Cambridge Buddhist Association
Encyclopedia
The Cambridge Buddhist Association was informally founded in 1957 when D.T. Suzuki moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts
and befriended John and Elsie Mitchell, who ran a vast library of books on Buddhism
and held zazen
for various practitioners. The institution was incorporated in 1959 and remains active. In 1979 Maurine Stuart
, a Rinzai roshi
, became President of the organization, and several influential Buddhist teachers in the United States
have been members.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
and befriended John and Elsie Mitchell, who ran a vast library of books on Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and held 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...
for various practitioners. The institution was incorporated in 1959 and remains active. In 1979 Maurine Stuart
Maurine Stuart
Maurine Stuart , a.k.a. Ma Roshi or Mother Roshi, was a Rinzai Zen roshi who was granted her teaching title during an informal ceremony in 1982 held by her teacher Soen Nakagawa. She was one of the first female Zen masters to teach in the United States, and in 1979 became president and spiritual...
, a Rinzai 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...
, became President of the organization, and several influential Buddhist teachers in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
have been members.