Mel Weitsman

Sojun Mel Weitsman
Sojun Mel Weitsman wielding a hossu.
Religion	Zen Buddhism
School	Sōtō
Lineage	Shunryu Suzuki
Personal
Nationality	American
Born	1929 Southern California
Senior posting
Based in	Berkeley Zen Center
Title	Abbot
Predecessor	Hoitsu Suzuki
Successor	Zenkei Blanche Hartman Zoketsu Norman Fischer Ryushin Paul Haller Peter Schneider (zen priest) Hozan Alan Senauke Maylie Scott Josho Pat Phelan Grace Schireson Dairyu Michael Wenger Myōgen Steve Stücky Shōsan Victoria Austin Steve Weintraub Gil Fronsdal Fran Tribe Mary Mocine Myōan Grace Schireson Daijaku Kinst Shinshu Roberts Teah Strozer Chikudō Lew Richmond Edward Espe Brown
Religious career
Teacher	Shunryu Suzuki

Sojun Mel Weitsman (born 1929), born Mel Weitsman, is the founder, abbot and guiding teacher of Berkeley Zen Center located in Berkeley, California. Weitsman is a Soto Zen roshi practicing in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki, having received Dharma transmission in 1984 from Suzuki's son Hoitsu. He is also a former co-abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center, where he served from 1988 to 1997. Weitsman is also editor of the book "Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness: Zen Talks on the Sandokai," which is said to be a sequel of sorts to Suzuki's bestselling "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind."

Biography

Mel Weitsman was born in Long Beach in Southern California in 1929, to Edward Weitsman and Leah Rosenberg Weitsman.^[1] Interested in religion from an early age, he started practicing at the San Francisco Zen Center under Shunryu Suzuki in 1964. He co-founded the Berkeley Zen Center with his teacher in 1967. Suzuki ordained Weitsman as a priest in 1969, and arranged for him to be Shuso (Head Monk) in 1970 under Tatsugami Roshi at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. His other teachers included Dainin Katagiri Roshi, Kobun Chino Roshi, Ryogen Yoshimura and Kazuaki Tanahashi, with whom he has often worked on translations of Zen texts. In 1984, Weitsman received Dharma transmission from Suzuki Roshi's son and Dharma Heir, Hoitsu Suzuki Roshi, Abbot of Rinso-In Temple in Yaizu, Japan. Installed as Abbot of Berkeley Zen Center in 1985, he later was invited to lead San Francisco Zen Center as co-abbot with Tenshin Reb Anderson from 1988 to 1997, following the eviction Zen Center's previous abbot, Richard Baker, because of sexual scandal and allegations of financial wrong-doing.^[1][2][3] He co-founded the American Zen Teachers Association (AZTA) with senior American Dharma teachers Tetsugen Bernard Glassman, Dennis Genpo Merzel and Les Kaye in 1995. Weitsman has entrusted the Dharma to over twenty individuals, including Zenkei Blanche Hartman (1988)^[4] and Zoketsu Norman Fischer (1988).^[5]

See also

• Buddhism in the United States
• Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Ford, 128-129
2. ^ Downing, Michael. Shoes Outside the Door. Counterpoint, 2002. passim
3. ^ Gach, 230
4. ^ Skinner Keller, 643
5. ^ San Francisco Zen Center: About Us: Lineage: Zoketsu Norman Fischer

References

• Ford, James Ishmael (2006). Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0861715098. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/70174891&referer=one_hit. 
• Downing, Michael (2002). Shoes Outside the Door: Desire, Devotion, and Excess at San Francisco Zen Center. Counterpoint. ISBN 1582432546. 
• Gach, Gary (1998). What Book!?: Buddha Poems from Beat to Hiphop. Parallax Press. ISBN 0938077929. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/38324499&referer=one_hit. 
• Prebish, Charles S.; Kenneth Kenʼichi Tanaka (1998). The Faces of Buddhism in America. University of California Press. ISBN 0520213017. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/37782936&referer=one_hit. 
• Skinner Keller, Rosemary; Rosemary Radford Ruether, Marie Cantlon (2006). The Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253346851. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/61711172&referer=one_hit. 
• "Lineage, San Francisco Zen Center: About Us". San Francisco Zen Center. http://www.sfzc.org/zc/display.asp?catid=1,5&pageid=426. Retrieved October 28, 2009. 

Persondata
Name	Weitsman, Mel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1929
Place of birth	Southern California
Date of death
Place of death