Michael Zimmerman (sensei)
Encyclopedia
Michael Zimmerman is a prominent attorney, a former justice of the Utah Supreme Court
, and a Zen
teacher at Kanzeon Zen Center
(KZC) located in Salt Lake City, Utah
. He received shiho
from his teacher Dennis Genpo Merzel
in December 2006. Zimmerman, the former Chief Justice
of the Utah Supreme Court
, is married to Diane Musho Hamilton (also a sensei
at KZC). As a justice he was known for his ethics
, receiving in 1994 the "Excellence in Ethics Award" from the Center for the Study of Ethics at Utah Valley State College. Zimmerman had come to Zen Buddhism in 1993 seeking a support system for himself as his first wife Lynne battled terminal cancer
. Later, through his work in the courts, he met Diane and began sitting zazen
at Kanzeon Zen Center with Merzel under Hamilton's suggestion. The two were married by Merzel in 1998. Zimmerman is currently a practicing attorney
for Snell & Wilmer
in Salt Lake City. From 1984 to 2000 he served as a Justice for the Utah Supreme Court, and from 1994 to 1998 he acted as Chief Justice.
, entering its law school
following graduation. After law school, Zimmerman moved to Washington, D.C.
and worked as a judicial clerk for Warren E. Burger
, then the acting Chief Justice
of the United States Supreme Court. He then moved to Los Angeles
, working as a lawyer
for O’Melveny & Myers there. Zimmerman moved back to Utah to practice law for a short period, also serving as a special counsel to Utah Governor Scott Milne Matheson part time
. At the time of Zimmerman's joining in the Utah Supreme Court majority upholding prayers at government meetings as long as there was no religious restriction on who could give the prayer, Zimmerman was still an Episcopalian.
Zimmerman began a meditation practice in 1993 while his first wife, Lynne Mariani Zimmerman, was suffering a terminal illness. In 1996, at the suggestion of Diane Hamilton, he began sitting zazen
at Kanzeon Zen Center
. In 1998 he received jukai
and was given the Buddhist name of Mugaku ("no learning"). Later that year, he was married by his teacher, Dennis Genpo Merzel
, to Diane Musho Hamilton.http://mugaku.gaia.com/ In December 2006 he received Dharma transmission
from Dennis Genpo Merzel, giving him authority to teach Zen
to others.http://mugaku.gaia.com/
Utah Supreme Court
The Utah Supreme Court is the supreme court of the state of Utah, USA. It has final authority of interpretation of the Utah Constitution. The Utah Supreme Court is composed of five members: a chief justice, an associate chief justice, and three justices. All justices are appointed by the governor...
, and a Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
teacher at Kanzeon Zen Center
Kanzeon Zen Center
Kanzeon Zen Center is a Zen Buddhist center located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is an affiliate of the White Plum Asanga, an association of Zen centers stemming from the tradition of Taizan Maezumi. Currently, the Abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center is Dennis Genpo Merzel Roshi, and the Vice-Abbot is Rich...
(KZC) located in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. He received shiho
Shiho
refers to a series of ceremonies in Sōtō Zen Buddhism wherein which a priest receives full transmission, inheriting the Dharma from his/her master and becoming empowered to transmit the precepts and lineage to others. A shiho ceremony can last anywhere from one to three weeks, with the final...
from his teacher Dennis Genpo Merzel
Dennis Genpo Merzel
Dennis Merzel is an American Zen and spirituality teacher, also known as Genpo Merzel Roshi. He was a student and is heir of the Japanese-born Zen teacher Taizan Maezumi. Merzel obtained a Master's degree in educational administration from the University of Southern California and went on to...
in December 2006. Zimmerman, the former Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Utah Supreme Court
Utah Supreme Court
The Utah Supreme Court is the supreme court of the state of Utah, USA. It has final authority of interpretation of the Utah Constitution. The Utah Supreme Court is composed of five members: a chief justice, an associate chief justice, and three justices. All justices are appointed by the governor...
, is married to Diane Musho Hamilton (also a sensei
Sensei
' is a Japanese word that basically means "person born before another." In general usage, it means "master" or "teacher," and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority...
at KZC). As a justice he was known for his ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, receiving in 1994 the "Excellence in Ethics Award" from the Center for the Study of Ethics at Utah Valley State College. Zimmerman had come to Zen Buddhism in 1993 seeking a support system for himself as his first wife Lynne battled terminal cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Later, through his work in the courts, he met Diane and began sitting zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
at Kanzeon Zen Center with Merzel under Hamilton's suggestion. The two were married by Merzel in 1998. Zimmerman is currently a practicing attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
for Snell & Wilmer
Snell & Wilmer
Snell & Wilmer LLP is a law firm based in Phoenix, Arizona. The firm is the largest in the state of Arizona and the 99th largest in the United States by number of lawyers, according to the National Law Journal's 2007 statistics.-History:...
in Salt Lake City. From 1984 to 2000 he served as a Justice for the Utah Supreme Court, and from 1994 to 1998 he acted as Chief Justice.
Biography
Michael Zimmerman was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1943. He attended university at the University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, entering its law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
following graduation. After law school, Zimmerman moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and worked as a judicial clerk for Warren E. Burger
Warren E. Burger
Warren Earl Burger was the 15th Chief Justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986. Although Burger had conservative leanings, the U.S...
, then the acting Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the United States Supreme Court. He then moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, working as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
for O’Melveny & Myers there. Zimmerman moved back to Utah to practice law for a short period, also serving as a special counsel to Utah Governor Scott Milne Matheson part time
Part time
A part-time job is a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job. Workers are considered to be part time if they commonly work fewer than 30 or 35 hours per week...
. At the time of Zimmerman's joining in the Utah Supreme Court majority upholding prayers at government meetings as long as there was no religious restriction on who could give the prayer, Zimmerman was still an Episcopalian.
Zimmerman began a meditation practice in 1993 while his first wife, Lynne Mariani Zimmerman, was suffering a terminal illness. In 1996, at the suggestion of Diane Hamilton, he began sitting zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
at Kanzeon Zen Center
Kanzeon Zen Center
Kanzeon Zen Center is a Zen Buddhist center located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is an affiliate of the White Plum Asanga, an association of Zen centers stemming from the tradition of Taizan Maezumi. Currently, the Abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center is Dennis Genpo Merzel Roshi, and the Vice-Abbot is Rich...
. In 1998 he received jukai
Jukai
The Lay Buddhist ordination refers to the public ordination ceremony wherein a lay student of Zen Buddhism receives certain Buddhist precepts, "a rite in which they publicly avow allegiance to 'The Three Refuges' of Buddhist practice: The Buddha, the dharma and the sangha."-Soto School:In the Sōtō...
and was given the Buddhist name of Mugaku ("no learning"). Later that year, he was married by his teacher, Dennis Genpo Merzel
Dennis Genpo Merzel
Dennis Merzel is an American Zen and spirituality teacher, also known as Genpo Merzel Roshi. He was a student and is heir of the Japanese-born Zen teacher Taizan Maezumi. Merzel obtained a Master's degree in educational administration from the University of Southern California and went on to...
, to Diane Musho Hamilton.http://mugaku.gaia.com/ In December 2006 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...
from Dennis Genpo Merzel, giving him authority to teach Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
to others.http://mugaku.gaia.com/
Awards
- 1988: Utah State Bar Appellate Judge of the Year
- 1994: Excellence in Ethics Award (Utah Valley State College)
- 1998: Distinguished Service Award from the Utah State Bar
- 2001: Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of UtahUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...