Mel Weitsman | |
---|---|
Title | Abbot |
Personal life | |
Born | Mel Weitsman July 20, 1929 Southern California, U.S. |
Died | January 7, 2021 | (aged 91)
Nationality | American |
Religious life | |
Religion | Zen Buddhism |
School | Sōtō |
Lineage | Shunryū Suzuki |
Senior posting | |
Teacher | Shunryū Suzuki |
Based in | Berkeley Zen Center |
Predecessor | Hoitsu Suzuki |
Successor |
|
Part of a series on |
Zen Buddhism |
---|
Part of a series on |
Western Buddhism |
---|
Hakuryu Sojun Mel Weitsman (July 20, 1929 – January 7, 2021), born Mel Weitsman, was an American Buddhist who was the founder, abbot and guiding teacher of Berkeley Zen Center located in Berkeley, California. Weitsman was a Sōtō Zen roshi practicing in the lineage of Shunryū Suzuki, having received Dharma transmission in 1984 from Suzuki's son Hoitsu. He was also a co-abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center, where he served from 1988 to 1997. Weitsman was also editor of the book Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness: Zen Talks on the Sandokai, based on talks given by Suzuki on the Sandokai.