Minnesota Zen Center
Encyclopedia
Minnesota Zen
Meditation Center was formed when the founding head teacher, Dainin Katagiri
, (1928-1990) was invited to come from California
in 1972 to teach a small but growing group of Minneapolis students interested in the dharma
. After his death, Shohaku Okumura
served as interim head teacher until the installation of Karen Sunna, who had studied with Katagiri Roshi until his death. Succeeding Karen as head priest is Tim Burkett, a long time student of both Katagiri and Suzuki Roshi. Tim became the head teacher on November 1, 2002.
Robert M. Pirsig
, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
, attended the Center for a period of time.
Natalie Goldberg
studied at the Center for over a dozen years and writes extensively about it in her books Long Quiet Highway and The Great Failure.
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...
Meditation Center was formed when the founding head teacher, Dainin Katagiri
Dainin Katagiri
Jikai Dainin Katagiri , aka Hojo-san Katagiri, was a Soto Zen roshi and the founding abbot of Minnesota Zen Meditation Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he served from 1972 until his death from cancer in 1990...
, (1928-1990) was invited to come from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1972 to teach a small but growing group of Minneapolis students interested in the dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
. After his death, Shohaku Okumura
Shohaku Okumura
Shohaku Okumura is a Japanese Soto Zen priest and the founder and guiding teacher of the Sanshin Zen Community located in Bloomington, Indiana, where he and his family currently live...
served as interim head teacher until the installation of Karen Sunna, who had studied with Katagiri Roshi until his death. Succeeding Karen as head priest is Tim Burkett, a long time student of both Katagiri and Suzuki Roshi. Tim became the head teacher on November 1, 2002.
Robert M. Pirsig
Robert M. Pirsig
Robert Maynard Pirsig is an American writer and philosopher, and author of the philosophical novels Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values and Lila: An Inquiry into Morals .-Background:...
, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values is a 1974 philosophical novel, the first of Robert M. Pirsig's texts in which he explores his Metaphysics of Quality.The book sold 5 million copies worldwide...
, attended the Center for a period of time.
Natalie Goldberg
Natalie Goldberg
Natalie Goldberg is an American author. She is best known for a series of books which explore writing as Zen practice. Goldberg lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.-Books:*Chicken and in Love , ISBN 978-0930100049...
studied at the Center for over a dozen years and writes extensively about it in her books Long Quiet Highway and The Great Failure.