Aug 25, 2014
The recent death of Joshu Sasaki Roshi and the publication of an extensive article on John Howard Yoder raise once again the contradiction of beneficial teachings and abusive teachers. What legacies do these prominent faith leaders leave?
Joshu Sasaki Roshi was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist teacher who came to the U.S. in 1962 and taught for over 50 years. He was very influential in bringing Zen Buddhism to the U.S. and he was equally controversial because of his sexual abuse of women students. Although many people knew about Sasaki’s misconduct, no one was able to successfully challenge him or hold him accountable. Some teachers and students explained that Sasaki’s sexual touching of women students was part of his “teaching.” Others were clear that he was abusing students and some began to speak out.
In an article by Mark Oppenheimer, Bob Mammoser, a resident monk at Rinzai-ji, said that he had heard allegations about Sasaki since 1980 and did not doubt their veracity. Mammoser also said, “What’s important and is overlooked, is that, besides this aspect (italics mine), Roshi was a commanding and inspiring figure using Buddhist practice to help thousands find more peace, clarity, and happiness in their own lives.” What about the hundreds of Sasaki’s students who found chaos, confusion and suffering in their lives because of his sexual abuse?
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.