Dennis Genpo Merzel
Encyclopedia
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 become a school teacher. He is the founder and former Abbot of Kanzeon Zen Center
, and developed the Big Mind
Process, which combines "Eastern, Buddhist insights with Western psychoanalytical ideas." Merzel has organized Big Mind retreats and events nationally and internationally, such as an annual event in the Netherlands
that has attracted hundreds of participants.
In February 2011, after admitting to three extra-marital sexual affairs, including with a senior student, Merzel said he would disrobe as a Buddhist priest, resign as an elder of the White Plum Asanga
, step down as Abbot of Kanzeon, and stop teaching for an indefinite period of time to seek counseling. 44 American Buddhist teachers then wrote a letter suggesting a course of action for Merzel, including a minimum one-year leave of absence and therapy. By April, Merzel had reversed his position, saying that too many students and his organizations depended on him financially and spiritually.
66 American Buddhist teachers responded with a forceful public letter to Merzel requesting that he follow through with his stated intention to stop teaching for some time, considering his "habitual abuses of power". Merzel countered that this letter was itself worse than his behavior, and continued to lead retreats. He and his wife are divorcing.
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...
and spirituality teacher, also known as Genpo Merzel Roshi
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...
. He was a student and is heir of the Japanese-born Zen teacher 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...
. Merzel obtained a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in educational administration from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and went on to become a school teacher. He is the founder and former Abbot of 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...
, and developed the Big Mind
Big Mind
Used particularly within the Zen tradition, the term Big Mind can have different meanings in different contexts, even within Buddhism. Japanese Soto Zen founder Dōgen Zenji uses the phrase in his Tenzo Kyōkun ; as does 20th c. Zen master Shunryu Suzuki in talks collected in the book Zen Mind,...
Process, which combines "Eastern, Buddhist insights with Western psychoanalytical ideas." Merzel has organized Big Mind retreats and events nationally and internationally, such as an annual event in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
that has attracted hundreds of participants.
In February 2011, after admitting to three extra-marital sexual affairs, including with a senior student, Merzel said he would disrobe as a Buddhist priest, resign as an elder of the White Plum Asanga
White Plum Asanga
White Plum Asanga, sometimes termed White Plum Sangha, is a Zen school in the Harada-Yasutani lineage, created by the late Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi. It consists of Maezumi's Dharma heirs and subsequent successors and students...
, step down as Abbot of Kanzeon, and stop teaching for an indefinite period of time to seek counseling. 44 American Buddhist teachers then wrote a letter suggesting a course of action for Merzel, including a minimum one-year leave of absence and therapy. By April, Merzel had reversed his position, saying that too many students and his organizations depended on him financially and spiritually.
66 American Buddhist teachers responded with a forceful public letter to Merzel requesting that he follow through with his stated intention to stop teaching for some time, considering his "habitual abuses of power". Merzel countered that this letter was itself worse than his behavior, and continued to lead retreats. He and his wife are divorcing.
Publications
- The Eye Never Sleeps: Striking to the Heart of Zen (1991, Shambhala PublicationsShambhala PublicationsShambhala Publications is an independent publishing company based in Boston, Massachusetts. According to the company, it specializes in "books that present creative and conscious ways of transforming the individual, the society, and the planet". Many of its books deal with Buddhism or related topics...
) - Beyond Sanity and Madness the Way of Zen Master Dogen (1994, Tuttle PublishingTuttle PublishingTuttle Publishing, originally the Charles E. Tuttle Company, is a book publishing company that includes Tuttle, Periplus Editions, and Journey Editions...
) - 24/7 Dharma: Impermanence, No-Self, Nirvana (2001, Journey Editions)
- The Path of the Human Being: Zen Teachings on the Bodhisattva Way (2005, Shambhala Publications)
- Big Mind, Big Heart: Finding Your Way (2007, Big Mind Publishing)
External links