Aitken Roshi and Gassho

In 1987 (or there abouts), Katagiri Roshi sent me to Ann Arbor to the World Buddhism Conference – a remarkable event and probably the first get-together of all the various Buddhist teaching streams coming to America. 

One of the stand-out moments for me followed Aitken Roshi’s presentation about the universal Zen sangha. Many of the Theravadan persuasion took issue with his non-canonical approach, preferring to define sangha as the community of monks and nuns. Although I enjoyed his presentation and the debate too, I don’t think anybody was swayed one way or the other. 

Afterwards, I found him having tea and asked if I could talk with him for a moment. We walked to a quiet corner and he asked me what he could do for me. 

I was in the midst of a struggle with the forms of Soto Zen and so was looking for support from an American practitioner and teacher. I was impressed with the way his bright blue eyes seemed to look through me. I remember using gassho as an example and suggesting that we could use some Western expression instead.

“Why should we continue this Japanese/Asian form?” I asked him.

“Well,” he said, “it really isn’t the most important thing. Don’t get distracted.”

Then he raised his hands in gassho and I moved with him to put my hands in gassho. He seemed to pause so I glanced up and saw a big grin on his face and twinkle in his eye, as if to say, “Caught you!”

It didn’t fully resolve the issue but certainly helped me lighten up.