The Rochester Zen Center (RZC) is a

Sōtō Sōtō Zen or is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (the others being Rinzai and Ōbaku). It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Cáodòng school, which was founded during the Tang dynasty by Dòngshān ...

and

Rinzai The Rinzai school ( ja, , Rinzai-shū, zh, t=臨濟宗, s=临济宗, p=Línjì zōng) is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (along with Sōtō and Ōbaku). The Chinese Linji school of Chan was first transmitted to Japan by My ...

Zen Buddhist sangha in the Kapleau lineage, located in

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located i ...

and established in 1966 by Philip Kapleau. It is one of the oldest Zen centers in the United States.

History

Since its founding, the Rochester Zen Center has become one of the largest Buddhist centers in North America. From those first twenty-two individuals, membership has grown to more than six hundred, with sitting groups and affiliate centers in Mexico and Germany, and throughout the U.S. In 1981 Rochester Zen Center community split, when

Toni Packer Toni Packer (April, 1927 – August 23, 2013) was a teacher of "meditative inquiry", and the founder of Springwater Center. Packer was a former student in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage of Zen Buddhism, and was previously in line to be the successor of ...

left the Center to form the

Springwater Center ''Springwater Center'' is a retreat center located in Springwater, New York. Founded by Toni Packer in 1981, Springwater Center is located in the Finger Lakes region of the upper state, an hour south of Rochester. It was originally named the Gen ...

, located an hour south of Rochester. The Rochester Zen Center has also contributed to the intellectual development of American Zen, through Philip Kapleau's books, ''The Zen of Living and Dying'', ''Zen Merging of East and West'', ''To Cherish All Life'', and the recent ''Awakening to Zen'' and the writings of its members and its decennial anniversary conferences. In 1986, the 20th Anniversary Conference focused on "Buddhism and Nonviolence," and the 1996 Thirtieth Anniversary explored "Buddhism in America." Since 1986 the head

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. Th ...

at Rochester Zen Center has been

Bodhin Kjolhede Bodhin Kjolhede (born 1948) is a Sōtō/Rinzai Zen roshi and Abbot of the Rochester Zen Center (RZC), a position he assumed when Philip Kapleau retired from teaching in 1986.Ford, 159 He was ordained as a priest in 1976 and received Dharma tr ...

, who was sanctioned to teach by Kapleau. The community offers intensive Zen

sesshin A ''sesshin'' (接心, or also 摂心/攝心 literally "touching the heart-mind") is a period of intensive meditation (zazen) in a Zen monastery. While the daily routine in the monastery requires the monks to meditate several hours a day, duri ...

retreats, introductory workshops and training programs throughout the year and is open to guests. File:RZC Zendo 1.JPG File:RZC Library.JPG File:Rochester Zen Center garden facing universal buddha.JPG File:Rochester Zen Center fall buddha07.jpg File:RZC front Sign.JPG

Chapin Mill Buddhist Retreat

The Rochester Zen Center also has a country retreat named Chapin Mill, donated by Ralph Chapin. Each year the center has several sesshin at Chapin Mill. The retreat center held a groundbreaking in April 2000. Building began in 2003, and was completed in 2007. Image:CM Dining hall.JPG, Dining hall facing kitchen. File:Chapin Mill zendo carved entrance door.jpg, Carved zendo door Image:Kannon room.JPG, Kannon Room Image:CM Hall Enso.JPG, Facing enso, zendo on right carved door on left.

Notable residents

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backin ...

frontman

Rivers Cuomo Rivers Cuomo ( ; born June 13, 1970) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and songwriter of the rock band Weezer. Cuomo was raised in a number of Buddhist communities in the Northeast U.S. until the age of 10, wh ...

was raised at the Rochester Zen Center until he was approximately 5 years old.

References

Sources

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External links