Ordinary Mind Zen School
Encyclopedia
The Ordinary Mind Zen School is a network of independent Zen centers established by Charlotte Joko Beck and her Dharma Successors in 1995. The school is unaffiliated with any Zen centers that falls outside of its own network. The history of the Ordinary Mind Zen School dates back to 1983, which was the year that Joko Beck had left the Zen Center of Los Angeles
. That was the year her teacher, Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi, had been confronted by his students about his alcoholism
and sexual liaisons with some female students. Joko Beck established the Zen Center of San Diego in 1983, currently run by Ezra Bayda and Elizabeth Hamilton, though Joko Beck has disassociated herself from these teachers. According to Richard Hughes Seager, "By 1998, the Ordinary Mind School had centers in San Diego, Champaign, Illinois
, Oakland, California
, and New York City
." There is no one set structure of curriculum in the Ordinary Mind School, as the Dharma Successors of Joko Beck get to decide their method of training independent of any organizational head. Before retirement, Joko Beck had done away with all titles and no longer wore her okesa. She had distanced herself considerably from her roots in the Sōtō
school, and much of the ceremony had been abandoned in favor of informality.
Zen Center of Los Angeles
The Zen Center of Los Angeles , 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 practice...
. That was the year her teacher, Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi, had been confronted by his students about his alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and sexual liaisons with some female students. Joko Beck established the Zen Center of San Diego in 1983, currently run by Ezra Bayda and Elizabeth Hamilton, though Joko Beck has disassociated herself from these teachers. According to Richard Hughes Seager, "By 1998, the Ordinary Mind School had centers in San Diego, Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
." There is no one set structure of curriculum in the Ordinary Mind School, as the Dharma Successors of Joko Beck get to decide their method of training independent of any organizational head. Before retirement, Joko Beck had done away with all titles and no longer wore her okesa. She had distanced herself considerably from her roots in the Sōtō
Soto
Sōtō Zen , or is, with Rinzai and Ōbaku, one of the three most populous sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century...
school, and much of the ceremony had been abandoned in favor of informality.
Teachers
- Barry Magid (Ordinary Mind Zendo)
- Pat Jikyo George (Zen Center of Philadelphia)
- Larry Christensen (Zen Center of Portland)
- Elihu Genmyo Smith (Prairie Zen Center)
- Diane Rizzetto (Bay Zen Center)
- Anna Christensen
- Gregg Howard (Ordinary Mind Zen Brisbane)
- Geoff Dawson (Ordinary Mind Zen Sydney)
- Peg Syverson (Appamada in Austin, TX)