Charlotte Joko Beck (March 27, 1917 – June 15, 2011
) was an American
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 ...
teacher and the author of the books ''Everyday Zen: Love and Work'' and ''Nothing Special: Living Zen''.
Biography
Born in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, Beck studied music at the
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a private music conservatory in Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1865 and is the second oldest conservatory and oldest continually operating conservatory in the United States. It is one of ...
and worked for some time as a pianist and
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
teacher. She married and raised a family of four children, then separated from her husband and worked as a teacher, secretary, and assistant in a university department. She began Zen practice in her 40s with
Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi 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 ...
,
and later with
Hakuun Yasutani
was a Sōtō rōshi, the founder of the Sanbo Kyodan organization of Japanese Zen.
Biography
Ryōkō Yasutani (安谷 量衡) was born in Japan in Shizuoka Prefecture. His family was very poor, and therefore he was adopted by another family. ...
and
Soen Nakagawa.
Beck received
Dharma transmission from Taizan Maezumi Roshi in 1978,
but broke with Maezumi over
his actions and opened Zen Center San Diego in 1983,
serving as its head teacher until July 2006.
Beck was responsible for a number of important innovations in Zen teaching. Because she was adept at teaching students to work with their psychological states, she attracted a number of students who were interested in the relationship between Zen and modern psychology. Several of her Dharma heirs are practicing psychologists/psychiatrists.
In 1995 Joko, along with three of her Dharma heirs, founded the
Ordinary Mind Zen 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 ...
.
Shortly after Beck’s departure in 2006, she revoked Dharma transmission from two senior students: Ezra Bayda and Elizabeth Hamilton. Beck also stated that Zen Center San Diego should not claim to represent her or her teaching.
In 2006 Joko moved to
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott ( ) is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the city's population was 45,827. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County.
In 1864, Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona ...
, where she continued to teach until she retired as a teacher in late 2010. In the spring of 2010, Joko announced Gary Nafstad as her last Dharma successor.
Beck died on June 15, 2011 at age 94.
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Lineage
Joko Beck appointed nine teachers:
Books
*
*
*
See also
*Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States
Below is a timeline of important events regarding Zen Buddhism in the United States. Dates with "?" are approximate.
Events
Early history
* 1893: Soyen Shaku comes to the United States to lecture at the World Parliament of Religions held in ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
Wilkefilm documentary on Joko Beck
(2001)
Upaya Newsletter for 6/20/2011
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beck, Charlotte Joko
1917 births
2011 deaths
American Buddhists
Oberlin College alumni
Zen Buddhism writers
Zen Buddhist spiritual teachers
American Zen Buddhists
American Buddhist nuns
20th-century Buddhist nuns
21st-century Buddhist nuns
21st-century American women