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…