Kristy, I have no idea what Gempo is up to - or why...Bill!
--- In [email protected], Kristy McClain <healthyplay1@...> wrote:
>
> Bill and all,
> Â
> Since we just had a discussion about sex between Teachers and students, I
> had to pass this along. Bill-- this is getting to be daytime
> drama-quality. Will Gempo be on "Dancing with the Stars" next?... k
>
> Â
> Dear Kanzeon Zen Center Members and Friends,
> Â
> As you are no doubt aware, the situation at Kanzeon has been the subject of a
> great deal of conversation on the internet and elsewhere, including an open
> âLetter of Recommendation to Kanzeon Zen Centerâ from 44 American Zen
> Teachers, which was sent to us directly by Kyogen Carlson of the Dharma Rain
> Zen Center and posted two days ago on the Sweeping Zen website.
> Â
> Attached is the Kanzeon Boardâs response to that letter, which we are
> sending today to Roshi Gerry Shishin Wick, President, of the White Plum
> Asanga, and to the American Zen Teachers Association. We trust that they
> will post our letter on their websites and pass it on to their members.
> Â
> We would also like to remind you of the healing circle meeting tonight in the
> Zendo at Kanzeon at 7:30. These meetings will not be broadcast or
> recorded. Once again, we invite you to speak and listen from your heart,
> and even if you have not been involved in the conversation until now, to join
> us and participate actively in the healing and rebuilding of our sangha.
> Â
> Sincerely,
> The Kanzeon Board
>
>
> *****
> Â
>
>
>
> Â To Members of the American Zen Teachers and White Plum Asanga:
>
>
> Â Â
> As members of the Board of Kanzeon Zen Center, we have received many e-mails
> and phone calls concerning the highly-publicized situation resulting from
> Genpo Merzelâs admission of his transgressions and sexual misconduct. These
> communications from Zen teachers in your organizations and others, not to
> mention open letters and other postings on various social media and internet
> sites, are filled with advice and recommendations, many of which are beyond
> the scope of our responsibility as a Board. To the extent that they are
> motivated by a sincere concern for the survival, healing and rebuilding of
> our sangha, we would like to share with you an account of some of our efforts
> to date.
> Â
> ⢠Feb. 3rd: Shortly after returning from the international sangha meeting
> in Europe, Genpo Merzel met with the sangha at the Zen Center in Salt Lake
> City in an open meeting which was widely publicized in advance. He admitted
> his misconduct (which had already been made public but wasnât known by all
> attending), apologized for his actions for which he bears the blame and
> responsibility, and responded to the pain, anger, concerns, questions, and
> feelings of his wife, family and sangha members.
> Â
> ⢠Feb. 6th: Genpo Merzel announced he is disrobing as a Soto Zen Buddhist
> priest, resigning as a member of the White Plum Asanga, acknowledged his own
> dishonest, hurtful behavior as well as his sexual misconduct, and said he has
> entered therapy which will continue indefinitely. This statement was posted
> on his website on Feb. 7th â" http://bigmind.org/Responsibility.html.
> Â
> ⢠Feb. 8th: Kanzeon Zen Center announced that Richard Taido Christofferson
> Sensei will be taking over the teaching functions, training, administration,
> day-to-day operations, scheduling of all events, ceremonies, retreats, etc.
> as Vice Abbot and full time resident teacher. Kanzeon and Big Mind (a
> separate corporate entity) will also separate their websites, and Big Mind
> will continue as a separate secular practice, not connected with the Soto Zen
> Buddhist School. This announcement is posted at http://bigmind.org/Home.html.
> Â
> ⢠Feb. 10th: The first of a projected series of council meetings was held
> with community members who wished to attend and express their feelings and
> their views on attempts for future healing.
> Â
> ⢠Feb. 13th: Taido Sensei arrived in Salt Lake City to lead a town hall
> meeting to which all local members were invited. He outlined his vision for
> the future of Kanzeon under his leadership and responded to the concerns of
> the audience.
> Â
> ⢠Ongoing: The Board is formulating a Code of Ethics and Guidelines for
> Procedures addressing issues of misconduct, abuse, and grievances within the
> sangha, based on models already instituted by other groups. They will be
> adopted as soon as possible.
> Â
> Further, an e-mail sent to us yesterday by members of your organizations
> raised six issues, to which we briefly respond as follows:
> Â
> 1. Teaching. Genpo Merzel is taking an indefinite leave of absence of at
> least a year from Kanzeon. The Board has no authority over Big Mind, Inc.
> Â
> 2. Therapy. This is a matter for health care professionals working with Genpo
> to determine. This is not within the expertise or purview of the Board.
> Â
> 3. Salt Lake Zen Center. The Board is making every effort to maintain the
> facilities and keep the Center open for the community. This effort has been
> hampered by the heated rhetoric coming from the Zen Teacher community, in
> particular those who have reached out to members of our community to inflame
> reactions that are more adversarial than cooperative.
> Â
> 4. Money Issues. The Board is supporting Taido Sensei's effort to maintain
> the flow of revenue through memberships and programs. His teaching schedule
> for the next two months will be posted shortly. We are a small Sangha, which
> has been financially supported by Genpo's teaching for many years and more
> recently by his teaching through Big Mind, Inc. He has offered to continue to
> support Kanzeon to the extent he can. Therefore, donations you wish to make
> to enable the Board to implement item 6 below would be welcomed.
> Â
> 5. Public Statement of Apology. Genpo has apologized and his apology is
> posted at http://bigmind.org/Responsibility.html. He continues to talk full
> responsibility for the harm his actions have caused.
> Â
> 6. Outside expert assistance. Taido Sensei has been in contact with several
> Dharma teachers in the White Plum Asanga, who have offered their support and
> willingness to come to Kanzeon to share their skills as teachers, therapists,
> and leaders who have experienced the problems of leading centers through
> similar crises. The Board in consultation with Taido Sensei will develop a
> plan that will include consultation with and participation of these and other
> Zen teachers. The Board has also been in contact with organizations, which
> can provide experienced, objective, professional assistance in guiding us to
> the creation of a healthier sangha with proper safeguards and strategies to
> avoid any future misconduct and abuse.
> Â
> As you might expect, these activities are occurring in an environment that is
> under great stress. The Centerâs very small staff which is implementing the
> changes we have set in motion, is struggling to maintain the Centerâs
> schedule and commitments in financially constricted conditions, not to
> mention the strong daily practice which all agree is vital especially now,
> while at the same time coping with a deluge of phone calls and emails
> engendered by the ever-increasing volume of recommendations and calls for
> action like yours. Long-time bonds of respect and friendship among members of
> the sangha are being frayed and broken. People with little or no connection
> to our sangha or Center have appeared at meetings designed to promote healing
> only to offer their own inflammatory views on our situation. Our Zendo has
> been vandalized, a beloved statue stolen from the altar.
> Â
> Under these circumstances, we respectfully request that those people who
> sincerely hope that we at Kanzeon survive and heal as a community, and create
> an environment and adopt procedures that lessen the possibility of any future
> misconduct or abuse, will extend us a little patience and allow us the time
> and breathing space to restore the peace and harmony of the sangha and the
> strength and sound practice of its members. Genpo Merzel has repeatedly
> reiterated his full support for all of the actions taken by the Board and
> Sensei as outlined above.
> Â
> Board of Trustees of Kanzeon, Inc.
>
> Kanzeon Zen Center
> 1268 E. South Temple
> Salt Lake City, UT 84102
>
>
> --- On Thu, 2/17/11, Anthony Wu <wuasg@...> wrote:
>
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