Zentatsu Richard Baker
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Zentatsu Richard Baker (his complete Buddhist name is Zentatsu Myoyu) is a controversial American Zen Buddhist priest in the Soto tradition. He is the dharma heir of Shunryu Suzuki, and was instrumental in both the growth of San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC) and the center's temporary downfall.
Baker was ordained a priest in 1965, which made him one of the first American-born Caucasian Buddhist clerics. He travelled to Japan and studied at the Soto training temples of Eiheiji and Antaiji, and the Rinzai training temple of Daitokuji from 1968 until 1971. Baker received dharma transmission from Shunryu Suzuki in 1969. This act made Baker Suzuki's only formal American successor and dharma heir.
With and for Suzuki-roshi, Baker was one of the most active members and leaders of the San Francisco Zen Center. Particularly notable were his leading roles in purchasing and building Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, the first Buddhist training monastery outside of Asia, and Green Gulch Farm, a highly successful communal and family practice center in Marin County, north of San Francisco. Green Gulch was the first Zen center in the west that combined monastic practice, community life, and the study of the interrelationship of Asian and Western cultural practices. Another Zen Center business, Greens restaurant, was probably the first nationally recognized vegetarian restaurant. In addition to Greens Restaurant, Baker also spearheaded other Zen Center businesses like Greengrocer and Tassajara Bread Bakery. So profitable were these ventures that Baker was able to rent several high-end apartments and purchase a BMW. Practitioners at Zen Center would work at the restaurant and grocery store for very little pay, an ethic which they learned in their daily Zen practice. Baker now has students who are following in his tradition of establishing successful Zen businesses; a group of his students in Boulder, Colorado purchased and are running the Briar Rose Bed & Breakfast (http://www.briarrosebb.com) and are developing it into an urban Zen center.
Just prior to Suzuki's death Baker was installed by Suzuki-roshi as the second abbot of SFZC, a position he held for fourteen years. This caused some controversy from the start, as many members believed that Bill Kwong, a long-time member of Zen Center, deserved the post. Kwong (now Jakusho Kwong roshi) currently leads the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center outside of Santa Rosa, California. In 1983, Baker left the Zen Center under pressure from the sangha, and lived in Plum Village before establishing a Zen center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Baker's "departure" was provoked by revelations that he was having an ongoing affair with the wife of a well known practitioner, along with allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships with other female Zen Center members. Some members also voiced resentment over Baker's personal acquisition of many luxuries at the expense of their hard work at the many business sites. In 1987 Baker moved to Crestone, Colorado to establish Crestone Mountain Zen Center. Currently, he is Abbot and Head Teacher of the Dharma Sangha, based in Crestone, and Dharma Sangha Europe, based at a center he founded in Johanneshof, Germany. He divides his time between Crestone and Johanneshof.
During his time at the San Francisco Zen Center, Baker gave dharma transmission to only one student, Tenshin Reb Anderson. Baker would later argue that the dharma transmission process was never finally completed as he did not give Anderson all the minor documents (kiragami) associated with Japanese Soto. This assertion has not been accepted within the mainstream of North American Soto Zen, where Anderson Roshi is considered a major figure. Baker later gave dharma transmission to other students.
Note: Kiragami are not "minor texts" given by teacher to their disciple, rather they are comments / statements of understanding written by the student and submitted for the Roshi's approval; they are viewed by many as an essential part of the transmission process. In this case, it sounds as though Anderson did not complete these submissions, thus resulting in Baker's assertion that the transmission was not completed.
[edit] See also
- Dharma Sangha, European website
