Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States

Below is a timeline of important events regarding Zen Buddhism in the United States. Dates with "?" are approximate.

Events

Early history

1893: Soyen Shaku comes to the United States to lecture at the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago On November 18, 1903, Rev. Sokyo Ueoka, head minister of Tokujuan Soto Zen Temple in Honichi, Nuta Higashi Village. Toyota—gun (present day Mihara City), Hiroshima Prefecture. received an assignment to become a visiting minister to Japanese immigrants in Hawaii. Arriving in Honolulu on July 9, 1904 he built a temporary temple in the Aiea plantation. Upon the request of Japanese residents on Maui, he moved to Lower Paia on November 7, 1906 with his wife, Tomiyo, who joined him from Japan. Through the initiative of Sukesaburo Yamazaki, Kikujiro Soga, and Unosuke Ogawa, he leased a half-acre of land for 15 years from local Hawaiians. This site was adjacent to the present Paia Fire Station and behind the former County Courthouse. The construction of the temple began in March 1907 with a ceremony officiated by Rev. Ryoun Kan of Zenshuji Soto Zen Temple of Kauai. Rev. Kan is considered to be the honorary founder of Mantokuji with the title "Kanjyo Kaisan", while Rev. Sokyo Ueoka is the official founder or "Kaisan" of Mantokuji. The official title of the temple, given by the head temple in Japan, is “Machozan Mantokuji". 1905: Soyen Shaku returns to the United States and teaches for approximately one year in San Francisco 1906: Sokei-an arrives in San Francisco 1919: Soyen Shaku dies on October 29 in Japan 1922: Zenshuji Soto Mission is established in the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles, California 1922: Nyogen Senzaki begins teaching in California with his "floating zendō" 1930: Sokei-an establishes the Buddhist Society of America (now First Zen Institute of America) 1932: Dwight Goddard authors A Buddhist Bible, an anthology focusing on Chinese and Japanese Zen scriptures 1938: Ruth Fuller Sasaki became a principal supporter of the Buddhist Society of America (later known as the First Zen Institute of America), 1939 Zengaku Soyu Matsuoka arrives in America 1945: Sokei-an dies 1949: Soyu Matsuoka establishes the Chicago Buddhist Temple (now the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago) 1949: Soen Nakagawa makes his first trip to the United States to meet with Nyogen Senzaki

1950s

1951: DT Suzuki begins teaching seminars on Japanese culture, aesthetics, and Zen at Columbia University in New York. Among the students are many influential artists and intellectuals, including Erich Fromm, Karen Horney, John Cage, and Allen Ginsberg. 1953: Philip Kapleau begins formal Zen training in Japan. 1956: Taizan Maezumi arrives in Los Angeles to serve at the Zenshuji Soto Mission 1956: The Zen Studies Society is established by Cornelius Crane 1957: Alan Watts' The Way of Zen is published, the book first popularizing zen with an American audience 1957: The Cambridge Buddhist Association is founded by John and Elsie Mitchell in Cambridge, Massachusetts 1957: Jack Kerouac's novel The Dharma Bums is published 1958: Nyogen Senzaki dies on May 7 1959: Shunryu Suzuki arrives in San Francisco to lead Sokoji 1959: Hsuan Hua arrives in the United States and establishes the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association 1959: Robert Baker Aitken and Anne Hopkins Aitken found the Diamond Sangha in Honolulu, Hawaii

1960s 1960: Thich Nhat Hanh came from Vietnam to the United States to study and teach until 1963. He created the Order of Interbeing in 1966. 1962: Kyozan Joshu Sasaki, a Rinzai Rōshi, arrives in Los Angeles, teaches in homes, and opens the Cimarron Zen Center in 1968. It later was renamed Rinzai-ji. 1962: Rinzai monk (possible fraud) Eido Tai Shimano moves to Hawaii to assist Diamond Sangha and Robert Aitken. 1962: The San Francisco Zen Center is incorporated, led by Shunryu Suzuki 1964: Eido Tai Shimano (possible fraud) moves to New York and becomes guiding teacher of the Zen Studies Society 1965: Philip Kapleau finishes The Three Pillars of Zen and returns to United States with permission from Haku'un Yasutani to teach Zen to Westerners. 1966: San Francisco Zen Center acquires Tassajara Zen Mountain Center 1966: Philip Kapleau establishes the Rochester Zen Center with the help of Chester Carlson (founder of Xerox), and Carlson's wife. Original Sangha consisted of 22 members. 1966: D.T. Suzuki dies on July 12 in Japan 1967: The Zen Center of Los Angeles is founded by Taizan Maezumi and his students 1967: Kobun Chino Otogawa arrives in San Francisco to assist Shunryu Suzuki 1967: Sojun Mel Weitsman and Shunryu Suzuki co-found the Berkeley Zen Center 1968: Samu Sunim founds the Zen Lotus Society in New York City ( Buddhist Society for Compassionate Wisdom) 1968: New York zendō Shobo-Ji of the Zen Studies Society of New York City is officially inaugurated by Soen Nakagawa on his 7th trip to the USA 1969: Seikan Hasegawa, a Zen Buddhist priest from Japan, arrives in the United States 1969: Shunryu Suzuki gives Zentatsu Richard Baker Dharma transmission; begins transmission with Jakusho Kwong, but dies before completing process

1970s 1970: Edward Espe Brown publishes the Tassajara Bread Book 1970: Shunryu Suzuki's book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind is published by Weatherhill 1970: Shunryu Suzuki ordains Tenshin Reb Anderson 1970: Shasta Abbey is established in Mount Shasta, California by Jiyu Kennett 1970: James Ishmael Ford received Dharma transmission from Houn Jiyu Kennett 2 May 1971 1970: Santa Cruz Zen Center is founded by Kobun Chino Roshi. 1971 Shunryu Suzuki ordains Keido Les Kaye 1971: Shunryu Suzuki dies. 1971: Yamada Koun moves to Diamond Sangha in Hawaii to lead sesshin 1971: Kobun Chino Otogawa becomes abbot of Haiku Zen Center 1971: Kyozan Joshu Sasaki founds Mount Baldy Zen Center 1972: Seung Sahn arrives from Korea in Providence, Rhode Island and founds the Providence Zen Center 1972: Green Gulch Farm opens in Muir Beach, CA as part of the San Francisco Zen Center 1972 First meeting of the Zen Center of Syracuse founded by graduate students of Syracuse University 1972: Dainin Katagiri founds the Minnesota Zen Center 1972: Eido Tai Shimano receives Dharma transmission (Inka Shomei) from Soen Nakagawa at NY zendō 1973: Haku'un Yasutani dies 1973: Kyozan Joshu Sasaki founds Bodhi Manda Zen Center 1973: Jakusho Kwong founds the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center 1973: Seikan Hasegawa founds Rock Creek Buddhist Temple of America, Inc., in Derwood, Maryland 1973: The Cambridge Zen Center is founded as part of the Kwan Um School of Zen 1973: The New Haven Zen Center is founded as part of the Kwan Um School of Zen 1974: Robert Pirsig publishes Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values. 1974: Robert Baker Aitken receives teaching permission from Yamada Koun 1974: The Chicago Zen Center is founded by Philip Kapleau 1975?: Taizan Maezumi founds the White Plum Asanga 1975: The Chogye International Zen Center is founded by the Kwan Um School of Zen in New York City 1975: Seikan Hasegawa's book, The Cave of Poison Grass, Essays on the Hannya Sutra is published by Great Ocean Publishers 1976: Shohaku Okumura helps found Valley zendō in Charlemont, MA 1976: Dai Bosatsu zendō Kongo-Ji opens in the Catskill Mountains of New York State 1976: Tetsugen Bernard Glassman becomes Taizan Maezumi's first Dharma successor 1976: The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is built, the first and still largest Chinese Chan community in the United States 1976: Heng Sure is ordained by Hsuan Hua, becomes one of the first Western Chinese Chan monks 1977: Kyogen Carlson receives Dharma transmission from Jiyu Kennett 1977: Seikan Hasegawa's book, Essays on Marriage is published by Great Ocean Publishers 1977?: The Atlanta Soto Zen Center is founded by Zenkai Michael Elliston 1978: The Buddhist Peace Fellowship is founded 1978: Charlotte Joko Beck receives Dharma transmission from Taizan Maezumi 1978: Genki Takabayashi becomes resident teacher at the Seattle Zen Center 1979: Maurine Stuart becomes President of the Cambridge Buddhist Association 1979: Omori Sogen of Tenryu-ji founds Daihonzan Chozen-ji in Honolulu, the first Rinzai Zen temple headquarters established outside Japan.

1980s 1980: Chan master Sheng-yen begins teaching in the United States 1980: Dennis Genpo Merzel receives shiho (permission to teach) from Taizan Maezumi 1980: Hartford Street Zen Center is established 1980: Zen Mountain Monastery in founded in Mount Tremper, New York by Taizan Maezumi and John Daido Loori 1981: Toni Packer leaves Rochester Zen Center and founds her own non-Buddhist retreat 1981: Taizan Maezumi founds Yokoji Zen Mountain Center 1982: Maurine Stuart informally receives the title roshi from Soen Nakagawa in a private ceremony 1982: The Rinzai temple that would become Daiyuzenji is founded in Chicago, Illinois as a betsuin (branch) of Daihonzan Chozen-ji by Tenshin Tanouye and Fumio Toyoda. 1983: Jan Chozen Bays receives Dharma transmission from Taizan Maezumi 1983: The Kwan Um School of Zen is established by Seung Sahn Soen Sa Nim 1983: Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji is founded in Seattle, Washington by Genki Takabayashi 1983: Zentatsu Richard Baker confers Dharma transmission to Tenshin Reb Anderson 1983: Taizan Maezumi is confronted about his sexual relationships with some students and enters alcoholism treatment 1984: Zentatsu Richard Baker resigns as abbot of San Francisco Zen Center amidst controversy 1984: Katagiri Roshi, abbot of the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, agrees to serve as interim abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center 1984: Soen Nakagawa dies at Ryutaku-Ji 1984: The New Orleans Zen Temple is founded by Robert Livingston in New Orleans, Louisiana 1984: Sojun Mel Weitsman receives Dharma transmission from Hoitsu Suzuki, son of Shunryu Suzuki 1985 Keido Les Kaye receives Dharma transmission from Hoitsu Suzuki 1985: Tenshin Reb Anderson succeeds Dainen Katagiri Roshi as abbot of San Francisco Zen Center 1985: Robert Baker Aitken receives Dharma transmission from Yamada Koun 1985: Tozen Akiyama founds the Milwaukee Zen Center, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and heads it until 2000. 1986: Bodhin Kjolhede is installed as abbot of Rochester Zen Center as Philip Kapleau retires 1986: Sojun Mel Weitsman joins Tenshin Reb Anderson as co-abbot of San Francisco Zen Center 1986: Furnace Mountain is founded in Clay City, Kentucky by Dae Gak and Seung Sahn as part of the Kwan Um School of Zen 1986: Toronto Zen Center is incorporated. 1986: Village zendō is established in New York City in the apartment of Pat Enkyo O'Hara 1987: Maitri Hospice begins caring for AIDS patients at the Hartford Street Zen Center (the first Buddhist hospice of its kind in the United States) 1987: Issho Fujita becomes abbot of Pioneer Valley zendō in Charlemont, Massachusetts 1988: Blanche Hartman receives Dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman 1988: Yamada Koun gives Dharma transmission to Ruben Habito 1988: Zoketsu Norman Fischer receives Dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman 1988 Keido Les Kaye invited to be abbot of Kannon Do in Mountain View, CA 1988: Hsi Lai Temple is built, the largest Chinese Chan community in Southern California, a Triple Platform Monastic Ordination is convened 1988: The Kwan Um School of Zen is rocked by revelations that Seung Sahn had sexual relationships with three students 1989: Issan Dorsey becomes abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center 1989?: The American Zen Teachers Association is founded 1989: Nonin Chowaney receives Dharma transmission from Dainin Katagiri 1989: Yamada Koun dies 1989: Danan Henry Roshi receives Dharma transmission from Philip Kapleau Roshi 1989: Zen Center of Denver founded with Danan Henry Roshi installed as abbot

1990s 1990: Issan Dorsey dies of AIDS 1990: Maurine Stuart dies of cancer