UNITED STATES
Huffington Post
Michael Sigman
Accusations that one of the most powerful American Zen Buddhist figures of the past half-century has sexually harassed, groped and bullied hundreds of female students have unleashed outrage in the Buddhist community.
The allegations against 105-year-old Joshu Sasaki Roshi — contained in an investigative report from a group of respected Buddhist leaders — have also produced a troubling counter-narrative: that Roshi has done so much good for his students that his abusive behavior is just a “flaw.” One mucky muck monk, who claims to have known of Sasaki’s serial misconduct for more than 20 years, told the New York Times, “It’s like when you marry somebody and you get their strengths and wonderful qualities as well as their weaknesses.”
As Seth Meyers likes to say on SNL’s Weekend Update, “Really?”
Sasaki’s teachings have been central to the lives of thousands of budding Buddhists at his three American Zen centers and have reached many thousands more at affiliated locations around the world.
Among the women who say that Roshi has profoundly enhanced their lives is a friend who was appalled by his groping, yet recognizes what she calls his immense capacity for compassion as well as his compulsive behavior. His teachings inspired her but so did his actions, which seriously impacted her marriage. Today she wonders how he can be an enlightened religious leader while stubbornly continuing to abuse female students.
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