Mel Weitsman

Hakuryu Sojun Mel Weitsman (July 20, 1929 – January 7, 2021), born Mel Weitsman, was an American Buddhist who was the founder, abbot and guiding teacher of Berkeley Zen Center located in Berkeley, California. Weitsman was a Soto Zen roshi practicing in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki, having received Dharma transmission in 1984 from Suzuki's son Hoitsu. He was also a co-abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center, where he served from 1988 to 1997. Weitsman was also editor of the book Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness: Zen Talks on the Sandokai, based on talks given by Suzuki on the Sandokai.

Mel Weitsman
Sojun Mel Weitsman wielding a hossu.
Title	Abbot
Personal
Born	Mel Weitsman (1929-07-20)July 20, 1929 Southern California, U.S.
Died	January 7, 2021(2021-01-07) (aged 91)
Religion	Zen Buddhism
Nationality	American
School	Sōtō
Lineage	Shunryu Suzuki
Senior posting
Teacher	Shunryu Suzuki
Based in	Berkeley Zen Center
Predecessor	Hoitsu Suzuki
Successor	Zenkei Blanche Hartman Zoketsu Norman Fischer Ryushin Paul Haller Peter Schneider (zen priest) Hozan Alan Senauke Maylie Scott Josho Pat Phelan Grace Schireson Dairyu Michael Wenger Myōgen Steve Stücky Shōsan Victoria Austin Steve Weintraub Raul Moncayo Gil Fronsdal Fran Tribe Mary Mocine Myōan Grace Schireson Daijaku Kinst Shinshu Roberts Teah Strozer Chikudō Lew Richmond Edward Espe Brown Idilio Ceniceros

Biography

Mel Weitsman was born in Southern California in 1929, to Edward Weitsman and Leah Rosenberg Weitsman. Interested in religion from an early age, he started practicing at the San Francisco Zen Center under Shunryu Suzuki in 1964. He co-founded the Berkeley Zen Center with his teacher in 1967. Suzuki ordained Weitsman as a priest in 1969, and arranged for him to be Shuso (Head Monk) in 1970 under Tatsugami Roshi at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. His other teachers included Dainin Katagiri Roshi, Kobun Chino Roshi, Ryogen Yoshimura and Kazuaki Tanahashi, with whom he has often worked on translations of Zen texts. In 1984, Weitsman received Dharma transmission from Suzuki Roshi's son and Dharma Heir, Hoitsu Suzuki Roshi, Abbot of Rinso-In Temple in Yaizu, Japan. Installed as Abbot of Berkeley Zen Center in 1985, he later was invited to lead San Francisco Zen Center as co-abbot with Tenshin Reb Anderson from 1988 to 1997, following the eviction of Zen Center's previous abbot, Richard Baker, because of sexual scandal and allegations of financial wrongdoing. He co-founded the American Zen Teachers Association (AZTA) with senior American Dharma teachers Tetsugen Bernard Glassman, Dennis Genpo Merzel and Keido Les Kaye in 1995. Weitsman has entrusted the Dharma to over twenty individuals, including Zenkei Blanche Hartman (1988) and Zoketsu Norman Fischer (1988).

Lineage

1. Josho Pat Phelan (?—present)
2. Mary Mocine (?—present)
3. Myoan Grace Schireson (born 1946)
   1. Jane Myokaku Schneider (?—present)
   2. Myosho Baika Andrea Pratt (born 1960)
4. Shinshu Roberts (?—present)
5. Daijaku Judith Kinst (?—present)
6. Soshin Teah Strozer (?—present)
7. Chikudo Lew Richmond (?—present)
8. Peter Yozen Schneider (?—present)
9. Shosan Victoria Austin (?—present)
10. Dairyu Michael Wenger (born 1947)
    1. Darlene Su Rei Cohen (☸ 1942—2011)
       1. Susan Ji-On Postal (?—present)
          1. Myozan Dennis Keegan (?—present)
       2. Horyu Ryotan Cynthia Kear (?—present)
       3. Sarita Tamayo-Moraga (?—present)
    2. Mark Lancaster (?—present)
11. Hozan Alan Senauke (born 1947)
12. Maylie Scott (☸ 1935—2001)
13. Fran Tribe (☸)
14. Gil Fronsdal (born 1954)
15. Edward Espe Brown (born 1945)
16. Ryushin Paul Haller (born 1947)
17. Myogen Steve Stucky (?—2014)
18. Steve Weintraub (?—present)
19. Zoketsu Norman Fischer (born 1946)
    1. Do-An Robert Thomas (?—present)
    2. Shokan Jordan Thorn (?—present)
    3. Ingen Breen (?—present)
    4. Bruce Fortin (?—present)
    5. Arlene Lueck (?—present)
    6. Daigan Lueck (☸ ?—2015)
    7. Shinko Rick Slone (?—present)
    8. Gloria Ann Lee (?—present)
    9. Myphon Hunt (?—present) retired
    10. Gyokujun Teishin Layla Smith (born 1946)
20. Zenkei Blanche Hartman (?—present)
    1. Kosho McCall (born 1946)
    2. Seirin Barbara Kohn (?—present) retired
    3. Gengetsu Jana Drakka (born 1952)
    4. John Daniel King (☸ 1935—2001)
    5. Ryumon Hilda Guitierrez Baldoquin (?—present)

See also

• Sōtō Zen
• Shunryu Suzuki
• San Francisco Zen Center
• Berkeley Zen Center
• Soto Zen Buddhist Association
• American Zen Teachers Association
• Zen in the United States
• Buddhism in the United States
• Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States

References

Sources

• Ford, James Ishmael (2006). Zen Master Who?: A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-509-8.
• Downing, Michael (2002). Shoes Outside the Door: Desire, Devotion, and Excess at San Francisco Zen Center. Counterpoint. ISBN 1-58243-254-6.
• Gach, Gary (1998). What Book!?: Buddha Poems from Beat to Hiphop. Parallax Press. ISBN 0-938077-92-9.
• Prebish, Charles S.; Kenneth Kenʼichi Tanaka (1998). The Faces of Buddhism in America. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21301-7. OCLC 37782936.
• Skinner Keller, Rosemary; Rosemary Radford Ruether; Marie Cantlon (2006). The Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-34685-1. OCLC 61711172.
• "Lineage, San Francisco Zen Center: About Us". San Francisco Zen Center. Archived from the original on October 14, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2009.