{"id":201,"date":"2011-04-20T14:37:00","date_gmt":"2011-04-20T14:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/2011\/04\/sixty-six-zen-teachers-write-to-dennis-genpo-merzel\/"},"modified":"2011-11-01T15:02:14","modified_gmt":"2011-11-01T19:02:14","slug":"sixty-six-zen-teachers-write-to-dennis-genpo-merzel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/2011\/04\/sixty-six-zen-teachers-write-to-dennis-genpo-merzel.html","title":{"rendered":"Sixty-Six Zen Teachers Write to Dennis Genpo Merzel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n
19 April, 2011<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Dear Mr Merzel,<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
We are a group of Zen teachers, affiliated with all of the major schools of Zen in the west. We write as individuals, however, not as representatives of any group. We are deeply concerned at your apparent turning away from your own stated intention of stepping back as a teacher in order to take care of your habitual abuses of power with students and others. We are addressing this letter to you with the heartfelt wish that you read and heed our counsel. We are also sending this letter to various Dharma<\/a> journals and websites because we have deep doubts that the letter will convince you and we feel that the greater sangha needs to be made aware of the problem and our views.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
On the 15th of February forty-four teachers sent you a public letter, in response to your admission of serious misconduct, expressing deep concern both for you and for the sangha you serve. The letter recommended that you take a leave of absence from teaching and enter into counseling with people qualified to work with clergy sexual misconduct. We know others including close colleagues and friends offered similar counsel.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
On February 6, you published a confession of unethical behavior, adultery and sexual misconduct with students. You called this statement, \u201cOwning My Responsibility: A Personal Statement from Genpo Merzel.\u201d In it you say you will disrobe as a priest, \u201cas just a small part of my response.\u201d You describe yourself as having engaged in \u201cdishonest, hurtful behavior as well as sexual misconduct.\u201d Earlier in the year, in at least two meetings, you acknowledged having engaged in a long affair with one of your students. You claim you will no longer give the Buddhist<\/a> precepts, that you will spend the rest of your life integrating the precepts into your life and practice so as to regain \u201cdignity and respect\u201d and characterize yourself as having missed \u201cthe mark of being a moral and ethical person and a decent human being.\u201d Finally, you stated that you have entered therapy and plan to continue indefinitely. A copy of the entire statement is attached to this letter.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
This was not the first occasion such behaviors were revealed. Your response this time was to disrobe as a Buddhist priest and to resign from the White Plum Asanga, the only organization that may have had sway over your future actions.<\/span><\/div>\n
We write again because you seem to have decided to ignore your own best impulses and to return to your path of denial. The page on your website that contained your statement a few short weeks ago now reads: \u201cThis page does not exist.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
On February 6, you said you would spend the rest of your life \u201cintegrating the Soto Zen Buddhist Ethics into (your) life.\u201d Many of us read this and understood your intention was to cease representing yourself as a Zen teacher and instead to give future energy to the Big Mind project you\u2019ve developed.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
19 April, 2011In fact, you continued to use the titles of a Zen teacher (Zen Master, Roshi) and to act in every way as a Zen teacher, just no longer as a priest or as a member of a larger Zen organization. Initially, your Kanzeon Board of Directors committed to a process of separating from your \u201cBig Mind\u201d organization and to bringing in new leadership for the Center. You were to take an indefinite leave from leadership at Kanzeon, of at least one year. Yet, a few weeks later, your Board at Kanzeon now says you have \u201cretired\u201d as a priest only and that they will sell off the assets of Kanzeon. Your Board\u2019s statement also says that you will now teach nearby and offers your teaching to all members of Kanzeon, in the new location. The statement reads, in part, \u201cThe sale will also allow Kanzeon to pay off its obligations and sustain its existence, with Genpo Roshi continuing as its Abbot, outside Salt Lake City at Solitude in Big Cottonwood Canyon.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
We sincerely hope you will eventually find in your heart a way to genuine repentance, and out of that follow a course of remediation that may actually lead to healing. Others have acknowledged misconduct and have made appropriate amends in the past, and been rehabilitated within the mahasangha. May you be encouraged by their example?<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
However, at this point we see no evidence of good faith action on your part. It seems you continue to hold yourself out as a religious leader, a Zen Master and that the Kanzeon Board has turned and followed your lead. We are concerned for people who may come to you as a Zen teacher. Those among your current students who choose to continue with you have made a conscious decision, aware, we assume, of all the facts regarding your repeated history of exploitative behaviors.<\/span><\/div>\n
Therefore, as members of the Zen teaching mahasangha deeply concerned for the wellbeing of anyone to whom you present yourself as a Zen teacher, we feel we cannot remain silent. We need to state publicly our belief that you are not acting faithfully within the bounds of our tradition. We reiterate our call for you to enter treatment with people qualified to diagnose and address your repeated unethical and exploitative behaviors. And, we call on you to honor your commitment to step aside from Kanzeon and allow a remediation process to happen there as well.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Sincerely yours,<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Janet Jiryu Abels \u2013 Still Mind Zendo<\/span><\/div>\n
Gregory Hosho Abels \u2013 Still Mind Zendo<\/span><\/div>\n
Robert Joshin Althouse \u2013 Zen Life & Meditation Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Eiko Joshin Carolyn Atkinson \u2013 Everyday Dharma Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Shosan Victoria Austin \u2013 San Francisco Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Chozen Bays \u2013 Great Vow Zen Monastery<\/span><\/div>\n
Hogen Bays \u2013 Great Vow Zen Monastery<\/span><\/div>\n
Dai-En Bennage \u2013 Mt. Equity Zendo<\/span><\/div>\n
Mitra Bishop \u2013 Mountain Gate Temple & Hidden Valley Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Melissa Myozen Blacker \u2013 Boundless Way Zen<\/span><\/div>\n
Tony Bland \u2013 Starkville Zen Dojo<\/span><\/div>\n
Angie Boissevain \u2013 Floating Zendo<\/span><\/div>\n
Ingen Kevin Breen \u2013 San Francisco Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Domyo Burk \u2013 Dharma Rain Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Tim Burkett \u2013 Minnesota Zen Meditation Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Gyokuko Carlson \u2013 Dharma Rain Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Kyogen Carlson \u2013 Dharma Rain Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Roko Sherry Chayat \u2013 Zen Center of Syracuse<\/span><\/div>\n
Nonin Chowaney \u2013 Nebraska Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Jissan Larry Christensen \u2013 Zen Center of Portland<\/span><\/div>\n
Jundo Cohen \u2013 Treeleaf Zendo<\/span><\/div>\n
Michael Taiun Elliston \u2013 Atlanta Soto Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Norman Fischer \u2013 Everyday Zen Foundation<\/span><\/div>\n
James Ford \u2013 Boundless Way Zen<\/span><\/div>\n
Jake Jiyu Gage \u2013 Vista Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Eshin Godfrey \u2013 Zen Centre of Vancouver<\/span><\/div>\n
Gaelyn Godwin \u2013 Houston Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Sunyana Graef \u2013 Vermont Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Elizabeth Hamilton \u2013 Zen Center of San Diego<\/span><\/div>\n
Zenkei Blanche Hartman \u2013 San Francisco Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Joko Dave Haselwood \u2013 Stone Creek Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Taigen Henderson \u2013 Toronto Zen Centre<\/span><\/div>\n
Soeng. Hyang \u2013 Kwan Um School of Zen<\/span><\/div>\n
Les Keido Kaye \u2013 Kannon Do Zen Meditation Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Myozan Dennis Keegan \u2013 Moon Water Sangha<\/span><\/div>\n
Daijaku Kinst \u2013 Ocean Gate Zen Center\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Bodhin Kjolhehe \u2013 Rochester Zen Center\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Barry Magid \u2013 The Ordinary Mind Zendo<\/span><\/div>\n
Genjo Marinello \u2013 Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji<\/span><\/div>\n
Daishin McCabe \u2013 Mt. Equity Zendo\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Ejo McMullen \u2013 Eugene Zendo\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Misha Merrill \u2013 Zen Heart Sangha\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Mary Mocine \u2013 Vallejo Zen Center\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
Dosho Port \u2013 Wild Fox Zen<\/span><\/div>\n
Susan Ji-on Postal \u2013 Empty Hand Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Byakuren Judith Ragir \u2013 Clouds in Water Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Al Fusho Rapaport \u2013 Open Mind Zen Meditation Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Zuiko Redding \u2013 Cedar Rapids Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Lewis Richmond \u2013 The Vimala Sangha<\/span><\/div>\n
Joan Rieck \u2013 Three Treasures Sangha of the Sandias<\/span><\/div>\n
Diane Eshin Rizzetto \u2013 Bay Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Shinshu Roberts \u2013 Ocean Gate Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
David Rynick \u2013 Boundless Way Zen<\/span><\/div>\n
Grace Jill Schireson \u2013 Empty Nest Zendo<\/span><\/div>\n
Yozen Peter Schneider \u2013 Beginner\u2019s Mind Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Hozan Alan Senauke \u2013 Berkeley Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Joen Snyder O\u2019Neal \u2013 Compassionate Ocean Dharma Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Myogen Steve Stucky \u2013 San Francisco Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Haju Sunim \u2013 Zen Buddhist Temple, Ann Arbor<\/span><\/div>\n
Val Meiren Szymanski \u2013 Bamboo In The Wind<\/span><\/div>\n
Daniel Terragno \u2013 Rocks and Clouds Zendo<\/span><\/div>\n
Katherine Thanas \u2013 Santa Cruz Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Jordan Thorn \u2013 San Francisco Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Sallie Jiko Tisdale \u2013 Dharma Rain Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Jisho Warner \u2013 Stone Creek Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n
Baizan Cathleen Williams \u2013 San Francisco Zen Center<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Addendum<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
Owning My Responsibility A Personal Statement from Genpo Merzel<\/span>

<\/span><\/div>\n
I have chosen to disrobe as a Buddhist Priest, and will stop giving Buddhist Precepts or Ordinations, but I will continue teaching Big Mind. I will spend the rest of my life truly integrating the Soto Zen Buddhist Ethics into my life and practice so I can once again regain dignity and respect. My actions have caused a tremendous amount of pain, confusion, and controversy for my wife, family, and Sangha, and for this I am truly sorry and greatly regret. My behavior was not in alignment with the Buddhist Precepts. I feel disrobing is just a small part of an appropriate response.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
I am also resigning as an elder of the White Plum Asanga. My actions should not be viewed as a reflection on the moral fabric of any of the White Plum members.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
With great humility I will continue to work on my own shadows and deeply rooted patterns that have led me to miss the mark of being a moral and ethical person and a decent human being. I appreciate all the love and support as well as the criticism that has been shared with me. Experiencing all the pain and suffering that I have caused has truly touched my heart and been the greatest teacher. It has helped open my eyes and given me greater clarity around my own dishonest, hurtful behavior as well as my sexual misconduct. I recently entered therapy and plan to continue indefinitely with it. I am in deep pain over the suffering I have caused my wife, children, students, successors and Sangha.<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
With sadness and love, D. Genpo Merzel<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/p><\/div>\n

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