Robert Baker Aitken (1917 - 2010) was the master of the Diamond Sangha, a Zen Buddhist society he founded in Honolulu in 1959
with his late wife Anne Hopkins Aitken.
A lifetime resident of Hawai`i, Aitken Rōshi was
a graduate of the University of Hawai`i with a BA degree in English
literature and an MA degree in Japanese studies. In 1941, he was captured
on Guam by invading Japanese forces, and interned in Japan for the
duration of World War II. In the camp, he met the British scholar R.
H. Blyth Aitken Rōshi gave full transmission as
independent masters to Nelson
Foster
Aitken Rōshi authored of more than ten books
on Zen Buddhism, and co-authored a book-length Buddhist-Christian
dialogue 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 Aitken Rōshi was co-founder of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (now with a local East Hawai`i Chapter) and served on its international board of advisors. 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. 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 Robert Aitken died August 5th, 2010, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His final
book, The River of Heaven: The Haiku of Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki keywords & search terms: robert aitken roshi bob writing books articles memorials obituary obituaries hawaii hawai'i honolulu anne hopkins tom zen buddhism eastern religion zazen honolulu diamond sangha koko an boss hds writing teaching leader dean master teacher bpf peace activist practice articles, palolo zen center, robet robart atkin, aitkin, atken adkins interreligious intrareligious study |
Rōshi
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