He was 93.
An early American Zen Buddhist master who emphasized a path to enlightenment through social action, died of pneumonia.
He trained several generations of teachers, founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha global network and wrote books including "The Mind of Clover."
He also helped found the Buddhist Peace Fellowship in Berkeley, CA.
Printed in the Oregonian on 8-5-2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did not provide the info below. I usually add the contributors number at the top so I don't why it's not here. I was also given the burial info and then a family member told me that was incorrect. So I have corrected it.
Robert Baker Aitken /Robert Gyoun Aitken Roshi/ Robert Baker Dairyu Chotan Aitken Rōshi (1917 - 2010) was the master of the Diamond Sangha, a Zen Buddhist society he founded in Honolulu in 1959 he and his late wife Anne Hopkins Aitken began a meditation group in Honolulu at their residence, which became known as the Koko-an zendo. The community that gathered at this zendo were then named the Diamond Sangha by the two. The Diamond Sangha has affiliate zen centers in South America, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Europe and is known for making the rigors of traditional Zen accessible to lay practitioners.
A lifetime resident of Hawaii since age 5, Aitken Rōshi was a graduate of the University of Hawaii with a BA degree in English literature and an MA degree in Japanese studies.
School Zen Buddhism Lineage Harada-Yasutani
In 1941, he was captured in Guam by invading Japanese forces, and interned in Japan for the duration of World War II. In the camp, he met the British scholar Reginald Horace Blyth, introduced him to and with whom he had frequent discussions on Zen Buddhism and anarchism. After the war, he practiced Zen with Senzaki Nyogen Sensei in Los Angeles, and traveled frequently to Japan to practice in monasteries and lay centers with Nakagawa Sōen Rōshi, Yasutani Haku'un Rōshi, and Yamada Kōun Rōshi. In 1950 he went back to Japan, under a grant to study haiku and followed Senzaki's recommendation that he study Zen there. There he took part in his first sesshin at Engaku-ji, a temple in Kamakura, Japan. Soon after, he met Nakagawa Soen, who persuaded him to come for a stay at Ryutakuji for the next seven months. During this period Soen took over for the ailing abbot of the temple, Yamamoto Gempo. Aitken then came down with a case of dysentery, and returned home to Hawaii. He married his second wife Anne Hopkins in 1957 and made occasional trips back to Japan. In 1957 Aitken met Hakuun Yasutani and sat with him for the first time. In 1974, he was given approval to teach by the Yamada Rōshi, Abbot of the Sanbo Kyodan in Kamakura, Japan, who gave him transmission as an independent master in 1985.
Aitken Rōshi gave full transmission as independent masters to Nelson Foster, Ring of Bone Zendo in Nevada City, California; John Tarrant , Pacific Zen Institute in Santa Rosa, California; Patrick Hawk, Zen Desert Sangha in Tucson, Arizona, and Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Joseph Bobrow, Deep Streams Zen Institute in San Francisco, California; Jack Duffy , Three Treasures Sangha in Seattle, Washington; Augusto Alcalde, Autumn Bridge Dojo, Argentina and Rolf Drosten, Wolken-und-Mond-Sangha (Clouds and Moon Sangha) , in Leverkusen, Germany. He authorized Pia Gyger, One Ground Zendo in Luzern, Switzerland, as an affiliate teacher of the Diamond Sangha, and recognized Danan Henry as a Diamond Sangha Teacher. He joined with John Tarrant in giving transmission as independent masters to Subhana Barzaghi in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and to Ross Bolleter in Perth, Western Australia.
Aitken Rōshi authored of more than ten books on Zen Buddhism, and co-authored a book-length Buddhist-Christian dialogue. In Hawaii he was instrumental in founding the Koko An Zendo, the Pālolo Zen Center, the Maui Zendo, and the Garden Island Sangha. A number of other centers in Europe, North and South America, and Australasia are part of the Diamond Sangha network.
As a part his commitment to making Zen Buddhism accessible to all, he paid particular attention to making a place for women, people of color, and the lgbt community. Those seeking an introduction to Zen may wish to start with Taking the Path of Zen, and those pursuing further study may benefit from his list of recommended reading.
Aitken Rōshi was co-founder of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (now with a local East Hawaii Chapter) and served on its international board of advisers. He was active in a number of peace, social justice, and ecological movements, and his writing reflects his concern that Buddhists be engaged in social applications of their experience.
Robert Aitken was a social activist through much of his adult life, beginning with against nuclear testing during the 1940s. He was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War,and became a strong opponent of the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. He was among the earlier proponents of deep ecology in religious America, and was outspoken in his beliefs on the equality of men and women. In 1978 Aitken helped found the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, an organization that advocates conflict resolution globally.
As a retired master, Aitken Rōshi worked with a few long-time students, and continued to study and write until two days before his death. His work, Zen Master Raven: Sayings and Doings of a Wise Bird, was published by Tuttle in 2002. His more recent publications, The Morning Star: New and Selected Zen Writings, and a new edition of A Zen Wave: Basho's Haiku and Zen, were released in October, 2003, by Shoemaker and Hoard. In 2006, He collaborated with Daniel W.Y. Kwok and published Vegetable Roots Discourse: Wisdom from Ming China on Life and Living.
Robert Aitken died after a brief bout with pneumonia August 5th 2010, in Honolulu, Oahu Hawaii. His final book, The River of Heaven: The Haiku of Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki was published in 2011.
m1. Mary Louise Lawne and Robert Grant Baker Aitken had Thomas Lawne Aitken
Thomas L. of Kaimu;
https://sites.google.com/site/annehopkinsaitken/home/memorials/obituary---honolulu-advertiser
Grandfather Robert Grant Aitken
An early American Zen Buddhist master who emphasized a path to enlightenment through social action, died of pneumonia.
He trained several generations of teachers, founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha global network and wrote books including "The Mind of Clover."
He also helped found the Buddhist Peace Fellowship in Berkeley, CA.
Printed in the Oregonian on 8-5-2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did not provide the info below. I usually add the contributors number at the top so I don't why it's not here. I was also given the burial info and then a family member told me that was incorrect. So I have corrected it.
Robert Baker Aitken /Robert Gyoun Aitken Roshi/ Robert Baker Dairyu Chotan Aitken Rōshi (1917 - 2010) was the master of the Diamond Sangha, a Zen Buddhist society he founded in Honolulu in 1959 he and his late wife Anne Hopkins Aitken began a meditation group in Honolulu at their residence, which became known as the Koko-an zendo. The community that gathered at this zendo were then named the Diamond Sangha by the two. The Diamond Sangha has affiliate zen centers in South America, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Europe and is known for making the rigors of traditional Zen accessible to lay practitioners.
A lifetime resident of Hawaii since age 5, Aitken Rōshi was a graduate of the University of Hawaii with a BA degree in English literature and an MA degree in Japanese studies.
School Zen Buddhism Lineage Harada-Yasutani
In 1941, he was captured in Guam by invading Japanese forces, and interned in Japan for the duration of World War II. In the camp, he met the British scholar Reginald Horace Blyth, introduced him to and with whom he had frequent discussions on Zen Buddhism and anarchism. After the war, he practiced Zen with Senzaki Nyogen Sensei in Los Angeles, and traveled frequently to Japan to practice in monasteries and lay centers with Nakagawa Sōen Rōshi, Yasutani Haku'un Rōshi, and Yamada Kōun Rōshi. In 1950 he went back to Japan, under a grant to study haiku and followed Senzaki's recommendation that he study Zen there. There he took part in his first sesshin at Engaku-ji, a temple in Kamakura, Japan. Soon after, he met Nakagawa Soen, who persuaded him to come for a stay at Ryutakuji for the next seven months. During this period Soen took over for the ailing abbot of the temple, Yamamoto Gempo. Aitken then came down with a case of dysentery, and returned home to Hawaii. He married his second wife Anne Hopkins in 1957 and made occasional trips back to Japan. In 1957 Aitken met Hakuun Yasutani and sat with him for the first time. In 1974, he was given approval to teach by the Yamada Rōshi, Abbot of the Sanbo Kyodan in Kamakura, Japan, who gave him transmission as an independent master in 1985.
Aitken Rōshi gave full transmission as independent masters to Nelson Foster, Ring of Bone Zendo in Nevada City, California; John Tarrant , Pacific Zen Institute in Santa Rosa, California; Patrick Hawk, Zen Desert Sangha in Tucson, Arizona, and Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Joseph Bobrow, Deep Streams Zen Institute in San Francisco, California; Jack Duffy , Three Treasures Sangha in Seattle, Washington; Augusto Alcalde, Autumn Bridge Dojo, Argentina and Rolf Drosten, Wolken-und-Mond-Sangha (Clouds and Moon Sangha) , in Leverkusen, Germany. He authorized Pia Gyger, One Ground Zendo in Luzern, Switzerland, as an affiliate teacher of the Diamond Sangha, and recognized Danan Henry as a Diamond Sangha Teacher. He joined with John Tarrant in giving transmission as independent masters to Subhana Barzaghi in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and to Ross Bolleter in Perth, Western Australia.
Aitken Rōshi authored of more than ten books on Zen Buddhism, and co-authored a book-length Buddhist-Christian dialogue. In Hawaii he was instrumental in founding the Koko An Zendo, the Pālolo Zen Center, the Maui Zendo, and the Garden Island Sangha. A number of other centers in Europe, North and South America, and Australasia are part of the Diamond Sangha network.
As a part his commitment to making Zen Buddhism accessible to all, he paid particular attention to making a place for women, people of color, and the lgbt community. Those seeking an introduction to Zen may wish to start with Taking the Path of Zen, and those pursuing further study may benefit from his list of recommended reading.
Aitken Rōshi was co-founder of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (now with a local East Hawaii Chapter) and served on its international board of advisers. He was active in a number of peace, social justice, and ecological movements, and his writing reflects his concern that Buddhists be engaged in social applications of their experience.
Robert Aitken was a social activist through much of his adult life, beginning with against nuclear testing during the 1940s. He was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War,and became a strong opponent of the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. He was among the earlier proponents of deep ecology in religious America, and was outspoken in his beliefs on the equality of men and women. In 1978 Aitken helped found the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, an organization that advocates conflict resolution globally.
As a retired master, Aitken Rōshi worked with a few long-time students, and continued to study and write until two days before his death. His work, Zen Master Raven: Sayings and Doings of a Wise Bird, was published by Tuttle in 2002. His more recent publications, The Morning Star: New and Selected Zen Writings, and a new edition of A Zen Wave: Basho's Haiku and Zen, were released in October, 2003, by Shoemaker and Hoard. In 2006, He collaborated with Daniel W.Y. Kwok and published Vegetable Roots Discourse: Wisdom from Ming China on Life and Living.
Robert Aitken died after a brief bout with pneumonia August 5th 2010, in Honolulu, Oahu Hawaii. His final book, The River of Heaven: The Haiku of Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki was published in 2011.
m1. Mary Louise Lawne and Robert Grant Baker Aitken had Thomas Lawne Aitken
Thomas L. of Kaimu;
https://sites.google.com/site/annehopkinsaitken/home/memorials/obituary---honolulu-advertiser
Grandfather Robert Grant Aitken
He was 93.
An early American Zen Buddhist master who emphasized a path to enlightenment through social action, died of pneumonia.
He trained several generations of teachers, founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha global network and wrote books including "The Mind of Clover."
He also helped found the Buddhist Peace Fellowship in Berkeley, CA.
Printed in the Oregonian on 8-5-2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did not provide the info below. I usually add the contributors number at the top so I don't why it's not here. I was also given the burial info and then a family member told me that was incorrect. So I have corrected it.
Robert Baker Aitken /Robert Gyoun Aitken Roshi/ Robert Baker Dairyu Chotan Aitken Rōshi (1917 - 2010) was the master of the Diamond Sangha, a Zen Buddhist society he founded in Honolulu in 1959 he and his late wife Anne Hopkins Aitken began a meditation group in Honolulu at their residence, which became known as the Koko-an zendo. The community that gathered at this zendo were then named the Diamond Sangha by the two. The Diamond Sangha has affiliate zen centers in South America, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Europe and is known for making the rigors of traditional Zen accessible to lay practitioners.
A lifetime resident of Hawaii since age 5, Aitken Rōshi was a graduate of the University of Hawaii with a BA degree in English literature and an MA degree in Japanese studies.
School Zen Buddhism Lineage Harada-Yasutani
In 1941, he was captured in Guam by invading Japanese forces, and interned in Japan for the duration of World War II. In the camp, he met the British scholar Reginald Horace Blyth, introduced him to and with whom he had frequent discussions on Zen Buddhism and anarchism. After the war, he practiced Zen with Senzaki Nyogen Sensei in Los Angeles, and traveled frequently to Japan to practice in monasteries and lay centers with Nakagawa Sōen Rōshi, Yasutani Haku'un Rōshi, and Yamada Kōun Rōshi. In 1950 he went back to Japan, under a grant to study haiku and followed Senzaki's recommendation that he study Zen there. There he took part in his first sesshin at Engaku-ji, a temple in Kamakura, Japan. Soon after, he met Nakagawa Soen, who persuaded him to come for a stay at Ryutakuji for the next seven months. During this period Soen took over for the ailing abbot of the temple, Yamamoto Gempo. Aitken then came down with a case of dysentery, and returned home to Hawaii. He married his second wife Anne Hopkins in 1957 and made occasional trips back to Japan. In 1957 Aitken met Hakuun Yasutani and sat with him for the first time. In 1974, he was given approval to teach by the Yamada Rōshi, Abbot of the Sanbo Kyodan in Kamakura, Japan, who gave him transmission as an independent master in 1985.
Aitken Rōshi gave full transmission as independent masters to Nelson Foster, Ring of Bone Zendo in Nevada City, California; John Tarrant , Pacific Zen Institute in Santa Rosa, California; Patrick Hawk, Zen Desert Sangha in Tucson, Arizona, and Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Joseph Bobrow, Deep Streams Zen Institute in San Francisco, California; Jack Duffy , Three Treasures Sangha in Seattle, Washington; Augusto Alcalde, Autumn Bridge Dojo, Argentina and Rolf Drosten, Wolken-und-Mond-Sangha (Clouds and Moon Sangha) , in Leverkusen, Germany. He authorized Pia Gyger, One Ground Zendo in Luzern, Switzerland, as an affiliate teacher of the Diamond Sangha, and recognized Danan Henry as a Diamond Sangha Teacher. He joined with John Tarrant in giving transmission as independent masters to Subhana Barzaghi in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and to Ross Bolleter in Perth, Western Australia.
Aitken Rōshi authored of more than ten books on Zen Buddhism, and co-authored a book-length Buddhist-Christian dialogue. In Hawaii he was instrumental in founding the Koko An Zendo, the Pālolo Zen Center, the Maui Zendo, and the Garden Island Sangha. A number of other centers in Europe, North and South America, and Australasia are part of the Diamond Sangha network.
As a part his commitment to making Zen Buddhism accessible to all, he paid particular attention to making a place for women, people of color, and the lgbt community. Those seeking an introduction to Zen may wish to start with Taking the Path of Zen, and those pursuing further study may benefit from his list of recommended reading.
Aitken Rōshi was co-founder of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (now with a local East Hawaii Chapter) and served on its international board of advisers. He was active in a number of peace, social justice, and ecological movements, and his writing reflects his concern that Buddhists be engaged in social applications of their experience.
Robert Aitken was a social activist through much of his adult life, beginning with against nuclear testing during the 1940s. He was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War,and became a strong opponent of the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. He was among the earlier proponents of deep ecology in religious America, and was outspoken in his beliefs on the equality of men and women. In 1978 Aitken helped found the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, an organization that advocates conflict resolution globally.
As a retired master, Aitken Rōshi worked with a few long-time students, and continued to study and write until two days before his death. His work, Zen Master Raven: Sayings and Doings of a Wise Bird, was published by Tuttle in 2002. His more recent publications, The Morning Star: New and Selected Zen Writings, and a new edition of A Zen Wave: Basho's Haiku and Zen, were released in October, 2003, by Shoemaker and Hoard. In 2006, He collaborated with Daniel W.Y. Kwok and published Vegetable Roots Discourse: Wisdom from Ming China on Life and Living.
Robert Aitken died after a brief bout with pneumonia August 5th 2010, in Honolulu, Oahu Hawaii. His final book, The River of Heaven: The Haiku of Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki was published in 2011.
m1. Mary Louise Lawne and Robert Grant Baker Aitken had Thomas Lawne Aitken
Thomas L. of Kaimu;
https://sites.google.com/site/annehopkinsaitken/home/memorials/obituary---honolulu-advertiser
Grandfather Robert Grant Aitken
An early American Zen Buddhist master who emphasized a path to enlightenment through social action, died of pneumonia.
He trained several generations of teachers, founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha global network and wrote books including "The Mind of Clover."
He also helped found the Buddhist Peace Fellowship in Berkeley, CA.
Printed in the Oregonian on 8-5-2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did not provide the info below. I usually add the contributors number at the top so I don't why it's not here. I was also given the burial info and then a family member told me that was incorrect. So I have corrected it.
Robert Baker Aitken /Robert Gyoun Aitken Roshi/ Robert Baker Dairyu Chotan Aitken Rōshi (1917 - 2010) was the master of the Diamond Sangha, a Zen Buddhist society he founded in Honolulu in 1959 he and his late wife Anne Hopkins Aitken began a meditation group in Honolulu at their residence, which became known as the Koko-an zendo. The community that gathered at this zendo were then named the Diamond Sangha by the two. The Diamond Sangha has affiliate zen centers in South America, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Europe and is known for making the rigors of traditional Zen accessible to lay practitioners.
A lifetime resident of Hawaii since age 5, Aitken Rōshi was a graduate of the University of Hawaii with a BA degree in English literature and an MA degree in Japanese studies.
School Zen Buddhism Lineage Harada-Yasutani
In 1941, he was captured in Guam by invading Japanese forces, and interned in Japan for the duration of World War II. In the camp, he met the British scholar Reginald Horace Blyth, introduced him to and with whom he had frequent discussions on Zen Buddhism and anarchism. After the war, he practiced Zen with Senzaki Nyogen Sensei in Los Angeles, and traveled frequently to Japan to practice in monasteries and lay centers with Nakagawa Sōen Rōshi, Yasutani Haku'un Rōshi, and Yamada Kōun Rōshi. In 1950 he went back to Japan, under a grant to study haiku and followed Senzaki's recommendation that he study Zen there. There he took part in his first sesshin at Engaku-ji, a temple in Kamakura, Japan. Soon after, he met Nakagawa Soen, who persuaded him to come for a stay at Ryutakuji for the next seven months. During this period Soen took over for the ailing abbot of the temple, Yamamoto Gempo. Aitken then came down with a case of dysentery, and returned home to Hawaii. He married his second wife Anne Hopkins in 1957 and made occasional trips back to Japan. In 1957 Aitken met Hakuun Yasutani and sat with him for the first time. In 1974, he was given approval to teach by the Yamada Rōshi, Abbot of the Sanbo Kyodan in Kamakura, Japan, who gave him transmission as an independent master in 1985.
Aitken Rōshi gave full transmission as independent masters to Nelson Foster, Ring of Bone Zendo in Nevada City, California; John Tarrant , Pacific Zen Institute in Santa Rosa, California; Patrick Hawk, Zen Desert Sangha in Tucson, Arizona, and Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Joseph Bobrow, Deep Streams Zen Institute in San Francisco, California; Jack Duffy , Three Treasures Sangha in Seattle, Washington; Augusto Alcalde, Autumn Bridge Dojo, Argentina and Rolf Drosten, Wolken-und-Mond-Sangha (Clouds and Moon Sangha) , in Leverkusen, Germany. He authorized Pia Gyger, One Ground Zendo in Luzern, Switzerland, as an affiliate teacher of the Diamond Sangha, and recognized Danan Henry as a Diamond Sangha Teacher. He joined with John Tarrant in giving transmission as independent masters to Subhana Barzaghi in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; and to Ross Bolleter in Perth, Western Australia.
Aitken Rōshi authored of more than ten books on Zen Buddhism, and co-authored a book-length Buddhist-Christian dialogue. In Hawaii he was instrumental in founding the Koko An Zendo, the Pālolo Zen Center, the Maui Zendo, and the Garden Island Sangha. A number of other centers in Europe, North and South America, and Australasia are part of the Diamond Sangha network.
As a part his commitment to making Zen Buddhism accessible to all, he paid particular attention to making a place for women, people of color, and the lgbt community. Those seeking an introduction to Zen may wish to start with Taking the Path of Zen, and those pursuing further study may benefit from his list of recommended reading.
Aitken Rōshi was co-founder of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (now with a local East Hawaii Chapter) and served on its international board of advisers. He was active in a number of peace, social justice, and ecological movements, and his writing reflects his concern that Buddhists be engaged in social applications of their experience.
Robert Aitken was a social activist through much of his adult life, beginning with against nuclear testing during the 1940s. He was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War,and became a strong opponent of the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. He was among the earlier proponents of deep ecology in religious America, and was outspoken in his beliefs on the equality of men and women. In 1978 Aitken helped found the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, an organization that advocates conflict resolution globally.
As a retired master, Aitken Rōshi worked with a few long-time students, and continued to study and write until two days before his death. His work, Zen Master Raven: Sayings and Doings of a Wise Bird, was published by Tuttle in 2002. His more recent publications, The Morning Star: New and Selected Zen Writings, and a new edition of A Zen Wave: Basho's Haiku and Zen, were released in October, 2003, by Shoemaker and Hoard. In 2006, He collaborated with Daniel W.Y. Kwok and published Vegetable Roots Discourse: Wisdom from Ming China on Life and Living.
Robert Aitken died after a brief bout with pneumonia August 5th 2010, in Honolulu, Oahu Hawaii. His final book, The River of Heaven: The Haiku of Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki was published in 2011.
m1. Mary Louise Lawne and Robert Grant Baker Aitken had Thomas Lawne Aitken
Thomas L. of Kaimu;
https://sites.google.com/site/annehopkinsaitken/home/memorials/obituary---honolulu-advertiser
Grandfather Robert Grant Aitken
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