Timeline Of Zen Buddhism In The United States
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Below is a timeline of important events regarding
Zen Buddhism in the United States The term American Buddhism can be used to describe all Buddhist groups within the United States, including Asian Americans, Asian-American Buddhists born into the faith, who comprise the largest percentage of Buddhists in the country. American Budd ...
. Dates with "?" are approximate.


Events


Early history

* 1893:
Soyen Shaku Soyen Shaku (, January 10, 1860 – October 29, 1919; written in modern Japanese ''Shaku Sōen'' or ''Kōgaku Shaku Sōen'') was the first Zen Buddhist master to teach in the United States. He was a rōshi of the Rinzai school and was abbot of bo ...
comes to the United States to lecture at the
World Parliament of Religions There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World's Religions, the first being the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, which was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another c ...
held in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
* 1905:
Soyen Shaku Soyen Shaku (, January 10, 1860 – October 29, 1919; written in modern Japanese ''Shaku Sōen'' or ''Kōgaku Shaku Sōen'') was the first Zen Buddhist master to teach in the United States. He was a rōshi of the Rinzai school and was abbot of bo ...
returns to the United States and teaches for approximately one year in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
* 1906:
Sokei-an Sokei-an Shigetsu Sasaki (佐々木 指月 (曹渓庵); March 10, 1882 – May 17, 1945), born Yeita Sasaki (佐々木 栄多), was a Japanese Rinzai monk who founded the Buddhist Society of America (now the First Zen Institute of America) in N ...
arrives in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
* 1919:
Soyen Shaku Soyen Shaku (, January 10, 1860 – October 29, 1919; written in modern Japanese ''Shaku Sōen'' or ''Kōgaku Shaku Sōen'') was the first Zen Buddhist master to teach in the United States. He was a rōshi of the Rinzai school and was abbot of bo ...
dies on October 29 in Japan * 1922: Zenshuji Soto Mission is established in the Little Tokyo section of
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
* 1922:
Nyogen Senzaki Nyogen Senzaki (千崎 如幻, 1876–1958) was a Rinzai Zen monk who was one of the 20th century's leading proponents of Zen Buddhism in the United States. Early life Details of Senzaki's early life are unclear. Town records in Fukaura, Aom ...
begins teaching in
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
with his "floating zendo" * 1930:
Sokei-an Sokei-an Shigetsu Sasaki (佐々木 指月 (曹渓庵); March 10, 1882 – May 17, 1945), born Yeita Sasaki (佐々木 栄多), was a Japanese Rinzai monk who founded the Buddhist Society of America (now the First Zen Institute of America) in N ...
establishes the Buddhist Society of America (now First Zen Institute of America) * 1932: Dwight Goddard authors ''A Buddhist Bible'', an anthology focusing on Chinese and Japanese Zen scriptures * 1938:
Ruth Fuller Sasaki Ruth Fuller Sasaki (October 31, 1892 – October 24, 1967), born Ruth Fuller, was an American writer and Buddhist teacher. She was important figure in the development of Buddhism in the United States. As Ruth Fuller Everett (during her first ...
became a principal supporter of the Buddhist Society of America (later known as the First Zen Institute of America), * 1939 Zengaku Soyu Matsuoka arrives in America * 1945:
Sokei-an Sokei-an Shigetsu Sasaki (佐々木 指月 (曹渓庵); March 10, 1882 – May 17, 1945), born Yeita Sasaki (佐々木 栄多), was a Japanese Rinzai monk who founded the Buddhist Society of America (now the First Zen Institute of America) in N ...
dies * 1949: Soyu Matsuoka establishes the Chicago Buddhist Temple (now the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago) * 1949: Soen Nakagawa makes his first trip to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
to meet with
Nyogen Senzaki Nyogen Senzaki (千崎 如幻, 1876–1958) was a Rinzai Zen monk who was one of the 20th century's leading proponents of Zen Buddhism in the United States. Early life Details of Senzaki's early life are unclear. Town records in Fukaura, Aom ...


1950s

* 1951:
DT Suzuki , self-rendered in 1894 as "Daisetz", was a Japanese-American Buddhist monk, essayist, philosopher, religious scholar, translator, and writer. He was a scholar and author of books and essays on Buddhism, Zen and Shin that were instrumental in s ...
begins teaching seminars on Japanese culture, aesthetics, and
Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
at
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
in New York. Among the students are many influential artists and intellectuals, including Erich Fromm, Karen Horney, John Cage, and
Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...
. * 1953:
Philip Kapleau Philip Kapleau (August 20, 1912 – May 6, 2004) was an American teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition, a blending of Japanese Sōtō and Rinzai schools. He also advocated strongly for Buddhist vegetarianism. Early life Kapleau ...
begins formal
Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
training in Japan. * 1956:
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
arrives in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
to serve at the Zenshuji Soto Mission * 1956: The
Zen Studies Society The Zen Studies Society was established in 1956 by Cornelius Crane to help assist the scholar Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki in his work and to help promulgate Zen Buddhism in Western countries. It operates both New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in New York City a ...
is established by Cornelius Crane * 1957:
Alan Watts Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was an English writer, speaker and self-styled "philosophical entertainer", known for interpreting and popularising Japanese, Chinese and Indian traditions of Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu ...
' '' The Way of Zen'' is published, the book first popularizing zen with an American audience * 1957: The Cambridge Buddhist Association is founded by John and Elsie Mitchell in
Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston ...
* 1957: Jack Kerouac's novel ''
The Dharma Bums ''The Dharma Bums'' is a 1958 novel by Beat Generation author Jack Kerouac. The basis for the novel's semi-fictional accounts are events occurring years after the events of ''On the Road''. The main characters are the narrator Ray Smith, based on ...
'' is published * 1958:
Nyogen Senzaki Nyogen Senzaki (千崎 如幻, 1876–1958) was a Rinzai Zen monk who was one of the 20th century's leading proponents of Zen Buddhism in the United States. Early life Details of Senzaki's early life are unclear. Town records in Fukaura, Aom ...
dies on May 7 * 1959: Shunryu Suzuki arrives in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
to lead Sokoji * 1959:
Hsuan Hua Hsuan Hua (; April 16, 1918 – June 7, 1995), also known as An Tzu, Tu Lun and Master Hua by his Western disciples, was a Chinese monk of Chan Buddhism and a contributing figure in bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States in the lat ...
arrives in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and establishes the
Dharma Realm Buddhist Association The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association (shortened to DRBA, Chinese: 法界佛教總會, PY: ''Fajie Fojiao Zonghui'', formerly known as the Sino-American Buddhist Association) is an international, non-profit Buddhist organization founded by the ...
* 1959:
Robert Baker Aitken Robert Baker Dairyu Chotan Aitken Rōshi (June 19, 1917 – August 5, 2010) was a Zen teacher in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha in 1959 together with his wife, Anne Hopkins Aitken. Aitken received Dharma ...
and
Anne Hopkins Aitken Anne Arundel Hopkins Aitken (February 8, 1911 – June 13, 1994) was an American Zen Buddhist, in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. She co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha in 1959 together with her husband, Robert Baker Aitken. She purchased bo ...
found the Diamond Sangha in
Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...


1960s

* 1960:
Thich Nhat Hanh Thích is a name that Vietnamese monks and nuns take as their Buddhist surname to show affinity with the Buddha. Notable Vietnamese monks with the name include: * Thích Huyền Quang (1919–2008), dissident and activist * Thích Quảng Độ ( ...
came from Vietnam to the United States to study and teach until 1963. He created the
Order of Interbeing The Order of Interbeing ( vi, Tiếp Hiện, anglicised Tiep Hien, french: Ordre de l'Interêtre) is an international Buddhist community of monks, nuns and laypeople in the Plum Village Tradition founded between 1964 and 1966 by Vietnamese Buddhi ...
in 1966. * 1962:
Kyozan Joshu Sasaki , Roshi (April 1, 1907 – July 27, 2014) was a Japanese Rinzai Zen teacher who sought to tailor his teachings to westerners, he lived in Los Angeles, United States. Joshu Sasaki opened dozens of centres and was founder and head abbot of the Mou ...
, a Rinzai Rōshi, arrives in Los Angeles, teaches in homes, and opens the Cimarron Zen Center in 1968. It later was renamed Rinzai-ji. * 1962: Rinzai monk (possible fraud) Eido Tai Shimano moves to Hawaii to assist Diamond Sangha and Robert Aitken. * 1962: The San Francisco Zen Center is incorporated, led by Shunryu Suzuki * 1964: Eido Tai Shimano (possible fraud) moves to New York and becomes guiding teacher of the
Zen Studies Society The Zen Studies Society was established in 1956 by Cornelius Crane to help assist the scholar Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki in his work and to help promulgate Zen Buddhism in Western countries. It operates both New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in New York City a ...
* 1965:
Philip Kapleau Philip Kapleau (August 20, 1912 – May 6, 2004) was an American teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition, a blending of Japanese Sōtō and Rinzai schools. He also advocated strongly for Buddhist vegetarianism. Early life Kapleau ...
finishes '' The Three Pillars of Zen'' and returns to United States with permission from Haku'un Yasutani to teach Zen to Westerners. * 1966: San Francisco Zen Center acquires
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center The Tassajara Zen Mountain Center is the oldest Japanese Buddhist Sōtō Zen monastery in the United States. It is on the border of the Ventana Wilderness and within the Los Padres National Forest, southeast of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. T ...
* 1966:
Philip Kapleau Philip Kapleau (August 20, 1912 – May 6, 2004) was an American teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition, a blending of Japanese Sōtō and Rinzai schools. He also advocated strongly for Buddhist vegetarianism. Early life Kapleau ...
establishes the
Rochester Zen Center The Rochester Zen Center (RZC) is a Sōtō and Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha in the Kapleau lineage, located in Rochester, New York and established in 1966 by Philip Kapleau. It is one of the oldest Zen centers in the United States. History Since ...
with the help of
Chester Carlson Chester Floyd Carlson (February 8, 1906 – September 19, 1968) was an American physicist, inventor, and patent attorney born in Seattle, Washington. Carlson invented electrophotography, the process used by millions of photocopiers worldwide. Ca ...
(founder of Xerox), and Carlson's wife. Original
Sangha Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...
consisted of 22 members. * 1966:
D.T. Suzuki , self-rendered in 1894 as "Daisetz", was a Japanese-American Buddhist monk, essayist, philosopher, religious scholar, translator, and writer. He was a scholar and author of books and essays on Buddhism, Zen and Shin that were instrumental in s ...
dies on July 12 in Japan * 1967: The
Zen Center of Los Angeles The Zen Center of Los Angeles (ZCLA), temple name Buddha Essence Temple, is a Zen center founded by Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi in 1967 that practices in the White Plum lineage. ZCLA observes a daily schedule of zazen, Buddhist services, and work pr ...
is founded by
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
and his students * 1967:
Kobun Chino Otogawa Kobun could refer to: *The original Japanese name of Servbot, an advertising character for video game developer Capcom *Emperor Kōbun, the 39th emperor of Japan from the 7th century * Kōbun (period), a chronological timeframe concurrent with the ...
arrives in San Francisco to assist Shunryu Suzuki * 1967: Sojun Mel Weitsman and Shunryu Suzuki co-found the Berkeley Zen Center * 1968: Samu Sunim founds the Zen Lotus Society in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
(aka Buddhist Society for Compassionate Wisdom) * 1968: New York Zendo Shobo-Ji of the
Zen Studies Society The Zen Studies Society was established in 1956 by Cornelius Crane to help assist the scholar Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki in his work and to help promulgate Zen Buddhism in Western countries. It operates both New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in New York City a ...
of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
is officially inaugurated by Soen Nakagawa on his 7th trip to the USA * 1969: Seikan Hasegawa, a Zen Buddhist priest from Japan, arrives in the United States * 1969: Shunryu Suzuki gives
Zentatsu Richard Baker Richard Dudley Baker (born March 30, 1936) is an American Soto Zen master (or roshi), the founder and guiding teacher of Dharma Sangha—which consists of Crestone Mountain Zen Center located in Crestone, Colorado and the ''Buddhistisches Studie ...
Dharma transmission; begins transmission with
Jakusho Kwong Jakusho Kwong (born November 14, 1935), born William Kwong, is a Chinese-American Zen Buddhist teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. He serves as head abbot of Sonoma Mountain Zen Center, of which he is founder. He received the title '' Dend ...
, but dies before completing process


1970s

* 1970:
Edward Espe Brown "Kainei" Edward Espé Brown (born March 24, 1945) is an American Zen teacher and writer. He is the author of ''The Tassajara Bread Book'', written at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, as well as other cookbooks that are still influential. Early ...
publishes the ''Tassajara Bread Book'' * 1970: Shunryu Suzuki's book ''
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind ''Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind'' is a book of teachings by Shunryu Suzuki, a compilation of talks given to his satellite Zen center in Los Altos, California. Published in 1970 by Weatherhill, the book is not academic, but contains frank and direct ...
'' is published by Weatherhill * 1970: Shunryu Suzuki ordains
Tenshin Reb Anderson Tenshin Zenki Reb Anderson (born 1943) is an American Buddhist who is a Zen teacher in the Sōtō Zen tradition of Shunryu Suzuki. He is a Senior Dharma teacher at the San Francisco Zen Center and at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Marin County, ...
* 1970:
Shasta Abbey Shasta Abbey, located on sixteen forested acres near Mount Shasta in northern California, United States is a training monastery for Buddhist monks and a place of practice for lay Buddhists and interested visitors. It was established in 1970 by R ...
is established in
Mount Shasta, California Mount Shasta (also known as Mount Shasta City) is a city in Siskiyou County, California, at about above sea level on the flanks of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark. The city is less than southwest of the summit of its na ...
by Jiyu Kennett * 1970:
James Ishmael Ford James Ishmael Ford (Zeno Myoun, Roshi) is an American Zen Buddhist priest and a retired Unitarian Universalist minister. He was born in Oakland, California on July 17, 1948. He earned a BA in psychology from Sonoma State University, as well as ...
received Dharma transmission from Houn Jiyu Kennett 2 May 1971 * 1970:
Santa Cruz Zen Center Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...
is founded by Kobun Chino Roshi. * 1971 Shunryu Suzuki ordains Keido Les Kaye * 1971: Shunryu Suzuki dies. * 1971: Yamada Koun moves to Diamond Sangha in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state ...
to lead
sesshin A ''sesshin'' (接心, or also 摂心/攝心 literally "touching the heart-mind") is a period of intensive meditation (zazen) in a Zen monastery. While the daily routine in the monastery requires the monks to meditate several hours a day, d ...
* 1971:
Kobun Chino Otogawa Kobun could refer to: *The original Japanese name of Servbot, an advertising character for video game developer Capcom *Emperor Kōbun, the 39th emperor of Japan from the 7th century * Kōbun (period), a chronological timeframe concurrent with the ...
becomes abbot of Haiku Zen Center * 1971:
Kyozan Joshu Sasaki , Roshi (April 1, 1907 – July 27, 2014) was a Japanese Rinzai Zen teacher who sought to tailor his teachings to westerners, he lived in Los Angeles, United States. Joshu Sasaki opened dozens of centres and was founder and head abbot of the Mou ...
founds
Mount Baldy Zen Center Mount Baldy Zen Center (MBZC) is a Rinzai Zen monastery of the Nyorai-nyokyo sect, located in the San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest region on and founded in 1971 by Kyozan Joshu Sasaki. The monastery — once a Boy Scout camp ...
* 1972:
Seung Sahn Seungsahn Haengwon (, August 1, 1927November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early ...
arrives from
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
in
Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
and founds the Providence Zen Center * 1972:
Green Gulch Farm Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, or Sōryu-ji (蒼龍寺 '' Green Dragon Temple'') is a Soto Zen practice center located near Muir Beach, California, that practices in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. In addition to its Zen training program, the center ...
opens in Muir Beach, CA as part of the San Francisco Zen Center * 1972 First meeting of the Zen Center of Syracuse founded by graduate students of Syracuse University * 1972: Dainin Katagiri founds the
Minnesota Zen Center The Minnesota Zen Meditation Center (Kounzan Ganshoji, "Cultivating Clouds Mountain, Living in Vow Temple") is an urban, non-residential, Sōtō Zen practice community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since 2019, MZMC has been led by two co-guiding Dha ...
* 1972: Eido Tai Shimano receives Dharma transmission (Inka Shomei) from Soen Nakagawa at NY Zendo * 1973: Haku'un Yasutani dies * 1973:
Kyozan Joshu Sasaki , Roshi (April 1, 1907 – July 27, 2014) was a Japanese Rinzai Zen teacher who sought to tailor his teachings to westerners, he lived in Los Angeles, United States. Joshu Sasaki opened dozens of centres and was founder and head abbot of the Mou ...
founds Bodhi Manda Zen Center * 1973:
Jakusho Kwong Jakusho Kwong (born November 14, 1935), born William Kwong, is a Chinese-American Zen Buddhist teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. He serves as head abbot of Sonoma Mountain Zen Center, of which he is founder. He received the title '' Dend ...
founds the
Sonoma Mountain Zen Center Sonoma Mountain Zen Center (or, Genjoji) is a Soto Zen practice center located on in the mountainous region of Sonoma County in California—near Santa Rosa—carrying on the tradition and lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. Founded by Jakusho Kwong and h ...
* 1973: Seikan Hasegawa founds Rock Creek Buddhist Temple of America, Inc., in Derwood, Maryland * 1973: The
Cambridge Zen Center Cambridge Zen Center is an urban meditation center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, close to Harvard University, part of the Kwan Um School of Zen. Free meditation training and dharma talks are offered to the public and the Zen Center also provides a ...
is founded as part of the
Kwan Um School of Zen The Kwan Um School of Zen (관음선종회) (KUSZ) is an international school of zen centers and groups founded in 1983 by Zen Master Seung Sahn. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Is ...
* 1973: The New Haven Zen Center is founded as part of the
Kwan Um School of Zen The Kwan Um School of Zen (관음선종회) (KUSZ) is an international school of zen centers and groups founded in 1983 by Zen Master Seung Sahn. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Is ...
* 1974:
Robert Pirsig Robert Maynard Pirsig (; September 6, 1928 – April 24, 2017) was an American writer and philosopher. He was the author of the philosophical novels '' Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values'' (1974) and '' Lila: ...
publishes Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values. * 1974:
Robert Baker Aitken Robert Baker Dairyu Chotan Aitken Rōshi (June 19, 1917 – August 5, 2010) was a Zen teacher in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha in 1959 together with his wife, Anne Hopkins Aitken. Aitken received Dharma ...
receives teaching permission from Yamada Koun * 1974: The Chicago Zen Center is founded by
Philip Kapleau Philip Kapleau (August 20, 1912 – May 6, 2004) was an American teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition, a blending of Japanese Sōtō and Rinzai schools. He also advocated strongly for Buddhist vegetarianism. Early life Kapleau ...
* 1975?:
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
founds the
White Plum Asanga White Plum Asanga, sometimes termed White Plum Sangha, is a Zen school in the Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi lineage, created by Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi. It consists of Maezumi's Dharma heirs and subsequent successors and students. A diverse organization ...
* 1975: The
Chogye International Zen Center Chogye International Zen Center is a Kwan Um School of Zen practice center founded by Seung Sahn in 1975, located in New York City. The center offers a daily practice regimen, as well as retreats and workshops. Wu Kwang is the guiding teacher and r ...
is founded by the
Kwan Um School of Zen The Kwan Um School of Zen (관음선종회) (KUSZ) is an international school of zen centers and groups founded in 1983 by Zen Master Seung Sahn. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Is ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
* 1975: Seikan Hasegawa's book, ''The Cave of Poison Grass, Essays on the Hannya Sutra'' is published by Great Ocean Publishers * 1976: Shohaku Okumura helps found Valley Zendo in Charlemont, MA * 1976: Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji opens in the Catskill Mountains of
New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
* 1976:
Tetsugen Bernard Glassman Bernie Glassman (January 18, 1939 – November 4, 2018) was an American Zen Buddhist roshi and founder of the Zen Peacemakers (previously the Zen Community of New York), an organization established in 1980. In 1996, he co-founded the Zen Peace ...
becomes
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
's first Dharma successor * 1976: The
City of Ten Thousand Buddhas The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas () is an international Buddhist community and monastery founded by Hsuan Hua, an important figure in Western Buddhism. It is one of the first Chan Buddhist temples in the United States, and one of the largest Bud ...
is built, the first and still largest Chinese Ch'an community in the United States * 1976: Heng Sure is ordained by
Hsuan Hua Hsuan Hua (; April 16, 1918 – June 7, 1995), also known as An Tzu, Tu Lun and Master Hua by his Western disciples, was a Chinese monk of Chan Buddhism and a contributing figure in bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States in the lat ...
, becomes one of the first Western Chinese Ch'an monks * 1977: Kyogen Carlson receives Dharma transmission from Jiyu Kennett * 1977: Seikan Hasegawa's book, ''Essays on Marriage'' is published by Great Ocean Publishers * 1977?: The
Atlanta Soto Zen Center The Atlanta Soto Zen Center (ASZC) is a Soto Zen practice center founded in 1977 by Zenkai Taiun Michael Elliston-sensei, a dharma heir of the late Soyu Matsuoka and guiding teacher of the Mokurai Silent Thunder Order. Rev. Elliston has also rec ...
is founded by Zenkai Michael Elliston * 1978: The
Buddhist Peace Fellowship The Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF) is a nonsectarian international network of engaged Buddhists participating in various forms of non-violent social activism and environmentalism. The non-profit BPF is an affiliate of the international Fellowship ...
is founded * 1978: Genki Takabayashi becomes resident teacher at the
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
Zen Center * 1979: Maurine Stuart becomes President of the Cambridge Buddhist Association * 1979: Omori Sogen of Tenryu-ji founds Daihonzan Chozen-ji in Honolulu, the first Rinzai Zen temple headquarters established outside Japan.


1980s

* 1980:
Ch'an Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit '' dhyāna'' (meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming especially popular during the Tang and S ...
master Sheng-yen begins teaching in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
* 1980:
Dennis Genpo Merzel Dennis Merzel (born June 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American Zen and spirituality teacher, also known as Genpo Merzel. Biography Early life Dennis Paul Merzel was born on June 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York and was raised and schoo ...
receives shiho (permission to teach) from
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
* 1980: Hartford Street Zen Center is established * 1980:
Zen Mountain Monastery Zen Mountain Monastery (or, Doshinji, meaning Temple of the Way of Reality) is a Zen Buddhist monastery and training center on a forested property in the Catskill Mountains in Mount Tremper, New York. It was founded in 1980 by John Daido Loori or ...
in founded in
Mount Tremper, New York Mount Tremper is a hamlet in the Town of Shandaken in Ulster County, New York, United States. Mount Tremper is situated to the east of New York State Route 28 and to the north of New York State Route 212, within the Catskill Park. The community ...
by
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
and
John Daido Loori John Daido Loori (June 14, 1931 – October 9, 2009) was a Zen Buddhist rōshi who served as the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and was the founder of the Mountains and Rivers Order and CEO of Dharma Communications. Daido Loori received s ...
* 1981:
Toni Packer Toni Packer (April, 1927 – August 23, 2013) was a teacher of "meditative inquiry", and the founder of Springwater Center. Packer was a former student in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage of Zen Buddhism, and was previously in line to be the successor of ...
leaves
Rochester Zen Center The Rochester Zen Center (RZC) is a Sōtō and Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha in the Kapleau lineage, located in Rochester, New York and established in 1966 by Philip Kapleau. It is one of the oldest Zen centers in the United States. History Since ...
and founds her own non-Buddhist retreat * 1981:
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
founds
Yokoji Zen Mountain Center Yokoji Zen Mountain Center is a year-round Zen Buddhist training and retreat center located in the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California. It is a 160 acres (65 hectares) of sacred Native American land and wilderness. Founded 1981 by Taiz ...
* 1982: Maurine Stuart informally receives the title roshi from Soen Nakagawa in a private ceremony * 1982: The Rinzai temple that would become Daiyuzenji is founded in Chicago, Illinois as a ''betsuin'' (branch) of Daihonzan Chozen-ji by Tenshin Tanouye and Fumio Toyoda. * 1983:
Jan Chozen Bays Jan Chozen Bays (born 1945), is a Zen teacher, author, mindful eating educator, and pediatrician specializing in work with abused children. Biography Jan Chozen Bays was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 9, 1945. She grew up in East Greenbus ...
receives Dharma transmission from
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
* 1983?: Charlotte Joko Beck receives Dharma transmission from
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
* 1983: The
Kwan Um School of Zen The Kwan Um School of Zen (관음선종회) (KUSZ) is an international school of zen centers and groups founded in 1983 by Zen Master Seung Sahn. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Is ...
is established by Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim * 1983: Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji is founded in
Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
by Genki Takabayashi * 1983:
Zentatsu Richard Baker Richard Dudley Baker (born March 30, 1936) is an American Soto Zen master (or roshi), the founder and guiding teacher of Dharma Sangha—which consists of Crestone Mountain Zen Center located in Crestone, Colorado and the ''Buddhistisches Studie ...
confers Dharma transmission to
Tenshin Reb Anderson Tenshin Zenki Reb Anderson (born 1943) is an American Buddhist who is a Zen teacher in the Sōtō Zen tradition of Shunryu Suzuki. He is a Senior Dharma teacher at the San Francisco Zen Center and at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Marin County, ...
* 1983:
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
is confronted about his sexual relationships with some students and enters
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
treatment * 1984:
Zentatsu Richard Baker Richard Dudley Baker (born March 30, 1936) is an American Soto Zen master (or roshi), the founder and guiding teacher of Dharma Sangha—which consists of Crestone Mountain Zen Center located in Crestone, Colorado and the ''Buddhistisches Studie ...
resigns as abbot of San Francisco Zen Center amidst controversy * 1984: Katagiri Roshi, abbot of the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, agrees to serve as interim abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center * 1984: The
Kanzeon Zen Center Kanzeon Zen Center was a Zen Buddhist center located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was an affiliate of the White Plum Asanga, an association of Zen centers stemming from the tradition of Taizan Maezumi. The founder and Abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center ...
is founded by
Dennis Genpo Merzel Dennis Merzel (born June 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American Zen and spirituality teacher, also known as Genpo Merzel. Biography Early life Dennis Paul Merzel was born on June 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York and was raised and schoo ...
in
Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
* 1984: Soen Nakagawa dies at Ryutaku-Ji * 1984: The
New Orleans Zen Temple The New Orleans Zen Temple is a dojo of the Soto Zen tradition in New Orleans, Louisiana. Robert Livingston Roshi was the abbot until his retirement in 2016, and Richard Collins is the current abbot. Livingston, a close disciple of Taisen Deshi ...
is founded by Robert Livingston in
New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
* 1984: Sojun Mel Weitsman receives Dharma transmission from Hoitsu Suzuki, son of Shunryu Suzuki * 1985 Keido Les Kaye receives Dharma transmission from Hoitsu Suzuki * 1985:
Tenshin Reb Anderson Tenshin Zenki Reb Anderson (born 1943) is an American Buddhist who is a Zen teacher in the Sōtō Zen tradition of Shunryu Suzuki. He is a Senior Dharma teacher at the San Francisco Zen Center and at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Marin County, ...
succeeds Dainen Katagiri Roshi as abbot of San Francisco Zen Center * 1985:
Robert Baker Aitken Robert Baker Dairyu Chotan Aitken Rōshi (June 19, 1917 – August 5, 2010) was a Zen teacher in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha in 1959 together with his wife, Anne Hopkins Aitken. Aitken received Dharma ...
receives Dharma transmission from Yamada Koun *1985: Tozen Akiyama founds the Milwaukee Zen Center, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and heads it until 2000. * 1986: Bodhin Kjolhede is installed as abbot of
Rochester Zen Center The Rochester Zen Center (RZC) is a Sōtō and Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha in the Kapleau lineage, located in Rochester, New York and established in 1966 by Philip Kapleau. It is one of the oldest Zen centers in the United States. History Since ...
as
Philip Kapleau Philip Kapleau (August 20, 1912 – May 6, 2004) was an American teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition, a blending of Japanese Sōtō and Rinzai schools. He also advocated strongly for Buddhist vegetarianism. Early life Kapleau ...
retires * 1986: Sojun Mel Weitsman joins
Tenshin Reb Anderson Tenshin Zenki Reb Anderson (born 1943) is an American Buddhist who is a Zen teacher in the Sōtō Zen tradition of Shunryu Suzuki. He is a Senior Dharma teacher at the San Francisco Zen Center and at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Marin County, ...
as co-abbot of San Francisco Zen Center * 1986: Furnace Mountain is founded in
Clay City, Kentucky Clay City is a home rule-class city in Powell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,077 at the 2010 census. History The first European settlement in the vicinity of present-day Clay City was in 1786, by Stephen Collins and his ...
by
Dae Gak Dae Gak (born 1947), born Robert Genthner, is a Zen master and the guiding teacher of Furnace Mountain in Clay City, Kentucky, a Korean Buddhist temple and retreat center co-founded in 1986 with Seung Sahn. He received Dharma transmission from ...
and
Seung Sahn Seungsahn Haengwon (, August 1, 1927November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early ...
as part of the
Kwan Um School of Zen The Kwan Um School of Zen (관음선종회) (KUSZ) is an international school of zen centers and groups founded in 1983 by Zen Master Seung Sahn. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Is ...
* 1986: Toronto Zen Center is incorporated. * 1986:
Village Zendo __NOTOC__ Village Zendo is a combined Soto Zen, Soto and Rinzai Zen practice center in lower Manhattan. Originally located in the apartment of Enkyo Pat O'Hara, who founded the zendo in 1986, the Zen center took up the majority of space in O'Hara's ...
is established in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
in the apartment of
Pat Enkyo O'Hara Enkyō Pat O'Hara is a Soto priest and teacher in the Harada-Yasutani lineage of Zen Buddhism. Biography Growing up as a young white girl in Tijuana, Mexico while attending Catholic School in the United States, O’Hara was far too familiar with ...
* 1987: Maitri Hospice begins caring for AIDS patients at the Hartford Street Zen Center (the first Buddhist hospice of its kind in the United States) * 1987: Issho Fujita becomes abbot of Pioneer Valley Zendo in
Charlemont, Massachusetts Charlemont is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,185 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Charlemont was first colonized by Moses R ...
* 1988: Blanche Hartman receives Dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman * 1988: Yamada Koun gives Dharma transmission to
Ruben Habito Rubén L. F. Hábito (born c. 1947) is a Philippine nationality law, Filipino Zen Buddhism, Zen ''rōshi'' of the Sanbō Kyōdan lineage. Biography Hábito started out as a Jesuit priest doing Catholic missions, missionary work in Japan. There ...
* 1988:
Zoketsu Norman Fischer Zoketsu Norman Fischer is an American poet, writer, and Soto Zen priest, teaching and practicing in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. He is a Dharma heir of Sojun Mel Weitsman, from whom he received Dharma transmission in 1988. Fischer served as co ...
receives Dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman * 1988 Keido Les Kaye invited to be abbot of Kannon Do in Mountain View, CA * 1988: Hsi Lai Temple is built, the largest Chinese Chan community in Southern California, a Triple Platform Monastic Ordination is convened * 1988: The
Kwan Um School of Zen The Kwan Um School of Zen (관음선종회) (KUSZ) is an international school of zen centers and groups founded in 1983 by Zen Master Seung Sahn. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Is ...
is rocked by revelations that
Seung Sahn Seungsahn Haengwon (, August 1, 1927November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early ...
had sexual relationships with three students * 1989: Issan Dorsey becomes abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center * 1989?: The
American Zen Teachers Association The American Zen Teachers Association (AZTA) was founded in the late 1980s as the Second Generation Zen Teachers Group. It is a peer-group organization of ordained and lay Zen Buddhist teachers, all of whom have received either teaching authoriza ...
is founded * 1989:
Nonin Chowaney Rev. Nonin Chowaney (OPW) (died July 29, 2022) was an American Soto Zen priest and brush calligrapher. A Dharma heir of the late Dainin Katagiri- roshi, Chowaney received Dharma transmission in 1989 and was the founder of an organization of Sot ...
receives Dharma transmission from Dainin Katagiri * 1989: Yamada Koun dies * 1989: Danan Henry Roshi receives Dharma transmission from Philip Kapleau Roshi * 1989
Zen Center of Denver
founded with Danan Henry Roshi installed as abbot


1990s

* 1990: Issan Dorsey dies of AIDS * 1990: Maurine Stuart dies of
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
* 1990:
Gerry Shishin Wick Gerry Shishin Wick is a Soto Zen roshi, author, oceanographer and abbot of Great Mountain Zen Center in Berthoud, Colorado, which he founded in 1996. He is one of the twelve Dharma Successors of the late Taizan Maezumi, receiving Dharma transmis ...
receives Dharma transmission from Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi * 1990:
Joan Halifax Joan Jiko Halifax (born July 30, 1942) is an American Zen Buddhist teacher, anthropologist, ecologist, civil rights activist, hospice caregiver, and the author of several books on Buddhism and spirituality. She currently serves as abbot and guid ...
receives "Lamp Transmission" from
Thich Nhat Hanh Thích is a name that Vietnamese monks and nuns take as their Buddhist surname to show affinity with the Buddha. Notable Vietnamese monks with the name include: * Thích Huyền Quang (1919–2008), dissident and activist * Thích Quảng Độ ( ...
* 1990: Dainin Katagiri dies * 1990: The Upaya Zen Center is founded by
Joan Halifax Joan Jiko Halifax (born July 30, 1942) is an American Zen Buddhist teacher, anthropologist, ecologist, civil rights activist, hospice caregiver, and the author of several books on Buddhism and spirituality. She currently serves as abbot and guid ...
in Santa Fe, New Mexico * 1991: The Maria Kannon Zen Center is founded by
Ruben Habito Rubén L. F. Hábito (born c. 1947) is a Philippine nationality law, Filipino Zen Buddhism, Zen ''rōshi'' of the Sanbō Kyōdan lineage. Biography Hábito started out as a Jesuit priest doing Catholic missions, missionary work in Japan. There ...
in
Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
* 1991: Zenshin Philip Whalen becomes the new abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center * 1991: The Mount Equity Zendo is founded by Dai-En Bennage in
Pennsdale, Pennsylvania Pennsdale is an unincorporated community in Muncy Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalac ...
* 1992: Mary Farkas of the First Zen Institute of America dies * 1992: Caitriona Reed receives teaching authorization from
Thich Nhat Hanh Thích is a name that Vietnamese monks and nuns take as their Buddhist surname to show affinity with the Buddha. Notable Vietnamese monks with the name include: * Thích Huyền Quang (1919–2008), dissident and activist * Thích Quảng Độ ( ...
* 1992: George Bowman, Soeng Hyang, and Su Bong receive Dharma transmission from
Seung Sahn Seungsahn Haengwon (, August 1, 1927November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early ...
* 1992:
Shi Yan Ming Shi Yan Ming (born Duan Gen Shan; February 13, 1964) is a 34th generation Shaolin warrior monk, teacher and actor, best known as the founder of the USA Shaolin Temple. Trained at the Shaolin Temple in Henan, People's Republic of China (PRC) si ...
arrives in the United States * 1993: Wu Bong, Wu Kwang, and
Dae Gak Dae Gak (born 1947), born Robert Genthner, is a Zen master and the guiding teacher of Furnace Mountain in Clay City, Kentucky, a Korean Buddhist temple and retreat center co-founded in 1986 with Seung Sahn. He received Dharma transmission from ...
receive Dharma transmission from
Seung Sahn Seungsahn Haengwon (, August 1, 1927November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early ...
* 1994: Charles Tenshin Fletcher receives Dharma transmission from
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
* 1994: Su Bong dies during a retreat in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
* 1994: Still Mind Zendo founded by Janet Jiryu Abels and Father Robert Kennedy in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
* 1994: Enkyo Pat O'Hara receives shiho from
Tetsugen Bernard Glassman Bernie Glassman (January 18, 1939 – November 4, 2018) was an American Zen Buddhist roshi and founder of the Zen Peacemakers (previously the Zen Community of New York), an organization established in 1980. In 1996, he co-founded the Zen Peace ...
* 1994:
Taigen Dan Leighton Taigen Dan Leighton (born 1950, grew up in Pittsburgh, PA) is a Sōtō priest and teacher, academic, and author. He is an authorized lineage holder and Zen teacher in the tradition of Shunryū Suzuki and is the founder and Guiding Teacher of Ancien ...
founds Mountain Source Sangha * 1994:
Shi Yan Ming Shi Yan Ming (born Duan Gen Shan; February 13, 1964) is a 34th generation Shaolin warrior monk, teacher and actor, best known as the founder of the USA Shaolin Temple. Trained at the Shaolin Temple in Henan, People's Republic of China (PRC) si ...
founds the USA Shaolin Temple * 1995:
Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai, and Sanbo Kyodan traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of '' kōan ...
dies May 15 * 1995: Charles Tenshin Fletcher appointed abbot of
Yokoji Zen Mountain Center Yokoji Zen Mountain Center is a year-round Zen Buddhist training and retreat center located in the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California. It is a 160 acres (65 hectares) of sacred Native American land and wilderness. Founded 1981 by Taiz ...
* 1995: The
Ordinary Mind School The Ordinary Mind Zen School is a network of independent Zen centers established by Charlotte Joko Beck and her Dharma Successors in 1995. History The school is unaffiliated with any Zen centers which fall outside of its own network, however ...
is founded by Charlotte Joko Beck * 1995:
Hsuan Hua Hsuan Hua (; April 16, 1918 – June 7, 1995), also known as An Tzu, Tu Lun and Master Hua by his Western disciples, was a Chinese monk of Chan Buddhism and a contributing figure in bringing Chinese Buddhism to the United States in the lat ...
dies June 7, age 77 * 1995: Taitaku Pat Phelan receives shiho from Sojun Mel Weitsman * 1995: Anne Seisen Saunders receives shiho from
Tetsugen Bernard Glassman Bernie Glassman (January 18, 1939 – November 4, 2018) was an American Zen Buddhist roshi and founder of the Zen Peacemakers (previously the Zen Community of New York), an organization established in 1980. In 1996, he co-founded the Zen Peace ...
* 1995:
Zoketsu Norman Fischer Zoketsu Norman Fischer is an American poet, writer, and Soto Zen priest, teaching and practicing in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. He is a Dharma heir of Sojun Mel Weitsman, from whom he received Dharma transmission in 1988. Fischer served as co ...
becomes abbot of San Francisco Zen Center, and serves until 2000 * 1995: Shodo Harada founds One Drop Zendo on
Whidbey Island Whidbey Island (historical spellings Whidby, Whitbey, or Whitby) is the largest of the islands composing Island County, Washington, in the United States, and the largest island in Washington State. (The other large island is Camano Island, ...
in
Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
. * 1996: Blanche Hartman becomes co-abbot of San Francisco Zen Center * 1996 Les Kaye's book, ''Zen at Work'', published by Three Rivers Press * 1996: The Zen Peacemaker Order is founded by
Bernard Glassman Bernie Glassman (January 18, 1939 – November 4, 2018) was an American Zen Buddhist roshi and founder of the Zen Peacemakers (previously the Zen Community of New York), an organization established in 1980. In 1996, he co-founded the Zen Peace ...
and his wife, Sandra Jishu Holmes. *1996: Jisho Warner receives dharma transmission from Tozen Akiyama and founds Stone Creek Zen Center in Sebastopol, California. * 1996: The Sanshin Zen Community is founded by Shohaku Okumura in
Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. According to the Mo ...
* 1996: Jiyu Kennett dies November 6 * 1996: Jiko Linda Cutts receives Dharma transmission from
Tenshin Reb Anderson Tenshin Zenki Reb Anderson (born 1943) is an American Buddhist who is a Zen teacher in the Sōtō Zen tradition of Shunryu Suzuki. He is a Senior Dharma teacher at the San Francisco Zen Center and at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Marin County, ...
* 1996: The Hazy Moon Zen Center is founded by William Nyogen Yeo in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
* 1996:
Dae Kwang Dae Kwang is a Soen Sa Nim and is the current guiding teacher of the Providence Zen Center. He was ordained as a monk in 1987 and received Dharma transmission from Seung Sahn in 1996. He also serves as head abbot of the entire lineage, ranking ju ...
receives Dharma transmission from
Seung Sahn Seungsahn Haengwon (, August 1, 1927November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early ...
* 1996:
Bonnie Myotai Treace Bonnie Myotai Treace is a Zen teacher and priest, the founder of Hermitage Heart, and formerly the abbot of the Zen Center of New York City (ZCNYC). She teaches currently in Black Mountain and Asheville, North Carolina. Myotai Sensei is the first ...
receives Dharma transmission from
John Daido Loori John Daido Loori (June 14, 1931 – October 9, 2009) was a Zen Buddhist rōshi who served as the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and was the founder of the Mountains and Rivers Order and CEO of Dharma Communications. Daido Loori received s ...
in the
Mountains and Rivers Order The Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism (MRO) is an organization of associated temples, practice centers and sitting groups in the United States and abroad. The main house is the Zen Mountain Monastery located at the foot of Mount Tremper ...
* 1996:
Bernard Glassman Bernie Glassman (January 18, 1939 – November 4, 2018) was an American Zen Buddhist roshi and founder of the Zen Peacemakers (previously the Zen Community of New York), an organization established in 1980. In 1996, he co-founded the Zen Peace ...
confers Dharma Transmission to
Dennis Genpo Merzel Dennis Merzel (born June 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American Zen and spirituality teacher, also known as Genpo Merzel. Biography Early life Dennis Paul Merzel was born on June 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York and was raised and schoo ...
* 1996: Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association is established by Sheng-yen * 1997:
Dharma Drum Retreat Center Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM; ) is an international Buddhist spiritual, cultural, and educational foundation founded by late Chan master Sheng-yen (1931 – 2009). The center focuses on educating the public in Buddhism with the goal of improving ...
is established in
Pine Bush, New York Pine Bush is a hamlet (and census-designated place) located in the Town of Crawford and adjacent to Shawangunk, New York, within Orange and adjacent to Ulster counties in the U.S. It is roughly coterminous with the 12566 ZIP code and 744 tel ...
by Sheng-yen and followers * 1996:
Ji Bong Ji or JI may refer to: Names and titles * Ji (surname), the pinyin romanization of a number of distinct Chinese surnames * Ji (Korean name), a Korean surname and element in given names (including lists of people with the name) * -ji, an honorific ...
receives Dharma transmission from
Seung Sahn Seungsahn Haengwon (, August 1, 1927November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early ...
* 1997:
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
priest Father Robert Kennedy receives inka from
Bernard Glassman Bernie Glassman (January 18, 1939 – November 4, 2018) was an American Zen Buddhist roshi and founder of the Zen Peacemakers (previously the Zen Community of New York), an organization established in 1980. In 1996, he co-founded the Zen Peace ...
* 1997: Soyu Matsuoka dies * 1997:
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Geoffrey Shugen Arnold is Rōshi of the Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO) founded by John Daido Loori, from whom Shugen received shiho, or dharma transmission, in July 1997.Seager, 257 As a lineage holder in the Sōtō tradition, Shugen currently ...
receives shiho from
John Daido Loori John Daido Loori (June 14, 1931 – October 9, 2009) was a Zen Buddhist rōshi who served as the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and was the founder of the Mountains and Rivers Order and CEO of Dharma Communications. Daido Loori received s ...
* 1998: Sherry Chayat, born in Brooklyn, became the first American woman to receive transmission in the
Rinzai The Rinzai school ( ja, , Rinzai-shū, zh, t=臨濟宗, s=临济宗, p=Línjì zōng) is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (along with Sōtō and Ōbaku). The Chinese Linji school of Chan was first transmitted to Japan by Myōan ...
school of Buddhism. She received transmission from Eido Tai Shimano. * 1998: Maylie Scott receives Dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman * 1998: Hozan Alan Senauke receives Dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman * 1999: Genjo Marinello founds
Chobo-ji Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji is a Rinzai-style Zen temple located on Beacon Hill, Seattle, Washington, North Beacon Hill in Seattle, Washington. Its name translates from Japanese language, Japanese as "Listening to the Dharma Zen Temple on Great Plum ...
* 1999:
Joan Halifax Joan Jiko Halifax (born July 30, 1942) is an American Zen Buddhist teacher, anthropologist, ecologist, civil rights activist, hospice caregiver, and the author of several books on Buddhism and spirituality. She currently serves as abbot and guid ...
receives Dharma transmission from
Bernard Glassman Bernie Glassman (January 18, 1939 – November 4, 2018) was an American Zen Buddhist roshi and founder of the Zen Peacemakers (previously the Zen Community of New York), an organization established in 1980. In 1996, he co-founded the Zen Peace ...
* 1999: John Tarrant establishes the
Pacific Zen Institute The Pacific Zen Institute (PZI), is a Zen Buddhist practice center in Santa Rosa, California. Established in 1999, its stated mission is to "create a culture of transformation through meditation, koans, conversation, and the arts." It's founding ...
* 1999: Seikan Hasegawa's book ''Mind to Mind'' is published by Great Ocean Publishers * 1999
Zen Center of Pittsburgh – Deep Spring Temple
is founded by
Nonin Chowaney Rev. Nonin Chowaney (OPW) (died July 29, 2022) was an American Soto Zen priest and brush calligrapher. A Dharma heir of the late Dainin Katagiri- roshi, Chowaney received Dharma transmission in 1989 and was the founder of an organization of Sot ...
in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...


2000—2009

* 2000:
Deer Park Monastery Deer Park Monastery ( Vietnamese: Tu Viện Lộc Uyển) is a Buddhist monastery in Escondido, California. It was founded in July 2000 by Thích Nhất Hạnh along with monastic and lay practitioners from the Plum Village Tradition. The mo ...
is founded in
Escondido, California Escondido is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. Located in the North County region, it was incorporated in 1888, and is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. It has a population of 151,038 as of the 2020 census. Et ...
as part of
Thich Nhat Hanh Thích is a name that Vietnamese monks and nuns take as their Buddhist surname to show affinity with the Buddha. Notable Vietnamese monks with the name include: * Thích Huyền Quang (1919–2008), dissident and activist * Thích Quảng Độ ( ...
's
Order of Interbeing The Order of Interbeing ( vi, Tiếp Hiện, anglicised Tiep Hien, french: Ordre de l'Interêtre) is an international Buddhist community of monks, nuns and laypeople in the Plum Village Tradition founded between 1964 and 1966 by Vietnamese Buddhi ...
* 2000: Taigen Daniel Leighton receives Dharma transmission from
Tenshin Reb Anderson Tenshin Zenki Reb Anderson (born 1943) is an American Buddhist who is a Zen teacher in the Sōtō Zen tradition of Shunryu Suzuki. He is a Senior Dharma teacher at the San Francisco Zen Center and at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Marin County, ...
. * 2000: Bon Yeon receives Dharma transmission from
Seung Sahn Seungsahn Haengwon (, August 1, 1927November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early ...
* 2000: Sweetwater Zen Center established in
National City, California National City is a city located in the South Bay region of the San Diego metropolitan area, in southwestern San Diego County, California. The population was 58,582 at the 2010 census, up from 54,260 at the 2000 census. National City is the ...
* 2001: Maylie Scott dies May 10, age 66 * 2002: Peter Schneider receives Dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman * 2002: Zenshin Philip Whalen, abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center, dies on June 26 * 2002:
Great Vow Zen Monastery Great Vow Zen Monastery was founded in 2002 and is operated by Zen Community of Oregon (ZCO) under the leadership of abbots Chozen Bays, Roshi, and Hogen Bays, Roshi. The monastery offers a public Sunday morning program, weekend workshops, weekl ...
founded by
Jan Chozen Bays Jan Chozen Bays (born 1945), is a Zen teacher, author, mindful eating educator, and pediatrician specializing in work with abused children. Biography Jan Chozen Bays was born in Chicago, Illinois on August 9, 1945. She grew up in East Greenbus ...
and Hogen Bays in Clatskanie, Oregon * 2002:
Kobun Chino Otogawa Kobun could refer to: *The original Japanese name of Servbot, an advertising character for video game developer Capcom *Emperor Kōbun, the 39th emperor of Japan from the 7th century * Kōbun (period), a chronological timeframe concurrent with the ...
drowns in Switzerland * 2002: Seirin Barbara Kohn becomes head priest and guiding teacher of Austin Zen Center in
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
* 2002: Tim Burkett becomes Guiding Teacher of the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center * 2003: Jy Din Shakya opens the Hsu Yun Temple in Honolulu before passing away on March 13 * 2003:
Paul Haller Ryushin Paul Haller, a Soto Zen roshi, is a former abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center—a position he held from 2003 until February 2012.SFZC Lineage Leaving his homeland of Belfast in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s, Haller spent time in ...
becomes abbot of San Francisco Zen Center * 2003:
Brad Warner Brad Warner (born March 5, 1964) is an American Sōtō Zen monk, author, blogger, documentarian and punk rock bass guitarist. Biography Brad Warner was born in Hamilton, Ohio, in 1964. His family traveled for his father's job and Warner spent ...
publishes the book Hardcore Zen * 2003: Daniel Doen Silberberg receives Dharma transmission from
Dennis Genpo Merzel Dennis Merzel (born June 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American Zen and spirituality teacher, also known as Genpo Merzel. Biography Early life Dennis Paul Merzel was born on June 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York and was raised and schoo ...
* 2004:
Philip Kapleau Philip Kapleau (August 20, 1912 – May 6, 2004) was an American teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition, a blending of Japanese Sōtō and Rinzai schools. He also advocated strongly for Buddhist vegetarianism. Early life Kapleau ...
dies on May 6 from complications of
Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...
* 2004:
Seung Sahn Seungsahn Haengwon (, August 1, 1927November 30, 2004), born Duk-In Lee, was a Korean Seon master of the Jogye Order and founder of the international Kwan Um School of Zen. He was the seventy-eighth Patriarch in his lineage. As one of the early ...
dies on November 30 in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
* 2004: Soeng Hyang succeeds Seung Sahn as Guiding teacher of the
Kwan Um School of Zen The Kwan Um School of Zen (관음선종회) (KUSZ) is an international school of zen centers and groups founded in 1983 by Zen Master Seung Sahn. The school's international head temple is located at the Providence Zen Center in Cumberland, Rhode Is ...
* 2004: Angie Boissevain receives Dharma transmission from Vanja Palmers, a Dharma heir of
Kobun Chino Otogawa Kobun could refer to: *The original Japanese name of Servbot, an advertising character for video game developer Capcom *Emperor Kōbun, the 39th emperor of Japan from the 7th century * Kōbun (period), a chronological timeframe concurrent with the ...
* 2004: Enkyo Pat O'Hara receives Dharma transmission from
Tetsugen Bernard Glassman Bernie Glassman (January 18, 1939 – November 4, 2018) was an American Zen Buddhist roshi and founder of the Zen Peacemakers (previously the Zen Community of New York), an organization established in 1980. In 1996, he co-founded the Zen Peace ...
* 2004: Golden Wind Zen Order is founded by
Ji Bong Ji or JI may refer to: Names and titles * Ji (surname), the pinyin romanization of a number of distinct Chinese surnames * Ji (Korean name), a Korean surname and element in given names (including lists of people with the name) * -ji, an honorific ...
in
Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...
* 2005: Rinzai Daiyuzenji (formerly a branch temple of Daihonzan Chozen-ji in Hawaii) becomes independent * 2005: Harvey Daiho Hilbert receives Dharma transmission from Hogaku Shozen McGuire and founds Order of Clear Mind Zen. * 2006:
Gerry Shishin Wick Gerry Shishin Wick is a Soto Zen roshi, author, oceanographer and abbot of Great Mountain Zen Center in Berthoud, Colorado, which he founded in 1996. He is one of the twelve Dharma Successors of the late Taizan Maezumi, receiving Dharma transmis ...
receives Dharma transmission from
Bernard Glassman Bernie Glassman (January 18, 1939 – November 4, 2018) was an American Zen Buddhist roshi and founder of the Zen Peacemakers (previously the Zen Community of New York), an organization established in 1980. In 1996, he co-founded the Zen Peace ...
* 2006:
Merle Kodo Boyd Merle Kodo Boyd (December 23, 1944 – February 20, 2022) was an American Zen Buddhism, Zen Buddhist nun. She was the first African-American woman to receive Dharma transmission in Zen Buddhism, as a Dharma heir of Wendy Egyoku Nakao in the White ...
becomes first
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
woman to receive Dharma transmission in Zen Buddhism, which she received from
Wendy Egyoku Nakao Wendy Egyoku Nakao Roshi is the abbot emeritus and head teacher of the Zen Center of Los Angeles. She moved into the center in 1978 and later received Dharma transmission and inka from Bernard Glassman. She assumed her abbotship in 1999. Accordin ...
. * 2006: The Nashville Mindfulness Center is founded by Tiếp Hiện *2007: Joko Dave Haselwood receives dharma transmission from Jisho Warner. * 2007 Kannon Do completes construction and occupies larger center in Mountain View, CA * 2007:
Rochester Zen Center The Rochester Zen Center (RZC) is a Sōtō and Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha in the Kapleau lineage, located in Rochester, New York and established in 1966 by Philip Kapleau. It is one of the oldest Zen centers in the United States. History Since ...
completes country zendo in
Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
New York called Chapin Mill Zen Retreat Center. * 2008: Roko Sherry Chayat is formally recognized as a "Zen master" * 2008: Genjo Marinello receives Dharma transmission from Eido Tai Shimano * 2008: Hsi Lai Temple celebrates 20th anniversary * 2009: Sheng-yen dies on February 3 at age 80 in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
* 2009
Ancient Dragon Zen Gate
is founded by Taigen Daniel Leighton in Chicago. * 2009:
John Daido Loori John Daido Loori (June 14, 1931 – October 9, 2009) was a Zen Buddhist rōshi who served as the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and was the founder of the Mountains and Rivers Order and CEO of Dharma Communications. Daido Loori received s ...
dies in New York at age 78 in
Mount Tremper Mount Tremper, officially known as Tremper Mountain and originally called Timothyberg, is one of the Catskill Mountains in the U.S. state of New York. It is located near the hamlet of Phoenicia, in the valley of Esopus Creek. At in elevatio ...


2010–Present

* 2010: Robert Aitken dies in Hawaii at age 93. * 2010: Eko Little resigns as abbot of
Shasta Abbey Shasta Abbey, located on sixteen forested acres near Mount Shasta in northern California, United States is a training monastery for Buddhist monks and a place of practice for lay Buddhists and interested visitors. It was established in 1970 by R ...
due to misconduct and subsequently disrobes * 2010: Eido Shimano resigns from the board of the
Zen Studies Society The Zen Studies Society was established in 1956 by Cornelius Crane to help assist the scholar Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki in his work and to help promulgate Zen Buddhism in Western countries. It operates both New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in New York City a ...
due to misconduct in July; retires as abbot of the
Zen Studies Society The Zen Studies Society was established in 1956 by Cornelius Crane to help assist the scholar Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki in his work and to help promulgate Zen Buddhism in Western countries. It operates both New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in New York City a ...
in December * 2010: The
Soto Zen Buddhist Association The Soto Zen Buddhist Association was formed in 1996 by American and Japanese Zen teachers in response to a perceived need to draw the various autonomous lineages of the North American Sōtō stream of Zen together for mutual support as well as ...
(SZBA) approves a document honoring the women ancestors in the Zen tradition at its biannual meeting on October 8, 2010. Female ancestors, dating back 2,500 years from India, China, and Japan, may now be included in the curriculum, ritual, and training offered to Western Zen students. * 2010: Karin Kempe, Ken Morgareidge, and Peggy Sheehan receive Dharma transmission and appointment of abbacy from Danan Henry Roshi who steps down as abbot of th
Zen Center of Denver
* 2011: Gyobutsuji Zen Monastery 行仏寺 gyōbutsu-ji) a Soto Zen monastery in the line of Shōhaku Okumura is dedicated near Kingston, Arkansas. * 2011: Roko Sherry Chayat was installed as the second Abbot of Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji on New Year's Day. * 2011: February,
Dennis Genpo Merzel Dennis Merzel (born June 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American Zen and spirituality teacher, also known as Genpo Merzel. Biography Early life Dennis Paul Merzel was born on June 3, 1944 in Brooklyn, New York and was raised and schoo ...
steps down as abbot of the
Kanzeon Zen Center Kanzeon Zen Center was a Zen Buddhist center located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was an affiliate of the White Plum Asanga, an association of Zen centers stemming from the tradition of Taizan Maezumi. The founder and Abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center ...
and resigns as elder of the White Plum Asanga due to sexual misconduct * 2011:
Joko Beck Charlotte Joko Beck (March 27, 1917 – June 15, 2011) was an American Zen teacher and the author of the books ''Everyday Zen: Love and Work'' and ''Nothing Special: Living Zen''. Biography Born in New Jersey, Beck studied music at the Oberlin ...
dies *2012: Helen Cortes, Lee Ann Nail and Maria Reis-Habito received Dharma Transmission from Ruben Habito of Maria Kannon Zen Center. * 2012: Dana Kojun Hull receives Dharma Transmission from Jan Chozen Bays and Hogen Bays at Great Vow Zen Monastery * 2012: Seikan Hasegawa's book ''Essays for Buddhist Trainees'' is published by Great Ocean Publishers * 2013: Korinji 的山光林禅寺 a Rinzai Zen monastery in the line of Tekio Sogen Roshi, is dedicated near Madison, Wisconsin. * 2014:
Kyozan Joshu Sasaki , Roshi (April 1, 1907 – July 27, 2014) was a Japanese Rinzai Zen teacher who sought to tailor his teachings to westerners, he lived in Los Angeles, United States. Joshu Sasaki opened dozens of centres and was founder and head abbot of the Mou ...
dies in Los Angeles at age 107. * 2014: Kyogen Carlson dies in Portland at age 65 * 2015: Harvey Daiho Hilbert retires as abbot of the Order of Clear Mind Zen and becomes abbot emeritus. * 2015: Kathryn Shukke Shin Hilbert is installed as abbot of the Order of Clear Mind Zen. * 2015: Joshin Brian Byrnes becomes vice-abbot of
Upaya Institute and Zen Center Upaya Institute and Zen Center is a center for residential Zen practice located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and founded by Joan Halifax Roshi. The center focuses on integration of Zen practice with social action, with traditional cultivation of wisd ...
. * 2016: Robert Livingston Roshi retires as abbot of New Orleans Zen Temple and becomes abbot emeritus. Richard Collins Roshi becomes abbot. * 2016
Rafe Martin
receives Dharma transmission from Danan Henry Roshi in a ceremony at th
Rochester Zen Center
* 2016: Rebecca Li receives Dharma transmission from Simon Child. * 2016: Ron Hogen Green receives Dharma transmission from
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Geoffrey Shugen Arnold is Rōshi of the Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO) founded by John Daido Loori, from whom Shugen received shiho, or dharma transmission, in July 1997.Seager, 257 As a lineage holder in the Sōtō tradition, Shugen currently ...
at Zen Mountain Monastery. * 2017: Jody Hojin Kimmel receives Dharma transmission from
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Geoffrey Shugen Arnold is Rōshi of the Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO) founded by John Daido Loori, from whom Shugen received shiho, or dharma transmission, in July 1997.Seager, 257 As a lineage holder in the Sōtō tradition, Shugen currently ...
at Zen Mountain Monastery. * 2018: Vanessa Zuisei Goddard receives Dharma transmission from
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Geoffrey Shugen Arnold is Rōshi of the Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO) founded by John Daido Loori, from whom Shugen received shiho, or dharma transmission, in July 1997.Seager, 257 As a lineage holder in the Sōtō tradition, Shugen currently ...
at Zen Mountain Monastery. * 2018
Harvey Daiho Hilbert
was re-instated as Abbot of the Order of Clear Mind Zen. * 2018: Joshin Brian Byrnes founds and becomes guiding teacher of Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community


References

* {{Timeline of religion .03 Buddhism, Zen
Zen Buddhism Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), an ...
Zen, Timeline Timelines of Buddhist history