Charles Tenshin Fletcher
Encyclopedia
Charles Tenshin Fletcher is a British-born American rōshi
. Born in Manchester, England, he moved to the United States in 1979 to study at the Zen Center of Los Angeles with founder Taizan Maezumi
Rōshi
, for whom he served as jisha
(personal attendant). In 1994, he received Dharma transmission
(authorization to teach) in the White Plum lineage from Taizan Maezumi
Rōshi. He acted as administrator for many years at Zen Center of Los Angeles, and then was made abbot of Yokoji Zen Mountain Center
in 1995 after the death of Taizan Maezumi
Rōshi on May 15, 1995.
Charles Tenshin Fletcher Rōshi continues as the abbot at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center
, in the San Jacinto Mountains
, near Idyllwild, California. He is one of twelve North American teachers certified as a Dendōkyōshi ("Teacher of the Transmission of the Way") by Sōtō-shū, that is, the Japanese Sōtō Zen sect.
Tenshin Rōshi has trained thoroughly in kōan and shikantaza
as well as other more recently developed forms of practice. In addition to his work in the US, he returns to the UK annually to lead a sesshin
near Liverpool.
Roshi
is a Japanese honorific title used in Zen Buddhism that literally means "old teacher" or "elder master" and sometimes denotes a person who gives spiritual guidance to a Zen sangha or congregation...
. Born in Manchester, England, he moved to the United States in 1979 to study at the Zen Center of Los Angeles with founder Taizan Maezumi
Taizan Maezumi
Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai and Harada-Yasutani traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of koans and the Sōtō emphasis on shikantaza in his teachings, influenced by his years studying under Hakuun Yasutani in the...
Rōshi
Roshi
is a Japanese honorific title used in Zen Buddhism that literally means "old teacher" or "elder master" and sometimes denotes a person who gives spiritual guidance to a Zen sangha or congregation...
, for whom he served as jisha
Jisha
For the article about temple-shrines with his jisha Simon Heale]], along with the titles inji and sannō, are Japanese terms used in reference to the personal attendant of a monastery's abbot or teacher in Zen Buddhism. In the Rinzai school, the term is usually either inji or sannō...
(personal attendant). In 1994, he received Dharma transmission
Dharma transmission
Dharma transmission refers to "the manner in which the teaching, or Dharma, is passed from a Zen master to their disciple and heir...
(authorization to teach) in the White Plum lineage from Taizan Maezumi
Taizan Maezumi
Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai and Harada-Yasutani traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of koans and the Sōtō emphasis on shikantaza in his teachings, influenced by his years studying under Hakuun Yasutani in the...
Rōshi. He acted as administrator for many years at Zen Center of Los Angeles, and then was made abbot of Yokoji Zen Mountain Center
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 of sacred Native American land and wilderness....
in 1995 after the death of Taizan Maezumi
Taizan Maezumi
Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and rōshi, and lineage holder in the Sōtō, Rinzai and Harada-Yasutani traditions of Zen. He combined the Rinzai use of koans and the Sōtō emphasis on shikantaza in his teachings, influenced by his years studying under Hakuun Yasutani in the...
Rōshi on May 15, 1995.
Charles Tenshin Fletcher Rōshi continues as the abbot at Yokoji Zen Mountain Center
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 of sacred Native American land and wilderness....
, in the San Jacinto Mountains
San Jacinto Mountains
The San Jacinto Mountains are a mountain range east of Los Angeles in southern California in the United States. The mountains are named for Saint Hyacinth . The Pacific Crest Trail runs along the spine of the range.The range extends for approximately from the San Bernardino Mountains southeast to...
, near Idyllwild, California. He is one of twelve North American teachers certified as a Dendōkyōshi ("Teacher of the Transmission of the Way") by Sōtō-shū, that is, the Japanese Sōtō Zen sect.
Tenshin Rōshi has trained thoroughly in kōan and shikantaza
Shikantaza
is a Japanese term for zazen introduced by Rujing and associated most with the Soto school of Zen Buddhism. Ford cites on p. 224 an opinion that it is "the base of all Zen disciplines." Some people claim that according to Dōgen Zenji, shikantaza i.e...
as well as other more recently developed forms of practice. In addition to his work in the US, he returns to the UK annually to lead a sesshin
Sesshin
A sesshin , literally "touching the heart-mind" , is a period of intensive meditation in a Zen monastery....
near Liverpool.
Publications
- Tenshin Rōshi co-authored Way of ZEN with David Shoji Scott (2001) ISBN 0-312-20620-8
External links
- Yokoji Zen Mountain Center, California (http://www.zmc.org)
- White Plum Asanga, US (http://www.whiteplum.org)
- The White Plum Zen Sangha, UK (http://www.zenbuddhism.co.uk)
- Green Mountain Zen, New Zealand (http://www.gmz.wellington.net.nz)
- StoneWater Zen Sangha, Liverpool, UK (http://www.stonewaterzen.org/)
- Soto Zen International (http://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/eng/org_tmpl_non_jpn.html)