Berkeley Zen Center (BZC), official temple name , is a residential
Sōtō
Sōtō Zen or is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (the others being Rinzai school, Rinzai and Ōbaku). It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Caodong school, Cáodòng school, which was founded during the ...
Zen Buddhist
Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...
practice centre located in
Berkeley, California
Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...
which has been led since 2024 by Shinchi Linda Galijan and Zenshin Greg Fain.
Founded as an affiliate temple of
San Francisco Zen Center
San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC), is a network of affiliated Sōtō Zen practice and retreat centers in the San Francisco Bay area, comprising City Center or Beginner's Mind Temple, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. ...
in 1967 in a house on Dwight Way by
Hakuryu Sojun Mel Weitsman and
Shōgaku Shunryu Suzuki,
[Dimidjian, 137] Weitsman became BZC's abbot in 1985 after receiving
Dharma transmission
In Chan and Zen Buddhism, dharma transmission is a custom in which a person is established as a "successor in an unbroken lineage of teachers and disciples, a spiritual 'bloodline' ('' kechimyaku'') theoretically traced back to the Buddha him ...
from Suzuki's son Hoitsu Suzuki.
[Gach, 230] Weitsman's Dharma heir
Hozan Alan Senauke took over as abbot in 2021, living on-site with his wife and fellow ordained Zen priest Laurie Senauke until his passing in 2024.
[Prebish, 108]
In 1979, BZC relocated to a dedicated temple on Russell Street which houses resident priests, students and lay practitioners. BZC has an active community and a full schedule of zen service, student talks, dharma talks, and zazen
Notable People
Blanche Hartman, Zenkei Blanche Hartman began sitting
zazen
''Zazen'' is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition.
The generalized Japanese term for meditation is 瞑想 (''meisō''); however, ''zazen'' has been used informally to include all forms ...
in 1969, receiving Dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman in 198
Maylie Scott, Kushin Seisho Maylie Scott taught at the center after received Dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman in 1998.
[Queen, 266]
Gallery
File:Mel Weitsman1.JPG, Sojun Mel Weitsman
Image:Hozan_Alan_Senauke.JPG, Hozan Alan Senauke
Image:Maylie Scott 2.png, Maylie Scott
Image:Berkeley_Zen_Center.JPG
Image:Berkeley Zen Center zendo.jpg, Zendo
See also
*
Buddhism in the United States
The term American Buddhism can be used to describe all Buddhism, Buddhist groups within the United States, including Asian Americans, Asian-American Buddhists born into the faith, who comprise the largest percentage of Buddhists in the country.
...
*
Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States
Below is a timeline of important events regarding Zen Buddhism in the United States. Dates with "?" are approximate.
Events
Early history
* 1893: Soyen Shaku comes to the United States to lecture at the World Parliament of Religions held in ...
Notes
References
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Zen centers in California
Culture of Berkeley, California
Religious organizations established in 1967
Buddhism in the San Francisco Bay Area
Buddhist temples in Berkeley
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