you remain closely entangled with the Z. S. Society.

    Consider the effects that has had and is having.

    And, you know what, give some consideration to your younger brother. Even if he is a now a grown adult who in some flawed way still is looking for love and attention that was never provided by your family.

    ReplyDelete
  54. faroukh said...
    Oh haha

    little robert, you are like younger brother bani, always yipping at heels

    Yip yip, little robert, yip yip!


    You cannot even respond to Robert S.?
    Just snipe from the sidelines with trolling banter?

    Looks like you don't want to actively discuss Eido at all - you just wish to stop people from discussing him.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Don't keep feeding the troll... just completely ignore it.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Oh haha

    faroukh has no thing to do with z society, zero, foolish godless buddists

    love the troll in lord of rings!


    now you are show who you are, yes?

    ReplyDelete
  57. ok no little robert

    maybe you are not like brother

    ReplyDelete
  58. Part 1

    Dear Sangha,

    Our Sangha Weekend Meeting, facilitated by three members from An Olive Branch, brought together a wide range of people with diverse points of view, and the intensity of our discussions was mirrored by the weather: Hurricane Irene raged outside, the strong winds and rain purifying our hearts (as well as washing out our roads!).

    We had planned this meeting with the goal of deeply hearing each other, knowing that no healing can occur when wounds are untended and left to fester; that we must have the courage to uncover them, facing our pain from the past in the present, so that we can work toward a strong, healthy future. For a summary of the structure of the meeting, please see the link at the end of this email.

    The most painful yet crucial aspect of the meeting was an adapted Samoan Circle. Soun Joe Dowling and I, together with AOB facilitators, sat in the inner circle, and participants from the outer circle took an empty chair in turn to speak.

    What we heard

    First, letters were read from several people who couldn't be there; one in particular was extremely moving in its articulation of the hurt and harm experienced from an unwanted teacher-student liaison. Quite a few spoke of their feelings of betrayal, disappointment and disillusionment. Someone noted how harmful the culture of secrecy and silence in the Sangha has been, which can cause one to deny what one sees and hears–to question one's own truth.

    Others stressed the life-changing significance of Eido Roshi's teaching, his founding of New York Zendo and Dai Bosatsu Zendo, and the need to carry it forward authentically: "The Dharma is like holding water in one's palm; if it's held loosely, it will drain away. Our task is to offer this Dharma water to the next generation. We have to hand over exactly the same water. We don't want to color it, or it will destroy our tradition."

    A woman who suffered deep sadness over losing Eido Roshi as her teacher said she has now been able to let go, and hopes others can as well, "so that we can go forward in the spirit of love and acceptance of each other, not allowing our views to fragment our Sangha. My attachment is to the Dharma, and to this place." Concurring, someone responded, "This is an amazing place. I have come to understand something beyond my own thinking. It's easy to become angry, but doing zazen helps that anger go away. We can respect Rinzai Zen practice for what it is—a real treasure. In our hearts we can find compassion to forgive the person who betrays us, or who shouts at us. We're human beings. My stand is to say, I love you." And another said, "This is the only place I can go to discover what I have inside. One must judge oneself, not others. We each have stories; this practice helps me see what is much bigger."

    Someone said, "It's clear that these board members care so much, and they've done a phenomenal job, but most have been hand-picked by Eido Roshi. The board membership should be made up of professionals, and should rotate every three years." Agreeing, another person said, "Now we need to help these women [who were harmed by relationships with their teacher] come back to the Sangha, and make this into a safe place for women."

    Someone expressed her joy at seeing people who left long ago who cared enough to return for this meeting, and her hope that they would come back to regular practice.

    One of the newest Sangha members said, "I am beyond grateful. This is a magical place. Please don't let it be lost. My generation needs this. I know more young people will come. Please, please, keep it safe."

    At the end of each person's comments, one of us responded by reflecting them back to show that they were deeply heard; and then the entire group declared, "We hear you!"

    ReplyDelete
  59. Part 2

    What came from our intense discussions was the realization that we are the beneficiaries of a rare and wonderful practice, Rinzai Zen; that deep listening to each other without crosstalk or snap judgments reveals the treasure of Sangha; and that we are responsible for shaping and guiding Rinzai Zen for future generations of practitioners on American soil.

    Further reflections

    Several people sent their further reflections to me in emails after the weekend. One person suggested that the attention and effort given to address the issues of the past, and to healing, can cripple the effort to establish a new vision, develop a new plan, and implement a sustainable future for ZSS. "There is a fine line between tending a wound and picking at it."

    Another wrote, "All of us know that we are obliged to challenge dualistic moral judgment and appreciate the distinction–and lack of such–between the realm in which cause and effect are one and the realm in which they're separate. On the other hand, we must not forget that the world we live in is, thanks to media and pop-psychology, more materialistic, thus more addicted to such dualism and the simplistic moralism it produces...."

    Moving Forward

    In the wake of this important weekend, I have done the following:

    Instructed the board to complete its review and revision of our by-laws to rationalize our governance decisions by October 15.
    Nominated new board members with a broad range of backgrounds and professional skill sets to replace those who are stepping down. New members will begin serving in January 2012.
    Ordered an in-depth financial audit to clarify our strongest sources of funding, get a better understanding of our operating and capital expense needs, and examine past practices that may not have been in the best interests of the Sangha. We are looking for this audit to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2012.
    Begun to investigate ways to broaden our sources of funding, to create reliable income streams that are in line with our mission to offer Rinzai Zen in America. I plan on implementing these in the coming year.
    To increase attendance at New York Zendo, I have planned an ongoing series of workshops and programs (like the one I organized recently at Dai Bosatsu Zendo in brushwork with Kazuaki Tanahashi), to include tea masters, bodywork practitioners, and traditional craftspersons, as well as lectures by visiting scholars to encourage study, in keeping with the vision of ZSS's first president, D. T. Suzuki.
    To increase residency at Dai Bosatsu Zendo, I have begun work on a communication and public relations campaign to improve our visibility and make the world aware of what a great place this is for authentic Rinzai Zen training.

    In these endeavors, I am receiving the enthusiastic support of Sangha and Board members, and I look forward to your participation as well.

    This past Sunday I led an all-day sitting at Shobo-ji, and the Sangha was invited to join in a potluck dinner afterward. It is my hope that many more such informal gatherings will take place there, to encourage a warm and mutually supportive atmosphere.

    Please join me for our next sesshin at Dai Bosatsu Zendo, Golden Wind, September 24–October 2. If you can't come for this one, do consider attending Harvest Sesshin, October 29–November 6, and Rohatsu Sesshin, November 30–December 8.

    It is my intention to put the Zen Studies Society at the forefront of Zen in America once again. Our founding teacher has devoted his life to bringing the Dharma to the West. It is our job to uphold what we have received, and to improve upon the vehicle for actualizing it in our ever-changing world. I am completely dedicated to this.

    Gassho,

    Shinge Roko Sherry Chayat

    ReplyDelete
  60. It sounds like classic ZSS-spin...

    (I have) Instructed the board

    (I have) Nominated new board members

    (I have) Ordered an in-depth financial audit

    I have planned an ongoing series of workshops

    She's acting the part of the Abbot as over and above the board and sangha. (Just like the old boss...)


    "It is my intention to put the Zen Studies Society at the forefront of Zen in America once again."

    What on earth ever gave her the impression that ZSS was ever at the "forefront" to begin with?

    Sorry, this is just more of the same garbage that has been spewed forth by Shimano and the enablers for the past 40 years.

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  61. "She's acting the part of the Abbot as over and above the board and sangha. (Just like the old boss...)"

    This is just a really good point.

    But let's hope it has good results in this instance, and that eventually the abbot's board membership is abolished and becomes a direct report.

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  62. Here's an apparently more accurate report:

    Summary
    Facilitated Sangha Discussion
    Zen Studies Society

    http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDFs/20110916_Discussion_Summary.pdf

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  63. Interesting how Lawrence Shainberg is now involved... Ah! a potential high-rolling donor. How long before Roko puts the bite on him for dough? Perhaps "Dharma Transmission"? A rewriting of history de-emphasizing Eido and making it into Soen's lineage?

    Here we go again...

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  64. Okie Doke,

    Thank you for posting Chayat's recent email.

    Is her tone intentionally muddy? Something is off... I guess it when one has been a primer enabler and the lead singer of praises, it is impossible to convey a real sense of remorse, nor a desire for integrity. Instead it reads like "we are going through the motions."

    Harold G. said...

    "It sounds like classic ZSS-spin..."
    ...

    "Sorry, this is just more of the same garbage that has been spewed forth by Shimano and the enablers for the past 40 years."

    Debbie said...

    "Interesting how Lawrence Shainberg is now involved... "

    Harold & Debbie, your comments seem spot on.

    Shameless Shainberg! Must have forgotten whatever Kyudo taught or never learned it at all. Ambivalent Zen, ha!

    ReplyDelete
  65. Summary
    Facilitated Sangha Discussion
    Zen Studies Society

    PART I


    This is to summarize the structure of a facilitated discussion meeting for the Zen Studies Society, held at Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji on August 27 and 28, 2011. It was facilitated by An Olive Branch, a group centered out of the Zen Center of Pittsburgh that is committed to, among other things, assisting organizations like ZSS arrive at facilitated resolution in difficult circumstances. The meeting was in five parts:

    1. Informational Paper presented by An Olive Branch Founder Rev. Kyoki Roberts
    2. Ground Rules Discussion
    3. Timeline – ZSS History
    4. Samoan Circle
    5. Consensus Workshop

    Informational Paper presented by An Olive Branch
    The purpose of this part of the meeting was to contextualize the ZSS situation, providing an overview of sexual misconduct within spiritual communities, the impact it has on members, the particular aspects of monastic training that may influence the frequency of sexual misconduct, and ways individuals can work effectively within a fractured community.

    This part of the meeting was received with mixed reviews. For a transcript of the Informational Paper, please contact kyoki@an-olive-branch.org.

    Ground Rules Discussion
    The purpose of this part of the meeting was to generate and accept ground rules for the remainder of the time together as a group, to define acceptable and unacceptable behavior for meeting participants.
    This process took about one and half hours.

    Meeting participants and the facilitators agreed that they would abide by the ground rules and that whatever was reported to others outside the meeting would not contain attributions to or about specific individuals. Rules included such items as no interruptions, one comment or question and follow-up per turn, no personal attacks, people talk one at a time, no cross-talking, etc.

    Additionally, two procedural proposals were recommended. First, the participants agreed to try to collectively craft a public statement about what was said at the meeting. Hurricane Irene and the premature departure of some participants precluded the group from doing so. Second, anyone who preferred to make an anonymous statement was encouraged to write their concerns on a 4x6 card and insert it in a box. One participant agreed to read these if needed; none, however, were generated.

    ReplyDelete
  66. PART II


    Time Line -- ZSS History
    Not all meeting participants had the same level of historical familiarity with ZSS. This part of the meeting was to present a history of ZSS to the participants - including events, meetings, and decisions made in the past - to provide a baseline of information as a starting point for later interactions and better communication. At the beginning of the activity, a large printout of the time line was posted on the wall, participants were given handouts of the same, and Board President Soun read the timeline out loud. Participants were then given colored post-it notes to add to the timeline and to react to the timeline as follows:

    • Orange = “I have new information to add.”
    • Green = “I have a question; I want more information.”
    • Yellow = “This event (or information) was an ‘a-ha’ moment; a turning point for me.”
    • Red = “This event (or information) was very emotional for me. “

    Participants came to the front of the room, read their post-it note, and placed it on the timeline at the appropriate point.




    Photograph of the timeline assembled by meeting participants.

    Samoan Circle
    This portion of the meeting was designed to allow all Sangha members (present and not present) to make a heartfelt statement of their feelings and concerns related to the events of the last year-and-a-half within ZSS (and earlier) and to have their concerns acknowledged by the Board (and, as the meeting progressed, also by the rest of the participants).

    ReplyDelete
  67. PART III


    Participants were seated in a circle and asked to write each of their individual concerns on a 4x6 card. After completing their cards, participants were invited to move to one of three empty chairs in a small inner circle comprised of Shinge Roshi, Soun Joe Dowling (later, Larry Shainberg), and two of the facilitators. Everyone else sat in an outer circle observing those in the inner circle. After the participant presented his or her concern(s), either Shinge Roshi, Soun or one of the facilitators made a restatement to acknowledge the key points they raised and asked them if they felt heard. If so, the Sangha member was asked to place their 4x6 card in a bucket in the center of the room as a sign that they had been heard. This procedure was later revised to include a step in which the entire Sangha present voiced the phrase “We hear you” to acknowledge the speaker.

    During the voicing of concerns, Sangha members also raised several suggestions for what could be done in the future to help the Sangha as it moves forward. These were memorialized during the Consensus Workshop part of the meeting.

    This process of sharing lasted for about six hours interrupted only by time for rest room breaks, the announcement by Shoteki that someone had "keyed" his car, and an angry outburst by one Sangha member who was asked to meet with the psychologist who was “on call” all weekend for just such purposes.

    The last step in the Samoan Circle was a small ceremony led by Shinge Roshi after dinner. During the ceremony the cards containing Sangha members’ concerns that had been deposited in the bucket were set on fire to symbolize that they had been heard by all.

    Consensus Workshop
    The activities and discussion above focused on the revelations of ethical breaches and the Sangha members’ emotions related to those breaches. The remainder of the meeting was about how ZSS could move forward. A focus question was posed: “What issues need to be addressed in order to grow a new lotus flower from this muddy water?” Participants first worked alone to brainstorm answers to the question; then in pairs, coming up with 5 ideas per pair to share with the group.

    The participants decided to consolidate and pose their ideas in the form of questions to challenge ZSS leadership to action. Participants’ ideas, over 54 in all, generally fell within eight categories. These included:

    1. How can we explore our vision and values to actualize the Dharma?
    2. How can we address the sangha's suffering from the past?
    3. How can we improve the ZSS organizational design?
    4. How can we protect the legal, financial and environmental assets of ZSS?
    5. How can we promote mutual respect and harmony in the sangha?
    6. How do we open ZSS to wider community participation?
    7. How can we create a sustainable financial future?
    8. How can we best handle Eido Roshi's retirement?

    ReplyDelete
  68. PART IV


    The consensus workshop took six hours to complete, running well past a normal break for lunch.

    Conclusion

    The Zen Studies Society has held a respected place within the larger Buddhist community for many years. This respect has been severely tested. Many strong Sangha members have felt they had to leave ZSS when their concerns were not addressed by previous boards, and during the meeting many stories were heard regarding how painful those departures have been both for those who stayed and for those who left.

    This meeting demonstrated that there are Sangha members who are deeply committed to the future of ZSS, as evidenced by their willingness to return to DBZ despite Hurricane Irene, listen to each other’s stories, and begin to co-create a way forward. This work was emotionally exhausting, but extremely important. It established a precedent for how ZSS must interact going forward. We believe any possible rebuilding of the ZSS will require more of this kind of commitment, respect for each other, deep listening, open communication, and prompt, transparent and sustained action by the Board.

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  69. Oh brother:

    Others stressed the life-changing significance of Eido Roshi's teaching, his founding of New York Zendo and Dai Bosatsu Zendo, and the need to carry it forward authentically: "The Dharma is like holding water in one's palm; if it's held loosely, it will drain away. Our task is to offer this Dharma water to the next generation. We have to hand over exactly the same water. We don't want to color it, or it will destroy our tradition."

    These people are completely out of touch... all the liquid they are holding is Shimano piss. Thanks, but no thanks...

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  70. Ooooo!

    Shimano piss. Very good! Rub it on under your knees. Do strong zazen.

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  71. Chayatt wrote...

    Begun to investigate ways to broaden our sources of funding, to create reliable income streams that are in line with our mission to offer Rinzai Zen in America. I plan on implementing these in the coming year.

    Motion passed by the Zen Studies Society Board on October 19, 1982:

    "...it was RESOLVED that the Zen Studies Society acknowledges and declares Eido Tai Shimano Roshi to be the founder, ... and that Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji and New York Zendo Shobo-ji are and will remain independent from any other Zen Buddhist organization here or abroad."
    Reference:
    http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDFs/19821019_ZSS_Board.pdf


    Does anyone know if this motion ever reversed?

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  72. That motion was never reversed... it's import was never grasped by that, or subsequent Boards (if they even knew it existed - thanks to the traditional ZSS compartmentalization). So, indeed what is being promulgated is not Rinzai Zen – but Shimanoism.

    All aboard for the "unconditional realm"!

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  73. Ms. Wanda-san,

    I like choo-choos!

    Can I be the engineer so I can ring the bell and blast the horn?

    I also like to be Mr. Conductor, because he says things like, "All aboard!" and "Train to Unconditional Realm and Cucamonga!"

    "Next stop, Willoughby"

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  74. A few more comments on Chayat's email.

    In the wake of this important weekend, I have done the following:

    Are we to take this to mean that during all the time before the Hurricane Irene meeting such ideas were merely being discussed, or floated, or were just rumors, or they comprise a intentional misinformation campaign to appease the outcries after the August 2010 NY Times article and during late December 2010 by some two dozen Zen teachers?

    Instructed the board to complete its review and revision of our by-laws to rationalize our governance decisions by October 15.

    What a choice of words! In that paragraph!

    "Instructed the board" makes it sound like the board is inferior to her, and serves at her pleasure. No respect for nor any indication of implicit checks and balances.

    Using "rationalize" seems like a slip of the tongue that reveals the truth. [Rationalize: to ascribe (one's acts, opinions, etc.) to causes that superficially seem reasonable and valid but that actually are unrelated to the true, possibly unconscious and often less creditable or agreeable causes.

    Nominated new board members with a broad range of backgrounds and professional skill sets to replace those who are stepping down. New members will begin serving in January 2012.

    Clearly this means that board members will not be nominated by the sangha. Otherwise all this would had to wait until after the new By-Laws were implemented. Perhaps at Sho Bo Ji someone else might have been nominated and elected.
    (BTW -- What ever happened to "Zogen"?)

    As for governance, it now seems clear, there will be no major changes.
    Further, this means the enablers will remain in control.

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  75. Let's all shout together now... "WE hear you!"

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  76. Motion passed by the Zen Studies Society Board on October 19, 1982:

    "...it was RESOLVED that the Zen Studies Society acknowledges and declares Eido Tai Shimano Roshi to be the founder, ... and that Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji and New York Zendo Shobo-ji are and will remain independent from any other Zen Buddhist organization here or abroad."


    Yep it was never rescinded... probably done as a response to Eido finding out that Soen doesn't have him as his dharma heir.

    ReplyDelete
  77. Posted 9/20/10 on the Shimano Archive:

    Letter from Lawrence Shainberg to Shinge Roko Sherry Chayat

    PART I

    Sept. 5, 2011
    Dear Shinge Roshi,

    I know that, since I’ve not been a member of ZSS, I may not be completely qualified to offer my observations on the crisis faced by the organization now, but as a member of the Ethics Committee, I was invited to Olive Branch meetings, so I had the chance to see first-hand the anger, sadness and confusion which Eido Roshi’s behavior has produced. I am also a long-time Zen student, training primarily with Kyudo Roshi, the third of Soen Roshi’s successors and, until his death three years ago, Abbot at Ryutakuji, where I and others of his New York students often did sesshin and residencies. It seems to me that Kyudo’s connection with Soen makes Dai Bosatsu part of my own lineage, so I can’t look at the crisis with complete detachment. Finally, my work as a writer has often centered on Zen, producing, among other things, a cover article for THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE on Dai Bosatsu at the time of its opening and, more recently, the memoir, AMBIVALENT ZEN. For what they’re worth then, here are my thoughts in the aftermath of the Olive Branch attempt at mediation.

    I am as bewildered as anyone else by Eido Roshi, but it seems to me that, as Zen students, we must bring our practice to bear on our response to him. All of us know that our roots are in the Heart Sutra, the identity of Relative and Absolute, thus that we are obliged to challenge dualistic moral judgment and appreciate the distinction -- and lack of such -- between the realm in which cause and effect are one and the realm in which they’re separate. On the other hand, we must not forget that the world we live in is every day, thanks to media, pop-psychology and the righteous fury of political correctness, more addicted to such dualism and the simplistic moralism it produces. It is obvious to us all, I think, that our practice requires us to find a Middle Way which avoids such moralism without denying that Eido’s behavior has had concrete effect in the relative world. One doesn’t have to forgive his malfeasance to acknowledge that Shoboji, DBZ and the Zen Studies Society in general owe their existence to his realization, and one doesn’t deny that realization by holding him accountable for the repercussions of his behavior. If he’s failed us as a human being, he’s not the first master whose realization did not carry over into the Relative Realm, and if we continue to revere him, we are not the first students to benefit from an imperfect teacher. In effect, we are required to judge him and not judge him simultaneously, practice with our response to him as we practice with our koans on and off our cushions.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Posted on the Shimano Archive 9/20/10

    Letter from Lawrence Shainberg to Shinge Roko Sherry Chayat

    PART II

    In addition to this particular koan, ZSS has to face two concrete realities. First,
    while many students want to see Eido barred from teaching altogether, some want to continue their work with him and resent those who would prevent their doing so. It seems to me that ZSS owes it to these students to make possible continuation of their practice in any framework they choose. Second, the society faces daunting financial and legal issues produced not only by this crisis and the legal threat it has generated but the enormous amount of property it owns. I don’t underestimate these chalenges but I see one way to deal with them. Traumatic though it would be, ZSS could challenge Eido Roshi and his supporters to raise the money to buy Shoboji. If he could do so, the tangible benefits of this transaction would be huge. Those who remain devoted to him would have a chance to continue their studies, and those who can’t forgive him would not have to cross paths with him or them. Hopefully, the anger and conflict between these two groups would be defused. If Eido crosses lines he’s crossed in the past, he alone would pay the price for doing so, and anyone who studies with him, knowing of his past, would have to take responsibility for any interaction that occurs. Finally, the ZSS would not only acknowledge its debt to Eido and restore this controversy to the Zen perspective from which it needs to be seen but see itself financially stabilized and, downsized from the unmanageable amount of property it owns, secure in its capacity to support DBZ.

    Respecting his realization as I do, I can’t believe that anything I’ve said above has not occurred to Eido Roshi himself. If so, the hope would be that the combination of this humbling, painful experience and the opportunity to resume teaching in an independent framework would enable him, at last, to acknowledge the choices he’s made and offer concrete, honest teachings on their causes and effects. Since sexual issues like those he’s created are close to epidemic among those with power in our culture (see Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer, numerous Catholic priests, and spiritual teachers like Maezumi Roshi, Chogyam Trungpa, Baker Roshi, Gempo Merzel, and many others), the insights produced by these teachings might be profound and valuable beyond any we can imagine. I can’t speak for anyone else of course but I know that, while I’ve not been Eido Roshi’s student, I’d make every effort to study with him at this juncture of his life. I know there are those who will be enraged at this proposal but to me it seems inarguable.

    Respectfully/Lawrence Shainberg

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  79. I guess they reckon the only way out of this mess for them is by selling Shobo-ji...

    How sad...

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  80. Geez... what an incredible convoluted rationalization for avoidance of simply telling right from wrong. They must be smokin' crack in the unconditional realm.

    It is, as Shodo says, sad...

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  81. The issue is crystal: has Shimano's behavior been immoral, by Buddhist standards, and also deeply harmful? If so, enabling him to continue to teach is an unacceptable risk, unmitigated by any possibility of acknowledgement of the devastating wrongdoing he is surely guilty of. Continued affiliation of Shimano with ZSS is a non-starter.

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  82. Reading this, "I can’t speak for anyone else of course but I know that, while I’ve not been Eido Roshi’s student, I’d make every effort to study with him at this juncture of his life. I know there are those who will be enraged at this proposal but to me it seems inarguable." I wonder if Shainberg is the one planning on doing the buying, it could be that this is his way of becoming Kyudo's heir via Shimano.

    This might just be the stuff of salable stories and acquiring charming stories to tell people over cocktails.

    There are plenty of demented rich people out there, sometimes it seems that the more money the sicker the person gets; Shainberg just might be one of them.

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  83. Wait until Tamami reads Shainberg's piece....

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  84. Lawrence Shainberg said...

    All of us know that our roots are in the Heart Sutra, the identity of Relative and Absolute, thus that we are obliged to challenge dualistic moral judgment and appreciate the distinction -- and lack of such -- between the realm in which cause and effect are one and the realm in which they’re separate. On the other hand, we must not forget that the world we live in is every day, thanks to media, pop-psychology and the righteous fury of political correctness, more addicted to such dualism and the simplistic moralism it produces.

    Forgive my Yiddish, but Oy F*cking Vey!

    Rape and violence are not, "simplistic moralism."

    All these people laying out this stuff and other rap like, "the insights produced by these teachings might be profound and valuable beyond any we can imagine," in desperate attempts to hang on to this unbroken transmission chain myth, are sadly squatting in the no common sense realm.

    Some might even be trying to get a quid-pro-quo out of it.

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  85. Why was Shainberg seated in the inner circle at all?

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  86. Oops, sorry about posting as Anonymous.

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  87. And just how did Mr. Shainberg get on the "Ethics" committee? A Chayat "nomination"? What is the difficulty of the Board in seeing the need for transparency?

    Something seems terribly amiss with ZSS.

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  88. Yum-Yum.

    Excellent questions. I wondered the same thing. I recall a fairly long comment that Shainberg posted in either Tricycle (pretty sure it was that) or Aitken's blog. I tried to find it but had to look through every post - can't remember how to search a name to make the process easier.

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  89. In one sense, I am grateful to see Larry Schainberg's letter to Shinge Roko Sherry Chayat. In my mind it portrays a perspective minus the pyrotechnics of incoherent anger that have dotted past commentary. In that letter, a point of view is laid out by what is ostensibly an intelligent and literate man. I am grateful to see it.

    But its logic defeats my understanding. Has Shainberg, an intelligent man, bothered to research the Shimano Archive? I don't ask this in hopes that he will agree with me but rather in wonderment at how he can apparently bypass so much salient information. His letter makes me feel as if I were sitting in a room with some oleaginous minister who considers the activities of Hitler and then says, with a soothing tone aimed at maintaining decorum, "we're all flawed." And of course it's true -- we are all flawed -- but flaws have consequences both to the one flawed and to those around him or her. To sidestep or leap over those consequences in one self-serving bound is several cans short of a six-pack when it comes to intelligence and kindness.

    The letter beggared my understanding. Whether that says more about me or about the letter writer I really can't say.

    But one thing I will say is that I find it grotesque in the extreme to attempt to link Kyudo Nakagawa Roshi with Eido's lineage (however and whatever that may be). Shainberg writes, "It seems to me that Kyudo’s connection
    with Soen makes Dai Bosatsu part of my own lineage, so I can’t look at the crisis
    with complete detachment." I will not fault any personal connection Shainberg might care to make in his own mind and his own studies. If both Kyudo and Eido hold a place in his heart, that is fine.

    But any sub rosa attempt to make a public connection between Kyudo and Eido (through Soen for example) is not only disrespectful to Kyudo but also borders on the obscene, from where I sit. It is more lazy and listless we-are-all-flawed-the-Dharma-is-never-absent bullshit.

    Yes, this is something I care about and am willing to rant about. I loved Kyudo and freely admit my bias. But I also am aware of facts that stand four-square against making any lovey-dovey connection between the two men. Kyudo told me personally to two visits he paid to Sho Bo Ji. In one instance, he was seated at the back of the room. In another, he noted that a picture of Eido Shimano had been posted above the Buddha statue in the main zendo. Kyudo did not offer his opinion of either of these visits or his experiences. But he concluded by saying of Eido, "I am finished with him."

    And this morning I had an email from another student of Kyudo's, Mushin Frank LoCicero. In that email he wrote this:

    "The Kyudo that I all-to-briefly spent time with was dead set against Shimano. He essentially told me we should have destroyed Shimano and his organization. It felt as though he meant he really didn't want any lineage of Shimano to be in existence."

    And then there is the history that led to the creation of a Kyudo-run Soho Zendo in the first place ... Soen's apparently offhand suggestion during one of the Fuck Follies that a less fancy, more down-to-earth place would be a good idea. And three or four years later, Soho Zendo appeared.

    As a private matter, I see nothing wrong with acknowledging the coexistence in anyone's life of two different teachers. But as a public matter, I think it is important to acknowledge facts and not defame Kyudo's directness with some feel-good 'Dharma.'

    Any willfully constructed fairy tales about the connections between Eido and Kyudo really make me want to puke.

    OK ... end of rant.

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  90. Hey Snickers: if you have a Windows OS, use Ctrl-F, the find command, whilst in a web page, to search for a name on that page. Or just advanced-search Google it.

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  91. Shainberg wrote...

    "If Eido crosses lines he’s crossed in the past, he alone would pay the price for doing so, and anyone who studies with him, knowing of his past, would have to take responsibility for any interaction that occurs."

    Mr. Shainberg,

    It would be one thing to raises funds for the ZSS by putting the building that currently houses the ZSS city temple on the upper East Side of NYC on the open market and selling to the highest qualified bidder thus realizing several millions of dollars; it is quite another to arrange a private sale with someone you know has a 40+ year history of being a sexual predator.

    What kind of person at you? Your slippery ethics statement is shameful.

    If you, Chayat and the Society go forward with this sale to Shimano and his supporters, then you, Chayatt, and Zen Studies Society are even more responsible for facilitating any further his wrong doing than ever before!

    I ask that you reconsider your position.

    Further I ask that you resign from the ZSS ethics committee given your lack of ethics and common sense.

    ReplyDelete
  92. Shainberg's proposal, to connect the Kyudo-Soen
    line to the Zen Studies lineage is surely the most far fetched fantasy of magic realism we have seen in this blog.

    I would call his scenario "spiritual bypass" except that phrase has been used before. I therefore propose the term "missing dharma link", the missing link being Kyudo. Let us not speculate on who is the Neanderthal.

    It doesn't cost anything to re-cast the lineage. DBZ will simply need a new sutra book for the new lineage chant. Eido's name will now be joined to Kyudo's.

    Shinge can kindly (very kindly) ask Eido if Shainberg's suggestion is acceptable. Eido won't be very happy, in fact will be furious!

    "Twenty more blows!" he will say.

    ReplyDelete
  93. Yeah, but he probably always tells her "Twenty more blows!" But not meaning "Twenty more whacks!"

    ReplyDelete
  94. Deja Vu All Over AgainSeptember 21, 2011 at 10:05 PM

    Wow. Now I see it. First, a meeting to deal with all the past unpleasantness. Then, a hearty "we hear you, (sotte voce) but we don't care or intend to do anything." Then a new hand-picked board, and a few hints about not dwelling on the past, and not being hampered by dualistic moral judgement. Then a totally unexpected suggestion by the new Ethics Committee member that Eido be given Shobo-ji, and, Ta Da, the old lech is back in the saddle and all is right with the ZSS. Amazing. Baldest-face bull I've ever seen. At least these con artists could have enough shame to stretch the announcements out over a month or two.

    ReplyDelete
  95. Sounds like Sherry is over her crying jag.

    ReplyDelete
  96. Deja Vu All Over Again said...

    "At least these con artists could have enough shame to stretch the announcements out over a month or two."

    Hey, De Ja, Fuggedaboudit!

    You mooks need to see this situation tru de eyes of the Hollywood gangster. These sociopathic criminales have used theMichael Corleone method of "doing it all in one day."

    "Today I want to settle all family business."

    But first ya gotta think and you gotta plan, but don't tell anyone what you are thinkin'.

    "We want to be honest, so we're moving the entire operation to Livingston Manor. No body in New York City wants to do business wids us anyways."

    "That twit Shainberg! Madon! He talks too friggin' much." Fredo, I mean Larry, look out. Don't start chanting the Hot Hand sutra in any boats while going fishing, apeche?"

    "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

    ReplyDelete
  97. LoL you lost me at "Hey, De Ja, Fuggedaboudit!"

    ReplyDelete
  98. "The First Post"

    What The Goomba said...
    is one of the funniest posts ever
    or, at least, for a long time

    it hits on many relevant points

    ReplyDelete
  99. Frankie Mario Cappuzzo, Jr., PhD.September 22, 2011 at 11:05 AM

    Shodo said...
    "LoL you lost me at "Hey, De Ja, Fuggedaboudit!""

    Watch the Godfather series, and brush up on your East coast Italian American slang focusing primarily on Brooklyn.

    ReplyDelete
  100. Francesco Mario Cappuzzo, Jr., PhD.September 22, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    Shodo -

    You may also be interested in the educational, cultural, political and charitable activities of The National Italian American Foundation.

    P. S. Shodo non sei italiana, vero?

    ReplyDelete
  101. Nah...
    I'll just assume that your point was clever.

    ReplyDelete
  102. Seems more like a synthesis of the Godfather and TEPCO. "We, how you say, 'disappeared' the MOX corium."

    ReplyDelete
  103. Was just thinking about this - sorry to interrupt the Godfathers. Enjoyed it.

    "All of us know that we are obliged to challenge dualistic moral judgment and appreciate the distinction - and lack of such - between the realm in which cause and effect are one and the realm in which they're separate. On the other hand, we must not forget that the world we live in is, thanks to media and pop-psychology, more materialistic, thus more addicted to such dualism and the simplistic moralism it produces..."



    Simplicity (not simplistic) is part of the experience of Zen practice. The word "no" is quite simple. The word "wrong" can be a means to look in another direction that is more whole.

    Shainberg's statement suggests an image of nameless unrealized students and Zen teachers, who question rape and exploitation by a teacher calling himself a Zen Master. It can silence by using a highly "simplistic" and moralistic judgment in itself. Is Lawrence Shainberg missing the connection of the emptiness in which "a flower and I become one - no greater love exists"? (Yamada Mumon Roshi). What kind of teacher experiencing this "no greater love" would ply his own student with alcohol and then rape her? A realized person? Just a simple question. What kind of power are we giving to someone by believing they can perceive some sort of unconditional wisdom in such an act? A little less simple question.

    Maybe there's another kind of dualism to think about. This is one in which a stated experience of "realization" (using Shainberg's word for Shimano) is not followed through in action. A miswired and loose connection of some sort. I suspect that 99% of us would be in trouble with such a definition. But maybe that's the simple point. None of us hold the Dharma "like water in our palms" (K - stay out of it!). We are held in it and informed from it. A large, yet simple difference. No one should have the power of holding and claiming Truth as such.

    We are asked to question, but Lawrence Shainberg's statement can discourage questions and turn the attention away from how to respond to a teacher who repeatedly causes harm and disruption. It's exactly the pattern that occurred for years within ZSS and apparently is still possible.

    OK - back to the Godfathers.

    ReplyDelete
  104. In other words, Shainberg's letter is rooted in the premise that Shimano is a deeply "realized" man. As a result he asks us to twist and turn in the same way he has done in order to justify that view. If we can't,and if we question 40 years of abuse and enabling, he implies that we are "morally simplistic" - nice judgment and back to those on the inside and those on the outside - just a bit dualistic?. Yep, it's the old pattern.

    His letter ends with suggesting that Shimano's realization has now reached even greater depth and he personally would do anything to be able to study with him because it would "offer concrete, honest teachings on their causes and effects". (regarding the epidemic of sexual abuse in this country/world), and, "the insights produced by these teachings might be profound and valuable beyond any we can imagine...... I’d make every effort to study with him at this juncture of his life".

    How does he leap to that conclusion? Where is the evidence? Who is creating Eido Shimano? His ideas and hopes of who he is, or who Eido Shimano actually is?

    Wow - this is really sad and additionally pretty scary if Shainberg is given leadership authority within ZSS. I think we are "obliged" to question.

    ReplyDelete
  105. Olivia -- Thank you for questioning. Shainberg's letter left me, literally, flabbergasted and unable to speak. On what contorted and convoluted basis does it rest? I was left feeling, without any especial rancor, "This is fucking nuts!"

    But that's just me.

    ReplyDelete
  106. Not So Okie Dokey AnymoreSeptember 23, 2011 at 10:40 AM

    Cynical guess is that at least one reason Chayat will keep Shimano around is for fundraising purposes, with his Japanese connections. Maintaing good relations with him may forestall sell-off of assets.

    The admitted fact in Chayat's recent statement that the ZSS Board did not dilligently pursue a forensic audit, as they claimed they were trying to do, amounts to more than just disinformation. Her directive to now proceed with an ordinary audit is too little too late.

    Predict that Genjo Marinello is finished at ZSS, UNLESS: new bylaws provide for, first, defined membership and, second, elections before his privilege to rescind his resignation expires. No real chance of this.

    You know what? I've been willing to give ZSS leadership a chance to right the organization. I never expected a Shimano admission of specific wrongdoing, a Board apology for its current or past mistakes, etc. Just make sure that Shimano is gone baby gone, and try to get the bylaws and finances straight.

    It ain't happenin'.

    ReplyDelete
  107. What's the current personal background of Shainberg? Just know he writes books. I thought "Ambivalent Zen" was just self indulgent b.s.

    Last night I read his email to my bubbala over the phone and she said he's not a good Jew and not good Buddhist just a big "shanda."

    She said, that the way he used the words "simplistic moralism" sounded to her like he was an adult sized spoiled brat looking to do whatever he wants without thinking of how it will hurt others but needed some pseudo-philosophy to assuage the last remnants of guilt.

    However, she also thought he was a lonely guy without real friends because he just doesn't care about anyone.

    Bubbala is often right about such things.

    If she is right then I suspect he's found good company with the sociopaths up at DBZ.

    ReplyDelete
  108. P. S. When I told Bubbala I thought he'd be in good company she said "Sure! It'll be like a bunch of two year olds in day care. None of them really able to interact with one another except to say, 'No! It's mine!'"

    Can't believe this woman is 96. She still does yoga and chants and meditates!

    ReplyDelete
  109. Murray said,

    "Can't believe this woman is 96. She still does yoga and chants and meditates!"

    Wow - she sounds marvelous. Do you know what tradition of yoga she trained in? I'm not headed toward validating lineages of yoga here, just curious. Wish I could do a class with her!

    ReplyDelete
  110. "Lonely" was a word that crossed my mind as well when reading Shainberg's letter.

    ReplyDelete
  111. Murrary said...

    "Last night I read his email to my bubbala over the phone and she said he's not a good Jew and not good Buddhist just a big "shanda."

    She said, that the way he used the words "simplistic moralism" sounded to her like he was an adult sized spoiled brat looking to do whatever he wants without thinking of how it will hurt others but needed some pseudo-philosophy to assuage the last remnants of guilt.

    However, she also thought he was a lonely guy without real friends because he just doesn't care about anyone."

    Your bubbala sounds like she has got a lot of saykehl and rachmones. You are one lucky one!

    ReplyDelete
  112. Murray,

    In fact, tell her there a bunch of Buddhists and others here who appreciate her wisdom and heart!

    ReplyDelete
  113. Olivia,

    (Thought you last post was excellent, btw.)

    Bubbala told me she first learned yoga when she was around 50 at home watching TV. She watched Lilias Folan and Richard Hittleman. After she she retired from teaching she used to "schlepp" out to Queens (Forest Hills, I think) to do you with some friends, one of them was called "the pretzel girl" and she acted like the yoga teacher. Then these ladies were going to Genesis Tree Of Life Yoga for many years. When she was around 70, I think she was into retreats with the Canada Sivananda group.

    I doubt this can help you these days.

    ReplyDelete
  114. The Yiddish expression are
    RACHMONES: Compassion.
    SAYKHEL: Common sense.
    SHANDA: A shame, a disgrace

    BTW - She went to NYZ late 70's or so. One time. Said "Murray, there's no joy in this place. Why are you wasting your time with this schmuck?" Shoulda listened.

    SCHMUCK: strong putdown for a jerk, a detestable person, derogatory term for penis (like "he's a such a dick")

    ReplyDelete
  115. "she has got a lot of saykehl and rachmones"

    Will do, Tenshin.

    Thanks! I'm sure she'll get a kick out of it.

    We'll be getting together next week for the holiday.

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  116. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  117. And her observation of there being no joy is actually pretty cool. (The fact that she even went in there, in itself, is pretty cool.)

    Solid point of reference she has.

    peace

    ReplyDelete
  118. tenshin said...
    L'shana Tova!

    You have a good New Year, too, tenshin.

    I think that many people do not realize that teaching attracted a lot of smart women and men "back in the day." Bubbla taught high school social studies. Even my father and uncle would go to Bubbala to get all kinds of advice (still do I guess). Most of the women were there to get a decent salary, get home early for the kids and have the summers off, There was a kind of collective knowledge and wisdom she could tap into. E.g. So-and-so's husband was a lawyer, another's an accountant, yet another's was a doctor, plus there were connection to mechanics, plumbers, electicians, etc. Many were interested in the theater & film and others where into whatever was current including meditation and yoga. It was like being a part of a gigantic, good natured family.

    ReplyDelete
  119. Mr. Shainberg, you are perfectly free to go study with the meshugana goy (עכו"ם חזיר ). Go do it at his place though...

    333 East 69th. Street Apt. 3J
    New York, NY 10021

    (212) 737-3321

    ReplyDelete
  120. Well, the pope has taken a shot at acknowledging the clergy-abuse scandal in his church, meeting one-on-one privately with several of the victims. No one can undo the past, but acknowledging it is relatively adult.

    http://apnews.myway.com/article/20110924/D9PURS300.html

    ReplyDelete
  121. Saw this recent addition to the archives:
    http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDFs/19920520_Malone_Shimano.pdf.

    "A Letter from Kobutsu Malone to Eido Shimano Concerning Shimano's Theft of a Kan 環 (Ring) Intended as a Gift to Junpo Dennis Kelly."

    Curious - Did Shimano ever respond to the letter? If so what did say?

    While this is a rather minor example that could be considered jealousy, greed and theft, it does, or, perhaps, should make some wonder what other items Shimano may have stolen that were intended for others or for other purposes.

    I think the biggest most potentially flagrant even criminal misappropriation of funds that I could find well documented in the archive was Shimano's selling of the abbot's brownstone. She opposed the sale, but he went ahead anyway going against Mrs. Carlson's expressed wishes, lying to the board that Mrs. Carlson gave her consent, then using that money to buy a condo in his name not the Society's name and without legal known stipulation that the condo or the proceeds from the sale be given back to the Society at some point in time.

    I've seen it repeatedly mentioned that Shimano still manages to bring money into the maintenance of the facilities, but, is this in fact true?

    I'd love to see the complete set of books of ZSS for the last decade just to look for the supposedly large donor contributions and then see where they actually went. Indeed, the current sangha should demand that the board should in fact be doing this. "Trust but verify." Does anyone know what kind of audit Chayat has in mind and who is going to frame the situation for the audit?

    E.g. if you have a great deal of money spread over many accounts, but just have one or two accounts "audited" those account could be balanced to the penny and seem to account for a great deal. But other accounts can be and often are hidden from the auditor. All the auditor can say is "based on all information given to me the books are 'perfect'," or cite some usually minor problems. That audit will no doubt be as perfect as Shimano's alleged "deep realization" is embodied in his daily life.

    ReplyDelete
  122. Knowing both Shimano and Kobutsu, I can venture that:

    a: If the letter actually found its way to Shimano, he would not have responded.

    b: If Kobutsu ever did get a response, he would have added it to the archive.

    Shimano got righteously called on his “shit” as Kobutsu put it: Eido doesn’t like that…

    ReplyDelete
  123. Murray said...>
    "There was a kind of collective knowledge and wisdom she could tap into. E.g. So-and-so's husband was a lawyer, another's an accountant, yet another's was a doctor, plus there were connection to mechanics, plumbers, electicians, etc. Many were interested in the theater & film and others where into whatever was current including meditation and yoga. It was like being a part of a gigantic, good natured family."

    Murrary, what you describe is the most important thing that has broken down in the modern world (America, at least). It is community. Through the loss of, I think, control of one's own destiny (through employment and economics), we've lost the very fabric of family, community, which creates, in it's own way, a certain wisdom. (Now, it also can create a host of negatives, too, but that's another matter.)

    My family is spread across the US and Africa. We recently united to celebrate the life of an aunt/mother/grandmother. And what did we do? We did what we always used to do, when we were all living in proximity. We had our damn cocktail hour(s). We took over the courtyard of a Courtyard by Marriot, grocery bags of cheese, fish, veggies, asnd a nalgene bottle was used to make my aunt's favorite beverage, a Perfect Manhattan. It was timeless... we transcended the distance, the time, and the tribe was together again. Celebrating.

    I left realizing how much I miss that is today's modern existence.

    We're all a little bit better off when our bubbla's manage, one way or another, to get us together, to break bread, to be a community again.

    Hope!

    David

    ReplyDelete
  124. Amanito Manucci said..."

    "I'd love to see the complete set of books of ZSS for the last decade just to look for the supposedly large donor contributions and then see where they actually went."

    I actually wrote to the board this very question. Having donated to ZSS over the decades, I asked this very question.

    It was never answered, although I was informed that the initial audit they did was obviously insufficient, and that they were to set out on a more detailed audit of accounts.

    As I suggested in my 1998 memo to the ZSS Board, I believe it to be in their best interest to produce a sources and uses of funds accounting for the period from Shimano's involvement with the Society through to today.

    Doing so will put a stop to all the second guessing, and give them the opportunity to truly clean house. Without doing so, they will never become financially sound because no one, without alterior motive (like purchasing a dharma transmission_, will donate money to such a stinky mess.

    As I ended my letter to them, it's really just that simple.

    tenshin

    ReplyDelete
  125. tenshin said...

    Murrary, what you describe is the most important thing that has broken down in the modern world (America, at least). It is community.

    I hear you!

    Some observations / recollections prompted by your heartfelt remarks about the importance of community.

    tenshin, were you around during the time prior to 1975 and when the sangha at NYZ was both serious and feelings of community were rising?

    There was such vitality! People were talking about building homes and having families even building a primary school mon the Zen Studies 1400 acre estate. Such excitement! It came to an end so abruptly when the news that Shimano was philandering broke. But one thing I noted at the time was that Shimano reportedly said that did not want a community but a monastery. No one I knew actually questioned the coincidental nature of these three things i. e. (many in the sangha wanted to create a community, Shimano was found to be philandering, the loyalists stating that the nature of Dai Bosatsu was to be a monastic training center) but I could have been out of the loop.

    Sure, some I knew did migrate to SFZC and ZCLA. Not sure about Rochester or Hawaii.

    But in NY there's this guy just barely into his forties making decisions that effected the hopes, dreams, and plans of so many people, and a board that just seemed to rubber stamp whatever it is he wanted.

    Had some person or persons been able to organize and diplomatically and clearly navigate! Community practice? Why not? Priest track? Of course! Some isolated cottages for time for solo practice. Sure! Housing? Let's look into it....

    But what I am thinking now is that a healthy community would not have permitted Shimano to do whatever he pleased.....

    ReplyDelete
  126. Healthy? Murray, I've never met a zen student who wasn't more or less adrift, yours truly included. I don't think that a healthy zen community is possible so a scenario like Shimano and all the clouds of confusion that follow and surround him is not difficult to imagine over and over. If not Shimano, then some other strain of scandal. Does the Shimano clan practise true Rinzai zen? It's nobody's business to say. Are they guilty of other transgressions and should they be prosecuted? That's a reasonable course of action if all of the necessary facts can be brought together and used effectively. I'm sure that the necessary community of like minded truth seekers and avengers can be found amongst the participants of this blog to make this course happen. (and would that be a healthy community?) But if it can be accepted that they are deludedly or even, maybe, clearly practicing Rinzai Zen, what are the limits that may be placed on that practice by clan outsiders? Can a healthy community be imagined that could determine and impose acceptable limits?

    ReplyDelete
  127. "I'm sure that the necessary community of like minded truth seekers and avengers can be found amongst the participants of this blog to make this course happen. (and would that be a healthy community?)"

    We're "like-minded" in our experience of Shimano. I think many of us are also reasonably like-minded in the positives of zazen practice. Defining "true Rinzai Zen" is something I'd leave to someone else, but I think the questions have been about how "true" Shimano is as a teacher who leads students toward liberation rather than binding them either via loyalty or trauma.

    But in general as a little community of "like-minded" people we've been incredibly successful in bringing attention to Shimano's history and the board's complicity. In my mind that community includes Aitken Roshi, the archives and Kobutsu's work on them, Joan Halifax Roshi who wrote her powerful letter and the several other such letters from Zen Teachers. There's Adam who did this blog, Grace Schireson and David Scates who showed up at sunrise to picket outside Shoboji. There's Jiro's petition, Tenshin's letters to the board, and hundreds of other people who are "like-minded" in what healthy is NOT and they've gone public from an award-winning essay to hundred's of comments on blogs.

    Could we get together to create a community of the kind Murray is talking about? It hasn't been that kind of gathering point of this community of people. Of the few I've come to know, I'm aware of how different some of us are which makes the degree of success in addressing these like-minded issues really moving and even kind of humbling. Hopefully all of this in some way will lend a little wisdom to what community is absolutely NOT!

    I really agree with what Tenshin is saying about the general loss of community - the loss of relationship. Lot's of people feel that and would agree - including those who aren't even "adrift". But this is where I think Zen can shine. I think there are teachers out there who offer the ethos that creates a better chance for healthy community because Zen can include awareness of "relational space" and connection to all life. I'm really out on a limb here, but it's become a favorite topic and the idea of healthy community is and always has been top of the list. Possible - yes, I think so, but it will always have problems because we people just come with problems. What to do. Oy vey.

    ReplyDelete
  128. Olivia said...

    " But this is where I think Zen can shine. I think there are teachers out there who offer the ethos that creates a better chance for healthy community because Zen can include awareness of "relational space" and connection to all life."

    The single most stunning thing for me in the past decade, w/r/t Community or Sangha, was sitting at Sogen-Ji/Tahoma Monestary with Shodo Harada's group for the first time.

    This was a group of people who had been together for twenty years, as a unified Sangha. Some of them had even started w/ Yamada Mumon Roshi. It was such a mind opening experience after seeing the churn of the Sangha at DBZ for decades.

    These were / are amazing people, from all walks of life, who get together and face it, together. I truly, for the first time, felt at home.

    Yes, community is possible. Humans are communal by nature, and I believe are at their best in a communal environment. When everyone is invested in the same pie, it doesn't really matter how it is cut up. Everybody gets their fair share/slice.

    Murray's Buballa clearly shows that this is not dependent on dogma or group or "g_d." At the end of the day, we're all interconnected at such a deep level that the me, me stuff disolves.

    Altruistic, perhaps. But where else do we go?

    ReplyDelete
  129. Olivia, Now that ES won't be participating in any sesshins at DBZ anymore, why don't you? I think that this feeling of community can be felt there again too, even for the victims of his abuse-especially for them-if they allow themselves to open up to this possibility.

    Don't you think so? Don't you think the dissolution of self in such a place as DBZ, after all that has occurred there, would be just as wonderful?

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  130. Mike -- No disrespect intended and I can't claim to speak for Olivia, but I think your suggestion smacks of a current trend within ZSS ... namely, confusing what 'sounds good' with what actually 'is good.'

    Any healing, as you suggest, would in fact be wonderful ... even if the 'dissolution of self' hardly sounds very Zen to me.

    Perhaps my sense boils down to this: It is not that the victims need to "allow themselves to open up to this possibility" but rather that ZSS needs to honestly "open up to the possibility" that without making a clear, unfettered and new beginning, there will be no chance -- none -- for flowers to grow.

    Asking the wounded (implicitly) to heal ZSS wounds seems a bit presumptuous.

    ReplyDelete
  131. Hey Olivia, up above you mentioned that you would like to try Zen Mountain Monastery but that it is "too expensive".

    I say try it!
    I am by all monetary standards quite poor, and it is quite affordable for me.
    Even month long residencies cost the same as renting out a 1-room efficiency apartment for the same amount of time.:)

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  132. Shodo said...

    "Hey Olivia, up above you mentioned that you would like to try Zen Mountain Monastery but that it is "too expensive".

    Also, Olivia you might want to visit ZMM under one of their Zen For Beginner weekends and if you decide you like the "vibes" discuss your financial concerns with one of the senior "monastics." In the past they have had work study type programs, this might be something to consider even if embarrassing at first thought.

    ReplyDelete
  133. I LOVE this clip from a post on ZFI by "1handclapping:"

    The Dalai Lama, whose tradition is far from free of "issues" (*cough*), has a refreshing take on masters having trouble walking the line between "Relative and Absolute":

    "If a teacher's actions are unethical, then, even if they have practiced for many years, their practice has been wrong-footed. Quite simply, they lack a proper understanding of the Dharma. There is a 'gap' between the Dharma and their life."

    ReplyDelete
  134. Shodo said...

    "Even month long residencies cost the same as renting out a 1-room efficiency apartment for the same amount of time.:)"

    Details:

    From the MRO site: The cost is $650-$750 per month, depending on the type of accommodations. this includes all meals, lodging, training and most retreat fees.

    That is reasonable.

    But I can get a one bed room efficiency in the Buffalo area for about $400/mo but that doesn't include the meals, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  135. J. said.

    "Can a healthy community be imagined that could determine and impose acceptable limits?"

    Healthy smealthy! What kind of crazy nonsense are you talking about? I think the term "avengers" provides a clue.

    We are all struggling with different issues not just the "not-holier-than-thou" Zen Students.

    Real example that dealt pretty well with real corruption: My friend Mike belonged to a congregation that had a rabbi that stole a fair amount of money (I don't remember the details of the project, the money, just it was well over a hundred thousand). The original group couldn't agree on a number of issues so it split into two -- one side got the synagogue and a new rabbi, Mike and others didn't want that particular rabbi and didn't like the way the swindle was going to be dealt with because the large donors were in on the swindle, so they went their own way and now have a "floating" congregation with another rabbi that meets mainly in a apartment complex' basement. Mike says feels this is actually better because there's a lot less to steal so there's little chance of corruption, plus he and his wife and sons really like the rabbi.

    ReplyDelete
  136. Reposted. First one didn't take evidently.

    Olivia,

    Bubbala had little to say about yoga only that if its just exercise find a form that you like. She also said that they didn't have vinyasa or so many schools until recently. She wants to know if you checked out the school in Monroe NY started by Rammurti S. Mishra, aka Brahmananda Sarasvati.

    Also the only flow practice was Tai Chi.

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  137. 2cent'er said...
    That is reasonable.

    But I can get a one bed room efficiency in the Buffalo area for about $400/mo but that doesn't include the meals, etc.


    Then I envy you my friend - efficiencies in Delaware are at least 700 clams a month...:)

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  138. Shodo said...

    Then I envy you my friend - efficiencies in Delaware are at least 700 clams a month...:)

    Switch to oysters; you might get lucky!
    ;-)

    BTW
    1. I just checked In NYC "efficiencies" are called "studios" and cost upwards, of 850/month.
    2. The job market in Buffalo s*cks. The main thing this city seems to do is to cater to university students which means most work is seasonal. But certain business like bars with cheap food (Buffalo is the chicken wing capital of the world!) do very well due to that market. How is it in Delaware?

    ReplyDelete
  139. Bad job market is BAD;)
    ...in Buffalo and in Delaware, and I reckon everywhere else - I'm just glad to have one:)

    Bottom line though, I feel ZMM is quite reasonable in their residency prices. Tassajara is x2 the amount plus a little more to practice during their Ango periods... (but that's in Cali, and everything is expensive there.)

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  140. Note Off Topic Mini-Discussion

    Re: Fees in the MRO / Zen Mountain Monastery

    Half Day Zazen (Brooklyn Zendo) $30
    Zazenkai (all day sitting (Brooklyn Zendo) $75
    Four Day sitting (Brooklyn Zendo) ?
    Weekend sesshin (Mt. Tremper Zendo): $250 "Students" $175
    Sesshin (Mt. Trempor
    Week: $275 "students" $200.

    Month Long residence (Brooklyn) $820 / month
    Month Long residence (Mt. Tremper) $650 / $750 per month depends on accomodations.

    Don't forget to add the cost of transportation to and from Mt. Tremper

    Olivia, what's your take?

    ReplyDelete
  141. J. said...

    "Healthy? Murray, I've never met a zen student who wasn't more or less adrift, yours truly included. "

    I've been considering Murray's, Tenshin's and J's discussion.

    J., your statement to Murray seems too sweeping, and that view expresses no faith in the resilience or the persistence of human nature, and is, perhaps, expressing an unconscious belief in a universal weaknesses of humanity. Don't just look at the negative side such as Shimano, his enablers, and the "attached ones" instead look at the hundreds who left to understand what I mean. (Kind of gives me new insight into "delusions are inexhaustible" as it can referred to both one's ability to get stuck in a single deluded kind of thinking as well as having to deal with a virtually infinite number of deluded idea.

    However, I must add and specifically address situations created by and continued by people like Shimano and his enablers and Icompletely agree that there are going to times where no consensus can be reached and that even a comprise is either impossible or undesirable. (Sort of like Progressives dealing with the the Republican Right Wing / Tea Baggers.)

    Yes, J., many people (if not everyone) not just Zen students are adrift. "Not knowing how near the truth is we seek it far away. What a pity. We are like a rich man who wandered away among the poor." Hakuin wasn't just talking about people who decided to practice Zen Buddhism. People are seeking happiness or peace or whatever they try different things and / or cling to traditional things (philosophy, religions, academics, science, law, politics, making money, doing arts, becoming a samadhi junky, becoming an exercise fanatic, trying all manner of hobbies.

    I do think that one of the many problems that may occur while "wandering in the darkness of ignorance " (or is it while seeking) is becoming an "attached one" i. e. clinging to leaders like Shimano even to the point of thinking convoluted, illogical things like "even bad is good from a 'great man,'" or that the bad things from a "great man" must be accepted and the "great man" put on an even higher up on the pedestal.

    I do like the way the Dalai Lama addressed the problem of the leaders that are flawed: "If a teacher's actions are unethical, then, even if they have practiced for many years, their practice has been wrong-footed. Quite simply, they lack a proper understanding of the Dharma. There is a 'gap' between the Dharma and their life." It would be good of him to address the supporters and enablers of such leaders.

    A "healthy" person or community deals with problems as they arise and solves them, or addresses them the best they can. Acceptance being one option but is clearly not always the best one. Unfortunately, a social activist option (organize, reach a consensus, then act) was not applied or not applied very well in ZSS' past.

    ReplyDelete
  142. Olivia, I admire and perhaps even envy your optimism about the positive possibilities of community. I think though that the reality and the hope and feelings of community are usually far apart. As you say, we people just come with problems.

    It is not difficult to imagine that those now living and practicing at DBZ and Shobo-ji think of themselves as a community with purpose and direction. But something is wrong there and it is not just the Shimano factor. Is it possible to turn that around toward a healthy direction through a different community pattern?

    Everyone aspires to health... body, mind, spirit, however they define it. Most are attracted to involvement with a group or community of like minded individuals. Things seem inevitably to break down when differences of opinion and power struggles surface and take over. Zen communities are no more immune to this than any others. Why is that?

    It saddens me to imagine all of the positive and optimistic energy that has been poured into the Dai Bosatsu Zendo dream over the decades by so many different people, all that for naught.

    ReplyDelete
  143. well...here's the deal....

    Murray, right now I'm in a yoga teacher training program - Iyengar - for a 200 hr teaching certificate. It's a one year training but the emphasis is heavily on alignment which is actually good for a basic training. The teachers are great - and good integrity - they're pretty much who they say they are and are totally present for their students. I was practicing yoga before going to DBZ and it was a more holistic practice that included sitting with the sunrise. It was wonderful - way beyond "exercise". I'm very interested in what other people are doing within yoga which has grown immensely since I first started, so thanks for all the info - I looked all of them up. One person who is doing some very interesting and good work is a Zen Buddhist named Michael Stone. He has a Sangha in Toronto called Centre of Gravity and is combining zazen, yoga, and some environmental/social activism. He's also experimenting with building community using a non-hierarchical structure and it's attracting a lot of young people. When I finish the Iyengar program I would like to at least do a workshops with him in the US.

    Shodo and 2cents - I would love to go to ZMM. The Mountains and Rivers Order does a number on the 1/8 Cree Indian blood cells just looking at the website. Thanks for the info - you're right - it's possible. Shodo, were you around when Daido Loori was still living? I have some of his books and have listened to his online talks.

    Mike - I totally get that your sentiment is genuine. Thank you. It's not out of the realm of possibility but not in the near future. Take good care of yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  144. Olivia said...
    Shodo, were you around when Daido Loori was still living? I have some of his books and have listened to his online talks.

    Yup!
    First time I went up there was in 1990... bright eyed and bushy-tailed as a junior in high school. driving up to the monastery with a couple of nice folks who were also doing the Inro to Zen Weekend.He was driving this giant red tractor pulling this rolling lawn mower, cutting the grass in the big field.
    I'll never forget seeing him tearing across the field, smoking a cig with these "mirror-eye" sunglasses on... he looked like Hunter S. Thompson.:)

    ReplyDelete
  145. Shodo said...

    "he [Daido] looked like Hunter S. Thompson.:)

    from wikipedia:

    Hunter Stockton Thompson (July 18, 1937 – February 20, 2005) was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary (1998), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971) and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 (1973).
    He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to such a degree that they become central figures of their stories. He is known also for his lifelong use of alcohol, LSD, mescaline, and cocaine (among other substances); his love of firearms; his inveterate hatred of Richard Nixon; and his iconoclastic contempt for authoritarianism. While suffering a bout of health problems, he committed suicide in 2005 at the age of 67.


    Hey, Shodo, jeez! Couldn't you find a better comparison?

    I never heard of Hunter S. Thompson, but the wiki attributes him with a few admirable qualities, but, all told, he ain't my idea of a role model. But the pix on wiki really don't make Hunter look anything like Daido except for the glasses.

    Anyways... Interesting off topic discussions going on in this thread the past few days. It was interesting to see how the posts with Italian and Yiddish references seemed to bring out the idea of community. I wish I had a grandmother like Murray's Bubala.

    ReplyDelete
  146. Ok ok ok... bad reference.
    How bout "Uncle Duke" from Doonsbury...?;)

    ReplyDelete
  147. It was the glasses that did it really... But no, he was nothing like either Hunter S Thompson or Uncle Duke.:)

    ReplyDelete
  148. Relax, Shodo, I was joshing you.

    I couldn't find a Daido doppelganger wearing Ray Bans either.

    ReplyDelete
  149. http://www.google.com/imgres?q=www.mro.org+daido+tractor&hl=en&biw=1166&bih=663&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=S9pw_QWohsm5RM:&imgrefurl=http://www.mro.org/mr/archive/18-3/articles/g

    ReplyDelete
  150. Back in the 90's Daido used to be the one who mowed the lawn in the big field on his tractor... he loved that machine.
    Thanks for that photo;)
    The url didn't work but googling "Daido tractor" brought up an old black and white.

    ReplyDelete
  151. Shodo,

    searching on google image with Daido Loori Tractor got a color pic of the red tractor and one black and white - but not the one from the other url which shows him from the back - looking behind.

    ReplyDelete
  152. MEA MAXIMA CULPA!!!!

    In the process of trying to delete "test" postings earlier in the blog, I accidentally deleted a whole lot of other stuff back to Sept. 26. Here, some combined, and thanks to the help of a friend who saves this stuff, is a multiple-post reposting:


    Kumbaya, Lord, Kumbaya ... said...
    Oy vey, kumbaya!
    September 27, 2011 1:10 PM


    Layman Barney said...
    Some thing was off for me with the notion of using the Samoans Circle. Today I made a connection between the circle and talk that sounded like it was addressing 4th graders.

    Since one video must be worth at least, what, 256k words here's my current take on some of the thought processes going on in 2nd generation Shimanoism.

    Teacher Tips for Circle Time by Ms. Charme
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J82VeaLXzXk

    Seriously, does anyone know if Shinge has any other online teishos other than the one linked to a couple of months back. You remember, the one that sounded like she was addressing nine year olds? Or is that an indication of her idea of Top Shelf Zen?
    September 27, 2011 1:28 PM


    Singing and Dancing said...
    Kumbaya, Lord, Kumbaya ... said...
    "Oy vey, kumbaya!"

    You can't sing Kumbaya in a Zen Monastery, you silly goose.
    September 27, 2011 1:41 PM


    genkaku said...
    No one sings it, exactly ... there's just a background chorus of humming as the sun sinks softly in the west and the credits roll.
    September 27, 2011 2:06 PM

    ReplyDelete
  153. Layman Barney said...
    genkaku said...

    "No one sings it, exactly ... there's just a background chorus of humming as the sun sinks softly in the west and the credits roll."

    Oh! I see!!

    Kind of relaxing, isn't it? Hmm_Hmm Hmmm_Hmm Hmm_Hmmm Kumbaya....

    A guy named Pat used to chant the Heart Sutra just like that! Couldn't get PBS to tape it though.

    Anyway, no disrespect to Shinge. No doubt she's doing her best to filling the niche for those needing the best of the Dharma Nannies.

    OK kids it's nap time. We want to be bushy and bright eyed for when moms and nannies get here.

    "I love you, you love me we're a happy fam-a-lee.
    With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you.
    Won't you day you love me too?"
    September 27, 2011 3:01 PM


    Shodo said...
    ^
    |
    |

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jUjA5eJdpU&feature=related
    September 27, 2011 5:55 PM


    -(Bob West) said...
    Shodo said...
    ^
    |
    |

    Thanks, Shodo.

    -(Bob W.)
    September 27, 2011 11:53 PM


    Shodo said...
    anytime;)
    September 27, 2011 11:57 PM

    ReplyDelete
  154. MIke said...
    "NEW YORK ZENDO SHOBO-JI EVENTS
    Bodhidharma Day All-Day Sit
    led by Mitsunen Shoro Lou Nordstrom Roshi
    Sunday, Oct. 9, 8 am – 5 pm
    Nordstrom Roshi, who began Zen practice at New York Zendo in 1967, will conduct this all-day sitting.
    He received shiho from Bernie Glassman, in the White Plum lineage of Taizen Maezumi Roshi and inka from Junpu Kuroda Roshi. He was also a student of Soen Roshi and Eido Roshi, and is the former husband of Shinge Roko Sherry Chayat Roshi.
    Nordstrom Roshi has taught Buddhism and comparative philosophy at many colleges and universities, including Columbia University, NYU, Marymount, Marymount Manhattan, Syracuse University, and Bernard Baruch. He has been a non-resident teacher in Florida since 1997, and is the Abbot of two Zen centers there, Kuge-in Brevard Zen Center and Hokori-ji Lakeland Zen Center. Nordstrom Roshi was the editor of "Namu Dai Bosa: A Zen Transmission to America," is the author of many articles, and is also a poet.
    A potluck gathering will be held at the conclusion of the all-day sitting. As with each NYZ all-day sit, students are encouraged to attend full-time, but if necessary, part-time attendance is permitted. Contact office@newyorkzendo.org to make reservations and to coordinate pot luck contributions."

    good to see some 'old timers' returning to SBJ.
    September 29, 2011 6:14 AM


    Cindy Usagi Mimi Adams (兎耳) said...
    Ahhhh.... This is is so cute! These roshi are sill "friends."

    It's like Sonny coming back to visit Cher.
    Or Ike coming back to visit Tina.
    Or Bobby Brown coming to see Whiney.

    They could have been the first roshi couple in the East.

    Will there be future collaborations? Will they be crowd pleasers?

    Is Lou still broke from all that therapy? What does the therapist have to say about returning to the scene of the crimes.

    Stay tuned!
    September 30, 2011 11:41 AM


    Constantine said...
    yes.... and will Shainberg and Nordstron appear on the ZSS Board soon?
    September 30, 2011 12:09 PM

    ReplyDelete
  155. Walter said...
    Constantine said...
    yes.... and will Shainberg and Nordstron appear on the ZSS Board soon?

    Can outsiders nominate? How about "Mr. Zen for Fun and Profit," Mr. Dennis Genpo Merzel.

    Genpo can bring Dai Shin to Dai Bosatsu. He'll bring in the big bucks students and have access to a safe haven in the event of those left coast earthquakes and fires. It's all embracing Zen with select individual, small and large group hugs!
    September 30, 2011 1:20 PM


    Genpo said...
    "Three Paths of Study and Practice: Cash, Check, Credit Card"
    September 30, 2011 3:14 PM


    Snidely said...
    The fat fuck should get a job instead of sucking up for other people's hard earned money.
    September 30, 2011 3:59 PM


    changeinthewind said...
    Man, whenever I want a need good sniff of human shit the "Snidely(s) said" sliding through this blog this blog always come through.
    September 30, 2011 4:12 PM


    genkaku said...
    Snidely's remarks at 3:59 refer to my erroneous (and here corrected) posting of what follows:
    __________________________________


    For those who may have missed it, here is a small appeal that appears on the Engaged Zen Foundation site (http://www.engaged-zen.org/appeal.html), which, like the Shimano Archive(http://shimanoarchive.com/), is maintained by The Rev. Kobutsu Malone. Kobutsu could use our help:


    Dear Dharma Sisters and Brothers,

    I am writing on behalf of The Engaged Zen Foundation and my father, Rev. Kobutsu Kevin Malone, to ask for your help.

    We need a replacement for our present car, a 1994 Mazda Protégé, which has served us for many years but is now worn out and rusted through. We are also hoping to replace our Mac G5 computer to make use of current software and an up-to-date operating system.

    Those who share the concerns of The Engaged Zen Foundation are aware of Kobutsu’s work as a chaplain and advocate for prisoners, in particular for his efforts as a Buddhist monk who has been very outspoken against the death penalty.

    My father worked for many years in Sing Sing prison, establishing a Sangha there and keeping regular zazen meetings. He visited prisoners on death row in several states, and brought Shodo Harada Roshi to the Arkansas Death Row for the first ever visit of a Japanese Zen Master to an American Death Row. His book, Prison Chaplaincy Guidelines for Zen Buddhism (2006) is recognized as a primary resource for Buddhists engaged in working with prisoners.

    Kobutsu was instrumental in compiling the Shimano Archive, a project that was initiated by Aitken Roshi to archive documents that record the words and deeds of Eido Shimano, Roshi, the former Abbot of The Zen Studies Society. The shimanoarchive.com is the most comprehensive and detailed compilation of documents about a Zen teacher and Abbot’s misbehavior ever compiled. It is a website that is continually “under construction” as more documents are submitted to be archived. This open-sourced website is Kobutsu’s ongoing project.

    My dad has endeavored to be self-sufficient and always worked without the sponsorship of an organization, although in years past, occasional grants from foundations helped support his mission. Today we ask for your help. Kobutsu needs a better car to get through this winter in Maine, and a newer computer would also be helpful. His Social Security Disability income is simply not enough to afford these purchases, therefore this appeal for your help.

    The Engaged Zen Foundation is a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization and your donation is tax-deductible. Your tax deductible donations may be made to EZF via credit card or PayPal.

    For those without HTML email, donations can be made from the EZF site at:

    http://www.engaged-zen.org/contact.html

    Alternately, donations may be made by check to:

    The Engaged Zen Foundation
    Post Office Box 213
    Sedgwick, ME 04676 USA

    With nine deep bows,

    ReplyDelete
  156. Ryushin Sean Malone, Vice president – The Engaged Zen Foundation
    September 30, 2011 4:38 PM


    changeinthewind said...
    Don't think this is about you being an overtly fat freeloader ,Genkaku. Snidley said from the sewer what sewerish, it still snidelys can be counted on to say.

    Smear it about and it still stinks.

    Read this one before I posted it and the editing is I hope better than the one above. Sorry and outta here for another month or two..
    September 30, 2011 4:57 PM

    ReplyDelete
  157. Will continue later ... too tired to unscramble what I was so graciously given. In the meantime, let me skip to the latest posts made today:
    ********************************************

    GENJO MARINELLO POSTING OCT. 7 ON ZEN FORUM INTERNATIONAL
    ____________________________________

    PART I

    Recently I had the good pleasure to read the “Informational Paper” (http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDFs/2011 ... _Paper.pdf) presented to the Zen Studies Society (ZSS) at the all Sangha Meeting held August 26-28, by Rev. Kyoki Roberts, the lead facilitator from An Olive Branch. The paper starts out by going over the fact that thirteen states, but not New York, have enacted long overdue statutes making Sexual Conduct by Clergy a felony. By these enlightened standards my own Dharma Father would probably be behind bars after his very likely conviction(s) if subject to these laws honoring basic ground rules of ethical decency. And yet he is still allowed on campus, and at times shows up when Shinge Roshi, his successor, is not present, and apparently everyone acts like nothing has changed. Of course those present find it very disorienting to say the least. I find this totally unacceptable, and again call for the ZSS Board to insist that Eido Roshi be banned indefinitely from ZSS property. Here is a man who by a reasonable estimate not only seduced and slept with dozens of vulnerable students under his spiritual care over the course of decades, but also plied some with alcoholic libations and forced himself on them. There is a first hand account of a senior student of Eido Roshi’s on the blogs that confirms just such an act. Many may not know who this student is, as she whishes to remain anonymous, but I have a good idea whom this is, and knowing this person, I totally accept her account as completely credible.

    The “Informational Paper” goes on to say that resources need to be devoted to “educate your Sangha on prevention of misconduct and the abuse of power within a Sangha. Get training in communication, conflict resolution and family systems… You may want to create a task force to oversee and plan the events, education, and training that your community will need to re-create itself.” In addition, the paper calls for the board to address “structural issues” such as membership and board representation that just may help prevent future excessive abuses of power and authority centered on one person. The paper notes that there are “victims of sexual misconduct who need your support” and a Sangha that is “desperately trying to figure out what to do.”

    I ask where in Shinge Roshi’s letter to the ZSS Sangha summarizing her response to the Sangha Meeting (also posted on this page of this forum) does she move forward on these essential points presented by Rev. Kyoki Roberts? Instead of committing the organization to structural reforms that would decentralize power by making the organization membership based with a primarily elected board, we hear about how there is going to be a “review and revision of our by-laws to rationalize our governance decisions". Moreover, we read how new unnamed board members are being essentially appointed to board positions vacated by those who demanded more from this organization than it seems capable of giving. Since June of last year, five board members have resigned because more was not being done. Where is any kind of commitment to “educate your Sangha on prevention of misconduct and the abuse of power with the Sangha”? Where is the needed support for the many victims of sexual misconduct perpetrated by the founding abbot and serially minimized and inadequately addressed by previous ZSS boards?

    ReplyDelete
  158. GENJO MARINELLO POSTING ON ZEN FORUM INTERNATIONAL OCT. 7
    ________________________

    PART II


    At one point, the “Informational Paper” says, “For much of this past year Eido has been trying to figure a way back into teaching. That is exactly what he has managed to do before… This time it didn’t work and on July 2nd he stated,… ‘I will stop doing dokusan and giving teisho in a forma way’… With these words, Eido finished teaching and working with students.” However, I have in my possession an email from Eido Roshi, addressed to the ZSS Board President and copied to other board members including myself dated July 5th, asking to be allowed to lead zazen at New York Zendo, teach Zen classics in a classroom format, stating, “Thus, everyone will have the opportunity to share the enthusiasm while I am still able to teach. And when the time comes, I will send them to DBZ and they will start (like Freshman) their zazen training.” My fellow members of the ZSS Board insisted that this letter was an aberration of a desperate man. They said it should not be released because it would be confusing, embarrassing, and further damage his reputation. How is that possible? I resigned from the board because after the Board received this letter exposing Eido Roshi’s sham of stepping down from all teaching, the majority of the ZSS Board, including the Board president and current abbot were not willing to insist on even a moderate hiatus of Eido Roshi’s presence on ZSS property. I should have released the letter earlier, though I did not cover it up and publicly spoke of its content. Here is a redacted (email addresses removed) copy: http://www.choboji.org/Transcript.pdf

    Moreover, as late as Sept. 5th of this year, a proposal by Lawrence Shainberg, who is unbelievably to me still on the current ZSS ethics committee, seriously suggests that Eido Roshi’s supporters be given the opportunity to buy the New York Zendo – Shobo-Ji, so that Eido Roshi could continue to teach there! No one can stop him from teaching if there are enough fanatics to make that happen, but for Buddha’s sake I’m glad to report the ZSS Board will not entertain this absurd but well stated argument that is also printed on this page of this forum. The point is there is no way Eido Roshi is not behind these attempts to find new venues to continue teaching and the least the ZSS Board can do is definitively restrict him from all further access to ZSS property. How can the Sangha hope to regain a solid footing while he remains present? Sadly, the founding abbot has almost no awareness of his crimes or the harm that he has done. More sadly to me, the current abbot still supports his presence on campus and doesn’t appear to understand that much more needs to be done to foster real healing within the ZSS Sangha.

    Genjo

    ReplyDelete
  159. JULY 5, 2011 LETTER FROM EIDO SHIMANO TO SOUN JOE DOWLING
    ____________________________________

    From: Martin Hara
    Date: July 5, 2011 2:32:30 PM PDT
    To: Soun Joe Dowling
    Cc: Shinge Roshi Roko Sherry Chayat , Shinkon, Jikyo Bonnie Shoultz, Genjo Joe Marinello ,
    Shoteki Chris Phelan, Zenshin Richard Rudin
    Subject: DBZ Transcript

    Dear Soun

    Although I agreed not to mention about the Shoboji key matter, I did not agree to ignore Zensho's question and my response. This must be clearly transcribed and distributed to the ZSS sangha properly.

    The reason why I feel that this is so Important, is that if we dont nurture the seeds of future Dharma students, the continuiituy will not be done. By my doing zazen meetings (no dokosan no teisho) rather than formal sesshins, my intention is to sit together and study the zen classics in a classroom format. Thus, everyone will have the opportunity to share the enthusiasm while I am still able to teach. And when the time comes, I willl send them to DBZ and they will start (like Freshman) their zazen training. Even Harvard university would disappear in ten years if there were no freshmen stuidents. No one in our sangha wishes THIS for the future of DBZ and Shoboji.

    What we all need to do is to nurture the next generation. Shoboji's Public Meetings on Thursday Night used to be the entrance gate. We seriously need to think the reactivation of Thursday Nights.

    With the cooperation of the ZSS board, what i can do is start sowing the seeds of the plant for the next season. Right now we are too involved wtih present problems and have not been concerned about the furture ten or twenty years from now. DBZ is already 35 years old. Time flies and I am getting older. These students will grow and become the core of the next generation. Same is true in Japanese Dharma Classs. Yusen, Shinobu, Junko, Julie, and others who are regularly going to DBZ to help each weekend are all from the Japanese Dharma Class. So without their presence, DBZ will suffer a greater impact.

    I am not creating a new Sangha. Instead, I am hatching new eggs for the future growth of Shinge's students. Who would know? some of them will become future residents, some of them will be future monks. this is what i regard as important from my response to Zensho's question. Therefore I urge you to include my comment in response to Zensho's question.

    Gassho,
    Eido Shimano

    Send from Martin Hara as dictated by Eido Shimano Roshi

    ReplyDelete
  160. Date: October 7, 2011 10:32:09 AM EDT
    Subject: Three words for Eido Shimano: Question wrote:



    Date: October 7, 2011 8:48:48 AM EDT


    Author: Debbie

    It is business as usual at ZSS. Roko is clearly duplicitous in keeping Shimano's pathetic letter secret... "They said it should not be released because it would be confusing, embarrassing, and further damage his reputation."

    Horse shit... they cannot get their heads out of the sand in the unconditional realm to recognize that the only way to ethically proceed is with complete transparency.

    She somehow managed to move Shainberg onto the discredited "ethics committee" without a word to the sangha and the guy cranks out that pathetic, logically challenged and childish letter. What a joke!

    She's planning on packing the Board with new people she feels she can control and dominate. Dollars to doughnuts, she's going to crush any opposition by lowering the highway boom.... "It's my way or the highway." She will mercilessly drive away anyone who stands in her way in the process.

    For those of us who have known her and Shimano it is patently obvious that she is being directed by him from the background.

    Yet another fiasco!

    ReplyDelete
  161. Worth repeating:

    "No one can stop him from teaching if there are enough fanatics to make that happen...."

    Still, Warning Signs need to be posted.

    * * * * *

    Genjo, for the love of Buddha! Please stop calling Shimano your Dharma Father that's getting old and starting sound sick. You are taking the Zen transmission mythology way too seriously.

    ReplyDelete
  162. OK ... CONTINUATION OF WHAT WAS ERRONEOUSLY DELETED
    ____________________________________________

    changeinthewind said...
    I give up. Could not wrrite my way out of a paper bag today.
    September 30, 2011 4:59 PM


    Ed Norton said...
    Our good buddy says wherever he goes on this blog he claims he smells shit. I know the feeling.

    That why I've been studying this true, deepshit koan:
    "What is Buddha? Ummon answered, “Shit-wiping stick.”

    BTW - Try soaking in a tub containing a quart of a strong laundry detergent, a quart of hydrogen peroxide, and a box baking soda. If that don't work, it's just psychological.
    September 30, 2011 5:10 PM

    Confucius said…
    Today is Eido Tai Shimano's 79th birthday....
    October 1, 2011 12:57:05 AM

    Shen Yeng said…
    No it isn't, it's the 7th.

    ReplyDelete
  163. REPLACED ... CON'T
    --------------

    October 1, 2011 7:54:35 PM

    Confucius said…
    Then he lied in Namu Dai Bosa.
    October 1, 2011 8:19:49 PM

    Dear Henry said…
    Test Message

    There's a hole in the Blogspot dear Liza, dear Liza, dear Liza.

    Will this message be lost in a blackhole of Blogspot?

    The previous page says "2001 - 2200 of 2205." This page says "2201 – 2205 of 2205 " but there are no comments just Genkaku's lead post.

    I have seen this happen before.


    There's a hole in the Blogspot dear Liza, dear Liza, dear Liza.
    There's a hole in the Blogspot dear Leisa, Oh. Oh.
    October 3, 2011 12:09:57 AM

    Dear Henry said…
    Test Results

    My Dear Liza message showed up on the page that now says "2001 - 2200 of 2206."

    The counter is broken dear Liza, dear Liza, dear Liza.
    The counter is broken on Blogspot. Oh. Oh.

    But it's not nearly as bad as is winding up on the first page of the lead article of the thread.
    October 3, 2011 12:15:43 AM

    Genkaku said…
    Please pardon all the "tests." The hope was to iron out the glitch that the Blogger mavens cannot iron out in their coding ... and results in an inability to get to the "newest" post directly.

    Hopefully this diversion will set things straight.
    October 3, 2011 4:16:19 PM


    Dear Henry said…
    Dear Genkaku,

    This morning, October 4, 2011 via the RSS feed (see below) I was notified that as of October 3, 2011, there was to be a new Shimano page. Later on when I tried to visit that page Blogspot "said" it did not exist. I looked around a bit but could not find it.

    Is the missing page yet another technical snafu or does it mean something else is going on behind the scenes?

    Thanks for your time, concern and energy in trying to resolve the at times confusing posting / numbering problem. Also, thanks to the Blogspot tech support for admitting that there has been and still is a problem that has gone unaddressed; I hope that they prioritize this problem so that they can devote the time and manpower to solve it.

    Warm Regards,

    Henry

    Received via the RSS feed:

    new post on Eido Tai Shimano (continued) blog

    ReplyDelete
  164. October 3, 2011 at 2:39 PM
    .
    The wise people at Blogger have suggested that I make a new post for every thousand or so responses to the Eido Tai Shimano (continued) blog. After something like 2,000, the pagination function gets flummoxed and finding the latest post becomes a chore.

    And so, although it is repetitive, I will repost the original letter that was the springboard for the whole to-and-fro here and on the original Eido Tai Shimano blog, which crapped out after 5,000 posts. From here on out, I will try to keep track of the postings and make a new post at the 1,000 or so mark in hopes that things will run more smoothly.
    ***************************************************************

    What follows is a letter I wrote in 1982 to Eido Tai Shimano....
    October 4, 2011 1:47:51 PM

    genkaku said…
    Dear Henry -- I chased my tail with the Blogger folks for a while and finally came back to square one ... right here after inserting a bunch of "test" posts that turned the internet page and straightened out the inability to get to the "newest" post.

    So... there is no new creation. It's just the same ol' same ol' ... until the Blogger code presents a new glitch.

    Sorry for any confusion.
    October 4, 2011 2:18:05 PM


    Dear Henry said…
    genkaku said...

    Sorry for any confusion.

    It's just the same ol' same ol' ... until the Blogger code presents a new glitch.

    To be clear - the old glitch is still operative until it is addressed. As the number of comments approaches 2400, 2600, 2800, etc. the problem will become apparent again. However, I'm fairly certain that it's really just a counter problem and not a lost message problem.

    Henry
    October 4, 2011 2:58:46 PM


    Snidely Sniper said…
    MIke said...

    "NEW YORK ZENDO SHOBO-JI EVENTS
    Bodhidharma Day All-Day Sit
    led by Mitsunen Shoro Lou Nordstrom Roshi Nordstrom Roshi, who began Zen practice at New York Zendo in 1967, will conduct this all-day sitting....

    Thanks for the posting, Mike.

    I find his credential very interesting, impressive even: Shiho from Bernie Glassman, Inka from Junpu Kuroda Roshi, studied with Shimano and Soen etc. a PhD in philosophy, has taught for over 40 years, and is the author of many articles, and is also a poet. A real renaissance Zen Teacher it would seem.

    So I checked his Rate Your Professor page.

    Most student who bothered to rate him said essential the same thing:
    E. g.

    "he makes u want to jump out of a window b.c he is EXTREMELY BORING!!he tries to convince every1 to become a buddhist..he doesn't assign 10 papers anymore..wayy more than that this semester..would NEVER take him if i had to make my schedule over again..he needs to retire already..he looks like he's about to croke any second .."

    "CAN U SAY ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ."

    So much for having impressive credentials in reaching college student. LOL!

    It's actually quite a sad commentary on Zen training... beginning with the value of "paying attention."

    I hope someone can report back on whether he was worth star billing at NYZ.

    Meanwhile, keep chewing on the value of titles, and hype in Zen. So far it seems to me they are as useless if not more useless as they are in any commercial enterprise. May be ZSS will give out coupons on Groupon next.

    See for yourself: Check out Rate My Professors
    October 5, 2011 2:13:26 PM

    ReplyDelete
  165. REPLACEMENT CON'T
    SmartAs said…
    Snidely - just for balance, here's another rating on Nordstrom. Guess this comment leaves you out.

    "He is an amazing, excellent professor and I enjoyed his class very much,but only for open minded, intellectual students. I had absolutly no difficulties in this class.
    Report this rating"
    October 5, 2011 4:56:08 PM


    Snidely Sniper said…
    SmartAs said...
    Snidely - just for balance, here's another rating on Nordstrom. Guess this comment leaves you out.

    Sorry SmartAss, tead the the entire 6 pages to understand the likely basis of such high praise and such a discrepancy of opinion. Also always factor in a) suck ups, b) self entered comments, c) no matter how bad something is someone will probably think it's great.

    You're smart right? Just read all 6 pages before claiming "balance." Learn to read between the lines as well.
    October 5, 2011 5:54:58 PM


    Chester said…
    Snidely Sniper said... "Inka from Junpu Kuroda Roshi"

    This guy is in the White Plum Asanga... that's Soto no? I thought inka was a Rinzai thing. How does a Soto guy wind up dispensing Rinzai credentials?
    October 5, 2011 6:21:49 PM


    SmartAs said...
    Snidely,

    I read enough to see that these students are more interested in passing on information concerning how easy the course is and how entertained they're going to be. If 1/4 of Hunter students in a Philosophy class had
    something positive to say that's not too bad.

    I just don't think that Lou's charismatic qualities are what should be of interest here. Shimano had plenty of charisma which he could intentionally use for manipulative purposes.

    In any case, if my tracking memory is right, I think the last time Lou showed up on the ZSS scene was to give a teisho for the womens retreat in 1993 or was it 95? Whatever. This retreat was intended to deal with Shimano's sexual abuse of his female students. Sherry Chayat was one of the organizers of this white-washed (largely by her) event. So here he is again under some similar circumstances. I think it's sad. I think it's tiring. I think Lou is just a shoe-in for whoever the next imported Japanese teacher will be - just a guess - we'll see. It would not surprise me to see both Lou and Shainberg on the board, but Lou may be too smart for that. He is - really - a pretty smart guy and one who has been through a lot of crap.j
    October 5, 2011 8:39:41 PM

    ReplyDelete
  166. REPLACEMENTS CON'T

    "Robert S." said…
    SmartAs,

    You and Snidely raise some interesting points. I'd prefer to deal with them at a more general level whenever possible since I don't know the guy.

    The first point you also raise is a sad comment on college students and teaching them: If 1/4 of students in a Philosophy class had
    something positive to say that's not too bad. Not bad? That's very bad!

    The causes should be examined carefully by the professor and by the department. Personally I found Philosophy fascinating but it could be because I had great teachers in college. I became a philosophy major
    because of them. There was one teacher who was so good he usually just taught one course multiple times a week and students liked it so much they audited again after taking it. But the teaching profession has it's issues throughout the grade but in particular college or university is not necessarily the best place for scholars and scientists. Such people may be brilliant in their respective fields but not really good as teachers or even writers yet they are forced to do both.

    An even bigger question going on today what factors make a great teacher? Clearly it's not just knowing the information, but just as clearly it not reasonable to expect every teacher to be a Superman. Teaching requires much more than discussing idea and readings. Can one be taught how to be a good teacher, can anyone become a good teacher?

    The next point is the need or value of charisma in teaching. I think that you discount it too readily. Simply because an ability can be and has been abused doesn't mean it should be undervalued or discarded. Steve Jobs who passed away today supposedly had both great vision and charisma but I also have read that he was a severe task master. We probably would not have be having this discussion on this blog without Job's applying his charisma to the popularization of the computer via the outstanding graphical and audio interfaces he promoted. (Not to discount the talents of many, many others).

    The final point is most relevant on this blog thread. And here specifics cannot be avoided:Bluntly, is Nordstrom a willing enabler for Chayat and the continuance of Shimanoism? SmartAs I am not sure what you are saying about his role in the 90's women's workshop; was he just Chayat's gullible stooge or was he a willing enabler? Where he stands now is to be determined by his actions.

    BTW - I love his ears in this picture:
    http://www.brevardzen.org/Loupix.jpg
    He looks like a white Haku'un Yasutani.

    BTW #2 "..he looks like he's about to croke any second" Is Nordstrom ill?
    October 5, 2011 11:22:07 PM


    Haroun said…
    "Namu Dai Bosa: A transmission of Zen Buddhism to America" (1976), was, accoring to Shimano, "really Lou Nordstrom's book".

    Please read Part Three of this book, titled
    "The Way to Dai Bosatsu" by "Shimano Eido Roshi".

    No teacher ever depicted himself in this over-the-top self-aggrandizing manner. Looking at it today, I cringe.

    As for Roshi Lou and Roshi Shinge, they must be credited with having the drive and ambition to pursue the very tortuous paths they took to hunt down that mythical beast, Inka.
    October 6, 2011 9:43:03 AM

    ReplyDelete
  167. REPLACEMENTS CON'T

    Snidely Sniper Holder of the Inka Pen said…

    Haroun said...

    "As for Roshi Lou and Roshi Shinge, they must be credited with having the drive and ambition to pursue the very tortuous paths they took to hunt down that mythical beast, Inka."

    Damn!!! I have had Inka in my pocket for years. Even have an Inka Pen to prove it.

    Truth be told, if one patiently and meticulously observes the behavior of the people who get Shiho and Inka over a period of years, one should really have to wonder about the value of such titles in the study and practice of Zen. Almost makes me want to say "You have Shiho? Inka? Oh no!!" Then run for the hills.
    October 6, 2011 3:05:44 PM


    Christopher said…
    Genjo Marinello has just made a very positive and informative post on ZFI. Among the revelations is that Eido wasn't telling the entire truth (what a surprise!) when he "officially gave up teaching" on July 2nd. Genjo then says:

    "My fellow members of the ZSS Board insisted that this letter was an aberration of a desperate man. They said it should not be released because it would be confusing, embarrassing, and further damage his reputation."

    Just unbelievable (well OK, actually not that unbelievable) that this late in the game the Board is still playing cover-up for Eido.
    October 7, 2011 4:08:10 AM

    ReplyDelete
  168. AND, TO KEEP THE CONTINUITY, THE FOLLOWING REPETITIONS

    genkaku said…
    GENJO MARINELLO POSTING OCT. 7 ON ZEN FORUM INTERNATIONAL
    ____________________________________

    PART I

    Recently I had the good pleasure to read the “Informational Paper” (http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDFs/2011 ... _Paper.pdf) presented to the Zen Studies Society (ZSS) at the all Sangha Meeting held August 26-28, by Rev. Kyoki Roberts, the lead facilitator from An Olive Branch. The paper starts out by going over the fact that thirteen states, but not New York, have enacted long overdue statutes making Sexual Conduct by Clergy a felony. By these enlightened standards my own Dharma Father would probably be behind bars after his very likely conviction(s) if subject to these laws honoring basic ground rules of ethical decency. And yet he is still allowed on campus, and at times shows up when Shinge Roshi, his successor, is not present, and apparently everyone acts like nothing has changed. Of course those present find it very disorienting to say the least. I find this totally unacceptable, and again call for the ZSS Board to insist that Eido Roshi be banned indefinitely from ZSS property. Here is a man who by a reasonable estimate not only seduced and slept with dozens of vulnerable students under his spiritual care over the course of decades, but also plied some with alcoholic libations and forced himself on them. There is a first hand account of a senior student of Eido Roshi’s on the blogs that confirms just such an act. Many may not know who this student is, as she whishes to remain anonymous, but I have a good idea whom this is, and knowing this person, I totally accept her account as completely credible.

    The “Informational Paper” goes on to say that resources need to be devoted to “educate your Sangha on prevention of misconduct and the abuse of power within a Sangha. Get training in communication, conflict resolution and family systems… You may want to create a task force to oversee and plan the events, education, and training that your community will need to re-create itself.” In addition, the paper calls for the board to address “structural issues” such as membership and board representation that just may help prevent future excessive abuses of power and authority centered on one person. The paper notes that there are “victims of sexual misconduct who need your support” and a Sangha that is “desperately trying to figure out what to do.”

    I ask where in Shinge Roshi’s letter to the ZSS Sangha summarizing her response to the Sangha Meeting (also posted on this page of this forum) does she move forward on these essential points presented by Rev. Kyoki Roberts? Instead of committing the organization to structural reforms that would decentralize power by making the organization membership based with a primarily elected board, we hear about how there is going to be a “review and revision of our by-laws to rationalize our governance decisions". Moreover, we read how new unnamed board members are being essentially appointed to board positions vacated by those who demanded more from this organization than it seems capable of giving. Since June of last year, five board members have resigned because more was not being done. Where is any kind of commitment to “educate your Sangha on prevention of misconduct and the abuse of power with the Sangha”? Where is the needed support for the many victims of sexual misconduct perpetrated by the founding abbot and serially minimized and inadequately addressed by previous ZSS boards?
    October 7, 2011 7:35:09 AM

    ReplyDelete
  169. REPETITION FOR CONTINUITY 2

    genkaku said…
    GENJO MARINELLO POSTING ON ZEN FORUM INTERNATIONAL OCT. 7
    ________________________

    PART II


    At one point, the “Informational Paper” says, “For much of this past year Eido has been trying to figure a way back into teaching. That is exactly what he has managed to do before… This time it didn’t work and on July 2nd he stated,… ‘I will stop doing dokusan and giving teisho in a forma way’… With these words, Eido finished teaching and working with students.” However, I have in my possession an email from Eido Roshi, addressed to the ZSS Board President and copied to other board members including myself dated July 5th, asking to be allowed to lead zazen at New York Zendo, teach Zen classics in a classroom format, stating, “Thus, everyone will have the opportunity to share the enthusiasm while I am still able to teach. And when the time comes, I will send them to DBZ and they will start (like Freshman) their zazen training.” My fellow members of the ZSS Board insisted that this letter was an aberration of a desperate man. They said it should not be released because it would be confusing, embarrassing, and further damage his reputation. How is that possible? I resigned from the board because after the Board received this letter exposing Eido Roshi’s sham of stepping down from all teaching, the majority of the ZSS Board, including the Board president and current abbot were not willing to insist on even a moderate hiatus of Eido Roshi’s presence on ZSS property. I should have released the letter earlier, though I did not cover it up and publicly spoke of its content. Here is a redacted (email addresses removed) copy: http://www.choboji.org/Transcript.pdf

    Moreover, as late as Sept. 5th of this year, a proposal by Lawrence Shainberg, who is unbelievably to me still on the current ZSS ethics committee, seriously suggests that Eido Roshi’s supporters be given the opportunity to buy the New York Zendo – Shobo-Ji, so that Eido Roshi could continue to teach there! No one can stop him from teaching if there are enough fanatics to make that happen, but for Buddha’s sake I’m glad to report the ZSS Board will not entertain this absurd but well stated argument that is also printed on this page of this forum. The point is there is no way Eido Roshi is not behind these attempts to find new venues to continue teaching and the least the ZSS Board can do is definitively restrict him from all further access to ZSS property. How can the Sangha hope to regain a solid footing while he remains present? Sadly, the founding abbot has almost no awareness of his crimes or the harm that he has done. More sadly to me, the current abbot still supports his presence on campus and doesn’t appear to understand that much more needs to be done to foster real healing within the ZSS Sangha.

    Genjo
    October 7, 2011 7:36:27 AM

    ReplyDelete
  170. REPETITION FOR CONTINUITY 3

    genkaku said…
    JULY 5, 2011 LETTER FROM EIDO SHIMANO TO SOUN JOE DOWLING
    ____________________________________

    From: Martin Hara
    Date: July 5, 2011 2:32:30 PM PDT
    To: Soun Joe Dowling
    Cc: Shinge Roshi Roko Sherry Chayat , Shinkon, Jikyo Bonnie Shoultz, Genjo Joe Marinello ,
    Shoteki Chris Phelan, Zenshin Richard Rudin
    Subject: DBZ Transcript

    Dear Soun

    Although I agreed not to mention about the Shoboji key matter, I did not agree to ignore
    Zensho's question and my response. This must be clearly transcribed and distributed to the ZSS sangha properly.

    The reason why I feel that this is so Important, is that if we dont nurture the seeds of future Dharma students, the continuiituy will not be done. By my doing zazen meetings (no dokosan no teisho) rather than formal sesshins, my intention is
    to sit together and study the zen classics in a classroom format. Thus, everyone will have the opportunity to share the enthusiasm while I am still able to teach. And when the time comes, I willl send them to DBZ and they will start (like Freshman) their zazen training. Even Harvard university would disappear in ten years if there were no freshmen stuidents. No one in our sangha wishes THIS for the future of DBZ and Shoboji.

    What we all need to do is to nurture the next generation. Shoboji's Public Meetings on Thursday Night used to be the entrance gate. We seriously need to think the reactivation of Thursday Nights.

    With the cooperation of the ZSS board, what i can do is start sowing the seeds of the plant for the next season. Right now we are too involved wtih present problems and have not been concerned about the furture ten or twenty years from now. DBZ is already 35 years old. Time flies and I am getting older. These students will grow and become the core of the next generation. Same is true in Japanese
    Dharma Classs. Yusen, Shinobu, Junko, Julie, and others who are regularly going to DBZ to help each weekend are all from the Japanese Dharma Class. So without their presence, DBZ will suffer a greater impact.

    I am not creating a new Sangha. Instead, I am hatching new eggs for the future growth of
    Shinge's students. Who would know? some of them will become future residents, some of them
    will be future monks. this is what i regard as important from my response to Zensho's question. Therefore I urge you to include my comment in response to Zensho's question.

    Gassho,

    Eido Shimano

    Send from Martin Hara as dictated by Eido Shimano Roshi
    October 7, 2011 8:13:16 AM

    ReplyDelete
  171. REPETITION FOR CONTINUITY 4

    Debbie said…
    It is business as usual at ZSS. Roko is clearly duplicitous in keeping Shimano's pathetic letter secret... "They said it should not be released because it would be confusing, embarrassing, and further damage his reputation."

    Horse shit... they cannot get their heads out of the sand in the unconditional realm to recognize that the only way to ethically proceed is with complete transparency.

    She somehow managed to move Shainberg onto the discredited "ethics committee" without a word to the sangha and the guy cranks out that pathetic, logically challenged and childish letter. What a joke!

    She's planning on packing the Board with new people she feels she can control and dominate. Dollars to doughnuts, she's going to crush any opposition by lowering the highway boom.... "It's my way or the highway." She will mercilessly drive away anyone who stands in her way in the process.

    For those of us who have known her and Shimano it is patently obvious that she is being directed by him from the background.

    Yet another fiasco!
    October 7, 2011 8:48:48 AM


    Question said…
    Three words for Eido Shimano:
    WE'RE the barbarians???
    October 7, 2011 10:32:09 AM


    Enzo said...
    Worth repeating:

    "No one can stop him from teaching if there are enough fanatics to make that happen...."

    Still, Warning Signs need to be posted.

    * * * * *

    Genjo, for the love of Buddha! Please stop calling Shimano your Dharma Father that's getting old and starting sound sick. You are taking the Zen transmission mythology way too seriously.
    October 7, 2011 1:55 PM

    ReplyDelete
  172. And now that everything has been replaced ... the blog counter has gone berserk once more.

    BREAK TIME!

    ReplyDelete
  173. genkaku said...
    And now that everything has been replaced ... the blog counter has gone berserk once more.

    BREAK TIME!

    Dear Genkaku,

    On behalf of everyone here, Genkaku, thank you so very much for trying to clean things and fix things.

    If Blogspot told you to start a new thread post every 1000 comments, they know about the counter problem and have not devoted the resources needed to fix, nor do they seem to do so anytime in the near future.

    The counter problem evidently appears every 200 comments AFTER the number of comments reaches 1,000. From what I saw prior to your test messages and after your test message (now apparently removed) the messages are not lost but the counter is broken. I don't know if anyone here relies on that counter except occasionally in a very rough way. It is somewhat frustrating to know that there is a problem but it is extremely difficult if not impossible to fix. To me it's yet another reminder for life many and far more complex issues.

    Hope your break was a good one.

    Gotta go now...

    "Dear Liza, I told you I can't fix everything. Just buy a new bucket, would you?"

    ReplyDelete
  174. This blog will now be continued at Eido Tai Shimano (continued) 2: http://genkaku-again.blogspot.com/2011/10/eido-tai-shimano-continued-2.html

    The reason for creating yet another thread is that this one is incapable of offering new responses in an easily-accessible manner.

    ReplyDelete
  175. PS. For anyone wondering where their posts may have gone due to my five-thumbed errors, everything is available on the Shimano Archive in neat-as-a-pin order: http://www.shimanoarchive.com/PDFs/20110211_Genkaku_Again.pdf

    ReplyDelete