Kannon Do Zen Meditation Center
Encyclopedia
Kannon Do Zen Meditation Center provides Soto
Zen
practice in the San Francisco Peninsula and the South Bay. Named after Kannon, the Buddhist personification of compassion, the center provides a supportive environment in which Americans can experience traditional Zen teaching.
arrived in San Francisco from Japan in 1959 to be resident priest of Sokoji, the Japanese-American Soto Zen Mission in San Francisco. In 1961, he and his new American Zen students founded the San Francisco Zen Center. (The early history of Zen Center and Suzuki's life in the U.S. are well documented in his 1999 biography Crooked Cucumber by David Chadwick.)
In November, 1964, a "sitting group" was set up in Palo Alto. The first morning zazen
and lecture was held at 1005 Bryant Street in Palo Alto. An evening group was later established in Redwood City. In 1965, the morning group moved to Marian Derby's home in Los Altos, joined by the evening group a year later. Meditation
was followed by a brief lecture and an informal breakfast, with family-like discussions with Suzuki at the breakfast table. In a tradition that continues at Kannon Do, tea and cookies were served following the weekly lecture.
In 1965, Derby tape-recorded and transcribed Suzuki's morning lectures. From 1968, Trudy Dixon edited the lectures into a book, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, published in 1971.
In 1966, the garage was converted to a meditation hall in the style of Soto
Zen
temples in Japan
, to Suzuki's design. Construction, by Sangha
members, began in June, 1966. Haiku Zendo, named for its seventeen cushions that matched the number of syllables in a Haiku
poem, was officially opened on August 4, 1966.
In 1970, Kobun Chino-sensei became Haiku Zendo's resident teacher.
In 1979, the Sangha bought a small former Pentecostal church on College Avenue in Mountain View
for $40,000. The new zendo was named Kannon Do, "place of compassion". In 1983, Kobun appointed Les Kaye the spiritual leader of Kannon Do.
After years of preparation, the present Kannon Do was dedicated on March 3, 2007, on a one-half acre property acquired for $800,000, at 1972 Rock Street in Mountain View. It serves the surrounding Santa Clara Valley
communities.
Kannon Do shares this tradition of practice established by Shunryu Suzuki
with
monk by Shunryu Suzuki
in 1971. Kaye was appointed spiritual leader of Kannon Do in 1982. In 1986, Kaye was recognized as a Zen teacher and a successor in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. Kaye worked for IBM
in San Jose for over 30 years. He teaches the Meditation at Work program to organizations in Silicon Valley.
Kaye's book Zen at Work tells how his own meditation practice enhanced his life and work at IBM.
In his workbook Oryoki Manual, Kaye explains the traditional way of serving and eating meals in Soto Zen Monasteries.
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...
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...
practice in the San Francisco Peninsula and the South Bay. Named after Kannon, the Buddhist personification of compassion, the center provides a supportive environment in which Americans can experience traditional Zen teaching.
History
Zen Master Shunryu SuzukiShunryu Suzuki
Shunryu Suzuki was a Sōtō Zen roshi who popularized Zen Buddhism in the United States, particularly around San Francisco. Born in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan, Suzuki was occasionally mistaken for the Zen scholar D.T...
arrived in San Francisco from Japan in 1959 to be resident priest of Sokoji, the Japanese-American Soto Zen Mission in San Francisco. In 1961, he and his new American Zen students founded the San Francisco Zen Center. (The early history of Zen Center and Suzuki's life in the U.S. are well documented in his 1999 biography Crooked Cucumber by David Chadwick.)
In November, 1964, a "sitting group" was set up in Palo Alto. The first morning 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...
and lecture was held at 1005 Bryant Street in Palo Alto. An evening group was later established in Redwood City. In 1965, the morning group moved to Marian Derby's home in Los Altos, joined by the evening group a year later. Meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
was followed by a brief lecture and an informal breakfast, with family-like discussions with Suzuki at the breakfast table. In a tradition that continues at Kannon Do, tea and cookies were served following the weekly lecture.
In 1965, Derby tape-recorded and transcribed Suzuki's morning lectures. From 1968, Trudy Dixon edited the lectures into a book, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, published in 1971.
In 1966, the garage was converted to a meditation hall in the style of Soto
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...
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...
temples in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, to Suzuki's design. Construction, by Sangha
Sangha
Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
members, began in June, 1966. Haiku Zendo, named for its seventeen cushions that matched the number of syllables in a Haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
poem, was officially opened on August 4, 1966.
In 1970, Kobun Chino-sensei became Haiku Zendo's resident teacher.
In 1979, the Sangha bought a small former Pentecostal church on College Avenue in Mountain View
Mountain View
-Canada:*Mountain View County, Alberta, a municipal district*Mountain View, Alberta, a hamlet in Cardston County*Mountain View, Ontario, a community in Prince Edward County*Mountain View No...
for $40,000. The new zendo was named Kannon Do, "place of compassion". In 1983, Kobun appointed Les Kaye the spiritual leader of Kannon Do.
After years of preparation, the present Kannon Do was dedicated on March 3, 2007, on a one-half acre property acquired for $800,000, at 1972 Rock Street in Mountain View. It serves the surrounding Santa Clara Valley
Santa Clara Valley
The Santa Clara Valley is a valley just south of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California in the United States. Much of Santa Clara County and its county seat, San José, are in the Santa Clara Valley. The valley was originally known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight for its high concentration...
communities.
Branch centers and centers of similar tradition
Kannon Do branch centers include- Zen Heart Sanghain Menlo Park / Woodside, Misha Shungen Merrill, Dharma heir of Les Kaye Roshi
- Ashland Zen Center in Ashland, Oregon, Harold Little and Patty Krahl ordained by Les Kaye Roshi
- Casco Zen Center in Casco, Maine
- Middle Way Zen in San Jose, Cornelia Junfu Shonkwiler, Dharma heir of Les Kaye Roshi
- Zen-Boulay.org in Paris, France
Kannon Do shares this tradition of practice established by Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu Suzuki was a Sōtō Zen roshi who popularized Zen Buddhism in the United States, particularly around San Francisco. Born in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan, Suzuki was occasionally mistaken for the Zen scholar D.T...
with
- San Francisco Zen CenterSan Francisco Zen CenterSan Francisco Zen Center , is a network of affiliated Sōtō Zen practice and retreat centers in the San Francisco Bay area, comprising the City Center or Beginner's Mind Temple, the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. The sangha was incorporated by Shunryu...
- Tassajara Zen Mountain CenterTassajara Zen Mountain Center-External links:*...
- Berkeley Zen CenterBerkeley Zen CenterBerkeley Zen Center , temple name , is a Sōtō Zen Buddhist practice center located in Berkeley, California led by Sojun Mel Weitsman. An informal affiliate to the San Francisco Zen Center , BZC was originally founded in 1967 by Weitsman and Shunryu Suzuki as a satellite group for the SFZC...
- Sonoma Zen Mountain Center
- Green Gulch Farm Zen CenterGreen Gulch Farm Zen CenterGreen Gulch Farm Zen Center, or Soryu-ji is a Soto Zen practice center located near Muir Beach, California that practices in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. In addition to its Zen training program, the center also manages an organic farm and gardens...
Abbot
Les Kaye is the current abbot of Kannon Do. He was ordained as a ZenZen
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...
monk by Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu Suzuki
Shunryu Suzuki was a Sōtō Zen roshi who popularized Zen Buddhism in the United States, particularly around San Francisco. Born in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan, Suzuki was occasionally mistaken for the Zen scholar D.T...
in 1971. Kaye was appointed spiritual leader of Kannon Do in 1982. In 1986, Kaye was recognized as a Zen teacher and a successor in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. Kaye worked for IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
in San Jose for over 30 years. He teaches the Meditation at Work program to organizations in Silicon Valley.
Kaye's book Zen at Work tells how his own meditation practice enhanced his life and work at IBM.
In his workbook Oryoki Manual, Kaye explains the traditional way of serving and eating meals in Soto Zen Monasteries.