While I was in Detroit, I missed the death of Robert Aitken Roshi. I have long admired him not only as a powerful zen teacher, but as someone who always seemed to bring together the social/political and his spiritual life. He wasn't afraid to take on the big issues of the day. To call out corruption, corporate greed, environmental destruction and its causes, the war machine, and various other collective issues. He also spoke out repeatedly on issues of power abuse in American Zen sanghas, and served as a watchdog when others turned their backs. And his book on the precepts and zen ethics, Mind of Clover, is one of the best American commentaries available.
In honor and in gratitude of all the work that Roshi did, I have collected some of the blog reflections/rememberences for you to read. May his work live on for many generations.
Read Algernon's short post here.
Here is Barbara's excellent write up.
This site contains a detailed memorial notice.
Lots of wonderful comments and thank yous can be found on Roshi's old blog.
Maia over at Jizo Chronicles has a short post worth reading.
Barry has this short memorial, and has also been doing daily offerings of Aitken's teachings all this week.
Rev. Danny Fisher writes of an experience of almost getting to meet Aitken.
And Shambala Sunspace offers an array of links to Roshi's teachings, as well as some more blog tributes.
2 comments:
Thanks for posting; I didn't know of his passing.
Thanks Nate, you described my thoughts exactly. I'm also a big fan of "Mind of Clover."
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