Zen teachers issue open letter confronting abuse

As Zen teachers, we would like to express our gratitude to Buddhadharma’s recent issue on abuse in Buddhist commiunities.

Grace Schireson13 January 2015
Zen Buddhist Teachers Open Letter Confronting Abuse Lion's Roar Buddhism Sexual Assault Eido Shimano

Following Buddhadharma‘s Winter 2014 cover story on abuse in Buddhist communities, 90 Zen teachers and community leaders have penned an open letter on the issue.

As Zen teachers, we would like to express our gratitude for Buddhadharma’s recent issue on abuse in Buddhist communities. We also appreciated Mr. Oppenheimer’s piece in The Atlantic for “The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side.” We are referring to the discussion and reports on the abuse of power and authority of Zen Teacher Eido Shimano and others. We believe exposing this problem is a positive step in the direction of preventing such abuses in the future. Many women and others in the Zen community have suffered as a result, and we regret and apologize for our collective failure to stop this harm. Thanks to Mr. Oppenheimer’s efforts, women have come forward, some even using their names; we think this kind of courage can only embolden other survivors of abuse to speak out.

We have pledged to look and listen to our communities and to build more visible ethics codes, working toward consensus on national standards on behavior and oversight, and seeking outside consultation to educate and empower students to come forward if they have been abused. Unlike either our Asian counterparts or American Judeo-Christian clergy, the American Zen tradition does not yet have a central authorizing body capable of sanctioning and removing a harmful teacher.

Even so, as Zen Buddhist community leaders we are committed to changing the culture of silence and the idealization of the teacher’s status that has been so detrimental to students. As Mr. Oppenheimer points out, scoundrels and sociopaths will always walk among us–sometimes as teachers and priests. While ethics and changes in the balance of power cannot completely halt these scoundrels, we are working steadily to make our communities more aware of these dangers as a way to prevent abuse. We view the revelations concerning Eido Shimano as a wake-up call to each of us to pay close attention to the safety of the members of our community, and to monitor our own behavior as well as that of others.

Signed by

1. Abbess Myoan Grace Schireson, Empty Nest Zendo
2. Rev. Genjo Joe Marinello, Choboji Zen Center
3. Abbess Tonen O’Connor, Milwaukee Zen Center
4. Rev. Hozan Alan Senauke, Berkeley Zen Center
5. Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, Village Zendo
6. Karin Ryuku Kempe, Zen Center of Denver
7. Rev. Eshu Martin, Zenwest Buddhist Society
8. Bodhin Kjolhede, Rochester Zen Center
9. Barry Magid, The Ordinary Mind Zendo, NYC
10. Abbot Jay Rinsen Weik, Great Heartland Buddhist Temple of Toledo
11. Abbess Zenki Mary Mocine, Vallejo Zen Center
12. Rev. Jisho Warner, Stone Creek Zen Center
13. Diane Eshin Rizzetto, Bay Zen Center
14. Rev. Nomon Tim Burnett, Red Cedar Zen
15. Roshi Joan Halifax, Upaya Zen Center
16. Rev. Taigen Dan Leighton, Ancient Dragon Zen Gate
17. Rev. Daishin McCabe, Zen Fields, Ames Iowa
18. Rev. Jundo Cohen, Trealeaf Sangha, Japan
19. Kristen Larson, NO Sangha, Diamond Sangha Lineage, Port Angeles, WA
20. Leonard Marcel, Seven Thunders Sangha
21. Daniel Terragno, Rocks & Clouds Zendo
22. Bonseong Jeff Kitzes, Guiding teacher, Empty Gate Zen Center, Berkeley, CA
23. Abbot Zoketsu Norman Fischer, former abbot SFZC, director Everyday Zen Foundation
24. Anita Feng, Blue Heron Zen Community
25. Ray Ruzan Cicetti, Empty Bowl Zendo
26. Rev. Joen Snyder O’Neal, Compassionate Ocean Dharma Center
27. Rev. Zenshin Greg Fain, San Francisco Zen Center
28. Rev. Eido Frances Carney, Olympia Zen Center
29. Rev. Melissa Myozen Blacker, Boundless Way Temple
30. Abbess Jan Chozen Bay, Great Vow Zen Monastery
31. Abbot Hogen Bays, Great Vow Zen Monastery
32. Rev. Anka Spencer, Puerto Compasivo
33. Abbot Les Kaye, Kannon Do Zen Meditation Center
34. Rev. Shinshu Roberts, Ocean Gate Zen Center
35. Rev. Daijaku Kinst, Ocean Gate Zen Center
36. Rev. Domyo Burk, Bright Way Zen
37. Abbess P. Dai-En Bennage, founder, Mt. Equity Zendo, Jiho-an
38. Abbess Zenkei Blanche Hartman, San Francisco Zen Center
39. Eiko Joshin Carolyn Atkinson, Everyday Dharma Zen Center
40. Rev. Shinchi Linda Galijan, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
41. Rev. Mitra Bishop, Mountain Gate & Hidden Valley Zen Center
42. Glenn Noblin, Austin Zen Center
43. Rev. Dairyu Michael Wenger, Dragons Leap Zen Center
44. Rev. Kuzan Peter Schireson, Zen Center Fresno
45. Rev. Tenku Ruff, Golden Bell Zazenkai
46. Rev. Kenshin Catherine Cascade, Bird Haven Zendo
47. Rev. Peg Koan Syverson, Appamada, Austin, TX
48. Debra Seido Martin, Empty Field Zendo
49. Eihei Peter Levitt, Salt Spring Zen Circle, Canada
50. Abbot Eshin John Godfrey, Zen Centre of Vancouver, Canada
51. Kim Hoben Hansen, North Shore Zendo, Canada
52. Rev. Meiren Val Szymanski, Bamboo In The Wind
53. Sensei Janet Jiryu Abels, Still Mind Zendo New York City
54. Sensei Gregory Hosho Abels, Still Mind Zendo New York City
55. Marisa Seishin Cespedes, Still Mind Zendo New York City
56. Rev. Sosan Theresa Flynn, Clouds in Water Zen Center
57. Rev. Lee Lewis, Broken Wooden Ladle Zen Project
58. Rev. Myogen Kathryn Stark, Hospice Chaplain
59. Robert Rosenbaum, Lay teacher, Meadowmont Zen Qigong
60. Rev. Tomon Lisa Marr, Milwaukee Zen Center
61. Rev. Joan Hogetsu Hoeberichts, Heart Circle Sangha
62. Abbess Wendy Egyoku Nakao, Zen Center Los Angeles
63. Rev. Baika Pratt-Heaton, Mt. Diablo Zen Center
64. Rev. Cynthia Kear, Everywhere Zen
65. Rev. Yozen Peter Schneider, Beginner’s Mind Zen Center
66. Abbess Setsuan Gaelyn Godwin, Houston Zen Center
67. Abbess Josho Pat Phelan, Chapel Hill Zen Center
68. Rev. Hobu Beata Chapman, Open Zen Community
69. Diane Musho Hamilton Sensei, Two Arrows Zen, Salt Lake City, Utah
70. Michael Mugaku Zimmerman Sensei, Two Arrows Zen, Salt Lake City, Utah
71. Rev. Myo-o Marilyn Habermas-Scher, Dharma Dance Sangha, Hospital Chaplain
72. Rev. Hoka Chris Fortin, Sebastapol Lotus Sangha, Everyday Zen Foundation
73. Sensei Ann Pirruccello, Three Treasures Zen Community
74. Mushin Abby Terris, Sangha Jewel, Corvallis, Oregon
75. Rev. Ben Connelly, Minnesota Zen Meditation Center
76. Rev. Kakumyo Lowe Chard, Dharma Rain Zen Center
77. Rev. Steve Kanji Ruhl, Yale Buddhist Sangha
78. Sunyana Graef, Vermont Zen Center
79. Sensei Al Genkai Kaszniak, Upaya Zen Center of Tucson
80. Rev. Zuiko Redding, Cedar Rapids Zen Center, Iowa
81. Rev. Ekyo Susan Nelson, Minnesota Zen Meditation Center
82. Sekishun Karen DeCotis, Lay teacher, Bozeman Zen Group
83. Elizabeth Hamilton, Zen teacher, Zen Center San Diego
84. Michael Kieran, Diamond Sangha Honolulu
85. J. Lee Nelson, Lay teacher, Everyday Zen
86. Rev. Nicolee Jikyo McMahon, Three Treasures Zen Community
87. Anna Youree Christensen, Ordinary Mind Sangha NYC
88. Rev. Shodo Spring, Mountains and Waters
89. Tenney Nathanson Sensei, Desert Rain Zen
90. Rev. Philip Sengetsu Kolman, Sensei, Hermitage Heart
91. Laurie Senauke, Lay teacher, Berkeley Zen Center
92. MyoOn Susan Hagler, Hokyoji Zen Practice Community
93. Anthony Korahais, Flowing Zen (Zen and qigong)
94. Seiso Paul Cooper, Two Rivers Zen
95. Rev. Layla Smith Bockhorst, San Francisco Zen Center
96. Rev. Tova Green, San Francisco Zen Center
97. Jiun Hosen Ranger, Bodhi Manda Zen Center
98. Koshin Christine Palmer, Dharma Eye Zen Sangha
99. Rev. Konin Cardenas, San Francisco Zen Center and Berkeley Zen Center

More on Confronting Abuse of Power:

Grace Schireson

Grace Schireson

Grace Schireson is president of Shogaku Zen Institute (a Zen teachers’ training seminary) and a clinical psychologist. She played a key role in drafting the Zen Women ancestors Document, along with Jiko Sallie Tisdale, Peter Levitt, and Zoketsu norman Fischer.