Genpo Merzel Roshi
Bernie Glassman Roshi
Ken Wilber
Biographies
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Genpo Merzel Roshi
Genpo Roshi is on a mission to revitalize Zen; to make it relevant and accessible to Western hearts and minds.
The core of his teaching is the unshakeable certainty that everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic, cultural, or religious background, can instantly awaken to their true nature.
In 1973 he ordained as a monk under Zen Master Taizan Maezumi Roshi. He devoted his life to his teacher and followed a rigorous and demanding schedule of meditation and service for years. In 1979 he became Maezumi’s second successor, and received the final seal of approval as a Zen Master in 1996, thereby becoming one of a small group of Westerners recognized as lineage holders in both the Soto and Rinzai Zen traditions.
But Genpo Roshi was frustrated. After 25 some odd years of rigorous training and teaching he wondered whether his students were really “getting it,” and whether they were becoming better human beings as a result of their spiritual training. That concern ignited a burning question within him, “How can I better facilitate my student’s spiritual development? How can I help them become more loving, more peaceful human beings? These two questions consumed him. Some might say they even haunted him.
Out of this desire to find a way to reach people, the Big Mind process was born. Through this process Genpo finally saw his students become more loving, freer, kinder, healthier human beings. And now Genpo Roshi wants to share the Big Mind process in the hope that the world, and everyone in it, will become kinder, freer, and more peaceful.
Click on the links to find out about Big Mind, or to see a complete resume of Genpo Roshi.
Ken Wilber
Ken Wilber is internationally known as the creator of Integral Theory. He is widely praised as “one of the greatest philosophers of our century,” and known for his intellectual prowess (Wilber has written 25 books that have been translated into 30 languages; and, at age 59, he is the first philosopher-psychologist to have his Collected Works published while still alive). Yet because Wilber is known for his mind, fans can sometimes overlook why Wilber created such a comprehensive map of reality: it was because of his heart.
His heart compelled him to create a functional and comprehensive map so as to raise the consciousness of people on our planet, reduce suffering, solve complex problems, and guide people through the bumpy terrain of their personal, professional, and spiritual lives; because without a functional map, one that describes both the inner and outer realities of our lives, travelers can get lost on the journey, waste precious time, and potentially end up in the middle of nowhere—confused.
It is his desire to help raise the consciousness of people on our planet that brings Ken to Vast Sky.
To see a full bio for Ken Wilber or visit the Integral Institute, click here:
Bernie Glassman Roshi
Bernie Glassman has taken Zen practice out of the meditation hall and into the streets, into social service, and into business to help create a more just, more peaceful world.
In 1967 he left a career in aeronautical engineering, with a focus on interplanetary flights (yes, he was a rocket scientist), to study and train with Zen Master Taizan Maezumi Roshi. In 1976 he became a Sensei.
Soon after, Bernie began creating compassionate business models. He founded The Greyston Foundation in Yonkers, New York. Its mission was to free individuals from the cycle of poverty and public dependence — no small task. The Foundation established a bakery, which quickly became a leading model for social enterprise by hiring from the local community (a “first-come, first-serve” hiring policy regardless of work history); training and promoting from within; offering living wages; health benefits; and direct participation in the profitability of the company.
But Bernie was interested in more that just financial independence; he also recognized the need for relational interdependence. He knew that everyone wanted to feel a part of something and contribute to a community in a meaningful way. Bernie tapped that need, inherent in us all, by finding ways to care for people and giving them opportunities to care for others.
To create those opportunities, The Greystone Bakery re-invested its substantial profits in the Foundation to support affordable child care, affordable housing for homeless and low-income families, and care for those living with HIV. Today the Greyston Foundation and Bakery are still going strong, having celebrated over 25 years of service. The organization employs 175 people and serves 1200 people from the community.
In the mid-nineties Bernie received the final seal of approval from Maezumi Roshi, becoming a Roshi himself in both the Soto and Rinzai traditions. Shortly thereafter, he founded the Zen Peacemaker Order, an international, interfaith organization dedicated to the cause of peace and social justice. To train others in the skills of spiritually-based social enterprise and peacemaking he founded the Maezumi Institute, in Western Massachusetts.
Bernie is still serving, traveling, creating compassionate business models, and lecturing on spiritual practice, socially responsible business, and international peacemaking. He contributes to Vast Sky in the hopes that you will find your own ways to make peace and serve. To find out more about Bernie and his current activities, visit: www.zenpeacemakers.org.