Bill, *s* Touché!!~ k
--- On Fri, 2/18/11, Bill! <[email protected]> wrote: From: Bill! <[email protected]> Subject: [Zen] Re: Sex & The Enlightened Ones To: [email protected] Date: Friday, February 18, 2011, 5:32 PM Kristy, Or maybe...we know what's up, we know why but we don't like it...Bill! --- In [email protected], Kristy McClain <healthyplay1@...> wrote: > > Bill, >  > We know what's up.. we just don't know why. >  > Kristy > > > --- On Fri, 2/18/11, Bill! <BillSmart@...> wrote: > > > From: Bill! <BillSmart@...> > Subject: [Zen] Re: Sex & The Enlightened Ones > To: [email protected] > Date: Friday, February 18, 2011, 5:17 AM > > >  > > > > Kristy, I have no idea what Gempo is up to - or why...Bill! > > --- In [email protected], Kristy McClain <healthyplay1@> wrote: > > > > Bill and all, > >  > > 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 > > > >  > > Dear Kanzeon Zen Center Members and Friends, > >  > > 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 â€Å"Letter of Recommendation to Kanzeon Zen Center� 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. > >  > > Attached is the Kanzeon Board’s 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. > >  > > 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. > >  > > Sincerely, > > The Kanzeon Board > > > > > > ***** > >  > > > > > > > >  To Members of the American Zen Teachers and White Plum Asanga: > > > > > >   > > 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 Merzel’s 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. > >  > > • 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 > > wasn’t 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. > >  > > • 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. > >  > > • 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. > >  > > • 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. > >  > > • 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. > >  > > • 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. > >  > > Further, an e-mail sent to us yesterday by members of your organizations > > raised six issues, to which we briefly respond as follows: > >  > > 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. > >  > > 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. > >  > > 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. > >  > > 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. > >  > > 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. > >  > > 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. > >  > > As you might expect, these activities are occurring in an environment that > > is under great stress. The Center’s very small staff which is > > implementing the changes we have set in motion, is struggling to maintain > > the Center’s 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. > >  > > 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. > >  > > 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: > > >
