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62-668: Founded 1981 by Taizan Maezumi , Roshi as a summer retreat center for the Zen Center of Los Angeles . Charles Tenshin Fletcher , Roshi who received Dharma transmission from Taizan Maezumi in the White Plum Zen Lineage is the teacher and abbot. His successor, David Jokai Blackwell, serves as vice-abbot. When Yokoji Zen Mountain Center was founded, the formal name of the temple was Dounzan Yokoji. Doun refers to

124-401: A nun or a lay brother . In both religious and wider secular usage, a layperson (also layman or laywoman ) is a person who is not qualified in a given profession or does not have specific knowledge of a certain subject. The phrase " layman's terms " is used to refer to plain language that is understandable to the everyday person, as opposed to specialised terminology understood only by

186-790: A "community of peers" of dharma-heirs of Maezumi and their successors, "represent[ing] the vision of Maezumi Roshi." Maezumi publicly admitted he was an alcoholic in 1983, coinciding with revelations that he had been having sexual relationships with some of his female students. Many students and several of his dharma-heirs left, founding their own Zen-communities. Maezumi died under dramatic circumstances while visiting Japan in 1995. His dharma-successors, including Tetsugen Bernard Glassman , Dennis Merzel , John Daido Loori , Jan Chozen Bays , Gerry Shishin Wick , Joko Beck , William Nyogen Yeo , and Charles Tenshin Fletcher have gone on to further develop western Zen with traditional Japanese influences. Maezumi

248-652: A "preoccupation with activities inside the church", as well as a lack of literature and programs on the subject. For these reasons, attempts to link faith and daily life "fizzled out". For Miller, "hindsight suggests that the institutional church and its leaders never fully embraced or understood lay ministry". Therefore, they stopped promoting the "ministry of the laity" concept to their members. Miller deems "Faith at Work" to be "a bona fide social movement and here to stay". Unlike earlier movements, business people (from evangelical and mainline Protestant denominations, Roman Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, and unaffiliated) initiated

310-452: A group (called a circuit ) of preaching houses or churches. The lay preacher walked or rode on horseback in a prescribed circuit of the preaching places according to an agreed pattern and timing, and people came to the meetings. After the appointment of ministers and pastors, this lay preaching tradition continued with local preachers being appointed by individual churches, and in turn approved and invited by nearby churches, as an adjunct to

372-625: A number of important positions, including vergers , acolytes , lectors , intercessors , ushers . Acolytes include torch bearers, crucifers , thurifers , and boat bearers . Lectors read the lessons from the Bible appointed for the day (except for the Gospel reading, which is read by a Deacon), and may also lead the Prayers of the People. Some specialized lay ministries require special licensing by

434-592: A professional. Terms such as lay priest , lay clergy and lay nun were once used in certain Buddhist cultures, especially Japanese, to indicate ordained persons who continued to live in the wider community instead of retiring to a monastery . Some Christian churches utilise lay preachers , who preach but are not clergy. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the term lay priesthood to emphasise that its local congregational leaders are unpaid. The word laity means "common people" and comes from

496-668: A range of kōans from different Zen traditions, including the Blue Cliff Record , The Gateless Gate , Transmission of the Lamp , and the Book of Equanimity . According to author and Dharma Successor Gerry Shishin Wick , Maezumi was also fond of a particular saying—"appreciate your life." This also is the title of a compiled book of teachings by Maezumi, published by Shambhala Publications . In it Maezumi says, "I encourage you. Please enjoy this wonderful life together. Appreciate

558-736: A standard procedure in the Soto-sect, where local temple-propriety is inherited from father to son. In 1956 he was sent to the United States to serve as a priest at the Zenshuji in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles , a Japanese-American neighborhood, working part-time at a factory. The Zenshuji Soto Mission consisted of a Japanese-American congregation that placed little emphasis on zazen . Maezumi began sitting zazen occasionally with Nyogen Senzaki , in nearby Boyle Heights, Los Angeles for

620-664: A teacher could be beyond imperfection. Both Bays and Tetsugen Bernard Glassman founded their own sanghas at this time. When remembering Maezumi, author David Chadwick had this to say: "I'd say he had an interesting mix of humility and arrogance. Mainly to me he'd seem arrogant at a distance, but close up he'd be right there with me not putting on any airs." Maezumi died on May 15, 1995, while visiting his family in Japan, drowning in bath while being drunk. Not long before dying, he intended to create an inka shomei (dharma transmission) ceremony for Tetsugen Bernard Glassman, to acknowledge

682-508: A war that contradicted its optimism about Christianizing society. The Social Gospel was promulgated by the preaching, writing, and other efforts of clergy on behalf of the laity rather than by the laity themselves. In the early 1930s, the Social Gospel was described as "a preacher's gospel. It has not been the church's gospel. The laity have little share in it." Many were not aware what their clergy believed. Most scholars hold that

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744-589: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Taizan Maezumi Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi ( 前角 博雄 Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995) was a Japanese Sōtō Zen Buddhist priest who substantially contributed to development of Zen in the USA. In 1956 he was sent to the United States to serve as a priest for a Japanese-American congregation in Los Angeles. After taking English classes, Maezumi began holding zazen for Western students early in

806-446: Is a lineage spanning continents and decades and I am very proud of him. It is the best consolation I can have; seeing and hearing his students teach. Maezumi Roshi gave Dharma transmission to the following individuals: Laity In religious organizations , the laity ( / ˈ l eɪ ə t i / ) consists of all members who are not part of the clergy , usually including any non- ordained members of religious orders , e.g.

868-640: Is also supported by coming to the center for periods of intensive practice as well and local practice with one of the affiliated sitting groups. Affiliated sitting groups are located in: The buildings and grounds of the center were developed with ecological principles in concept and construction. It is an alternative power community and serves as the ecological model for the EarthWitness Foundation. 33°40′33″N 116°40′48″W  /  33.675762°N 116.680004°W  / 33.675762; -116.680004 This Zen -related article

930-470: Is depends on the abilities of the person: "landscaping, carpentry, writing, counseling, child care, sports, music, teaching, or just being a good listener". The relation within the laity as the "people of God" between those who are ordained priests and those not ordained is one of cooperation in three areas: (1) in the Liturgy , (2) Church administration, and (3) service (ministry) to others. In spite of

992-478: Is referred to as a layman or a laywoman. Non-ordained preachers or readers are considered part of the laity. The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) devoted its decree on the apostolate of the laity Apostolicam actuositatem and chapter IV of its dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium to the laity in a sense narrower than that which is normal in the Catholic Church . The normal definition of laity

1054-591: Is that given in the Code of Canon Law : By divine institution, there are among the Christian faithful in the Church sacred ministers who in law are also called clerics; the other members of the Christian faithful are called lay persons. There are members of the Christian faithful from both these groups who, through the profession of the evangelical counsels by means of vows or other sacred bonds recognized and sanctioned by

1116-512: The Anglican tradition, all baptized persons are expected to minister in Christ's name. The orders of ministry are thus laypersons, licensed lay ministers (or readers), deacons, priests, and bishops. The ministry of the laity is "to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in

1178-634: The Auburn Theological Seminary wrote a retrospective of the Ministry of the Laity era based on research and survey. His research participants were women and men in equal numbers, aged 20 to 60, from six denominations. Reber found that "all were really interested to link faith with their daily life and work". However, in his survey, Reber found that little had been done in the six denominations to enable laity to make this link. He observed

1240-667: The Five Precepts (or the Eight Precepts during Uposatha Days ) as discipline for ethical conduct. Laymen and laywomen are two of the "Four-fold Assembly". The Buddha referred to his disciples as the "Four-fold Assembly" – the gatherings of 'bhikkhū' (monks), 'bhikkhunī' (nuns), 'upasakā' (laymen), and 'upasikā' (laywomen). In the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta , the Buddha famously said that "He would not pass away until

1302-852: The General Convention includes four lay persons from each diocese in the House of Deputies, and each diocesan convention includes lay delegates from the parishes. On the local parish level, lay persons are elected to a church council called a vestry which manages church finances and elects the parish rector . Parish musicians, bookkeepers, administrative assistants, sextons , sacristans , etc., are all roles normally filled by lay persons. At higher levels, diocesan and national offices rely on lay persons in many important areas of responsibility. Often specialized ministries as campus ministers, youth ministers, or hospital chaplains are performed by lay persons. Lay persons serve in worship services in

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1364-569: The Greek : λαϊκός , romanized :  laikos , meaning "of the people", from λαός , laos , meaning "people" at large. The word lay (part of layperson , etc.) derives from the Greek word via Anglo-French lai , from Late Latin laicus . In many Christian denominations , including the Catholic and the Anglican churches, anyone who is not ordained as a deacon , priest , or bishop

1426-525: The Methodist Church of Great Britain , a "worship leader" is a trained lay person appointed by a Church Council to "take a leading and significant role in the conduct of worship within the life of a Local Church". Presbyterians do not use the term "lay". Thus the Church of Scotland has "Readers", men and women set apart by presbyteries to conduct public worship. This arises out of the belief in

1488-602: The priesthood of all believers . Ministers are officially 'teaching elders' alongside the 'ruling elders' of the Kirk Session and have equivalent status, regardless of any other office. In the Church of Scotland, as the Established church in Scotland, this gives ruling elders in congregations the same status as Queen's chaplains, professors of theology and other highly qualified ministers. All are humble servants of

1550-657: The "Four-fold Assembly" is well-established in the learning and practice of Dhamma, and proficient in propagating His Sublime Teachings." The movement to help laity apply their faith to daily life has been divided into three eras by David W. Miller in God at Work . The Social Gospel sought to reform society by the application of biblical principles. Its major proponents were all clergy: Washington Gladden , Charles Monroe Sheldon , and Walter Rauschenbusch . They were better in diagnosing society's ills than finding remedies. The Social Gospel reached its peak just prior to World War I,

1612-504: The "everyday secular world". The Orthodox Church's assertion that all Christians are "appointed" as ministers is based on Scripture (1 Peter 2:9 ) and the Church Fathers . The ministry of the laity complements the ministry of the priest in their daily lives in their families, their communities, their work: "in whatever circumstances they find themselves". The most important "lay ministry" can be done anonymously. What one's ministry

1674-485: The 1960s, founding the Zen Center of Los Angeles in 1967. After studying koans with Hakuun Yasutani and lay-teacher Koryū Osaka , in his teachings and practice Maezumi combined Sōtō-style shikantaza with Harada Daiun Sogaku 's kōan -curriculum, which uses both Rinzai and Soto kōan -collections. In 1979 Maezumi and his first dharma-heir Bernie Glassman informally conceived the White Plum Asanga ,

1736-711: The Anglican and Episcopal churches is lay reader . In the Uniting Church in Australia , that was constituted in part from the Methodist Church, persons can be appointed by the congregation as a lay preacher or by the regional presbytery to preside at Communion . The Methodist Book of Discipline describes the "Ministry of the Laity" in their daily lives as being "Christ-like examples of everyday living" and "sharing their own faith experiences". In

1798-483: The Church and in the world. In this narrower sense, the Council taught that the laity's specific character is secularity: they are Christians who live the life of Christ in the world. Their role is to sanctify the created world by directing it to become more Christian in its structures and systems: "the laity, by their very vocation, seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to

1860-479: The Church, are consecrated to God in their own special way and contribute to the salvific mission of the Church; although their state does not belong to the hierarchical structure of the Church, it nevertheless belongs to its life and holiness. The narrower sense in which the Second Vatican Council gave instruction concerning the laity is as follows: The term laity is here understood to mean all

1922-458: The Church," discounting their "workaday" ministry. From the start of his papacy Francis called for structural change in the Church which will foster the responsibility of the laity now held "at the edge of the decisions" by  "excessive clericalism", and to "create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church". The "missionary transformation of the Church" is seen by some as "the goal of this pontificate", with all

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1984-521: The Sanbo Kyodan connection of his past as an integral part of the Dharma transmission of White Plum Asanga . Due to his training in both Soto and Rinzai style, Maezumi Sōtō-style shikantaza with Harada Daiun Sogakus kōan -curriculum, which uses both Rinzai and Soto kōan -collections. He was known to be especially strict about the posture of his students while sitting zazen . Maezumi used

2046-563: The Social Gospel movement peaked between 1900 and World War I. There is less agreement about when and why the decline happened. The Ministry of the Laity in daily life premise was stated by Howard Grimes in his The Rebirth of the Laity . "Although it is not alone through our daily work that we exercise our call, there is a special sense in which we do so in that area, since so much of our lives are spent in our occupations as lawyer, doctor, manual laborer, skilled craftsmen, housewife, domestic servant, student, serviceman." In 1988, Dean Reber of

2108-496: The Soto-sect, completing kōan study under him and receiving his inka (dharma transmission) in 1970. He also did koan-study with lay teacher Koryū Osaka of the Shakamuni-kai, who studied koans with a Shingon-priest, receiving his inka in 1973. In 1975 Maezumi married his second wife, Martha Ekyo Maezumi, and later the couple had three children (his daughter Kyrie Maezumi is an actress). In 1976, Maezumi founded

2170-599: The United Methodist Church (more commonly in the United States) attend a series of training sessions. These training sessions prepare the individual to become a leader within the church. All individuals who are full members of the church are laity, but some go on to become Lay Speakers. Some preachers get their start as Lay Speakers. Local preachers lead the majority of church services in the Methodist Church of Great Britain . The comparable term in

2232-476: The World. Initiatives: In Support of Christians in the World (January 2015) rejoiced that "50 Years since Vatican II" the increased lay ministry in parishes has "brought fresh vitality". However, the newsletter lamented "the neglect of formation for the lay apostolate in the world". Pope Francis is quoted as confirming this lament. Priests tend to "clericalize the laity" and view their ministry as only "within

2294-458: The age of 12 who are judged by church leaders to be in good standing are ordained to an office of the priesthood and hold various positions in the church. Most church positions at the local level are unpaid, but the LDS church helps with the living expenses of top church leaders and some others (e.g. mission presidents ). Many top church leaders serve in these positions after long secular careers. With

2356-514: The baptized becoming "missionary disciples", The Orthodox Church in America 's web site has eleven articles regarding its Theology of Lay Ministries. The term "lay ministries" refers to all the "people of God" (from the Greek laos tou Theou ) including the ordained. Thus, every Christian has a vocation to ministry. A minority are called to ecclesiastical ministries. The majority are called to serve God and their fellow human beings in some way in

2418-537: The bishop: the ministries which require a license vary from province to province. In the Episcopal Church, there are six specialized lay ministries requiring a license: Pastoral Leader, Worship Leader, Preacher, Eucharistic Minister, Eucharistic Visitor, and Catechist. An early tradition of preaching in the Methodist churches was for a lay preacher to be appointed to lead services of worship and preach in

2480-403: The church's teaching about the ministry of the laity in the world, the church gives more recognition to ministry within the institutional church. The "daily ministry" of the laity in their work, in their homes, and in their recreation remains hidden. Priests may intend to support their parishioners' daily ministry, but their priority tends to be recruiting volunteers for the church's programs. In

2542-492: The church. The Declaration was signed by forty-seven clergy, religious, and laity that included men and women in many occupations, and it served as the charter for the National Center for the Laity (NCL). The NCL helps lay Catholics respond to their call to change the world through their daily activities and regular responsibilities, and it publishes a monthly online newsletter Initiatives: In Support of Christians in

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2604-784: The exception of members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , the First Quorum of the Seventy who are at the top of the church hierarchy, and patriarchs , all leadership positions are temporary. In Buddhism , a lay Buddhist is known as an upasakā (masc.) or upasikā (fem.). Buddhist laypeople take refuge in the Triple Gem the Buddha , Dhamma (His Teachings ), and Sangha (His community of Noble Disciples ) and accept

2666-410: The faith at work movement and support it because they want to connect their work and their faith. Management training often includes a faith dimension. Examples of various kinds of faith at work initiatives follow: Some faith at work initiatives focus not on work itself but on the workplace as a "mission field". In this "business as missions" concept, faith at work means "reaching people for Christ in

2728-400: The faithful except those in holy orders and those in the state of religious life specially approved by the Church. These faithful are by baptism made one body with Christ and are constituted among the People of God; they are in their own way made sharers in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly functions of Christ; and they carry out for their own part the mission of the whole Christian people in

2790-521: The honorary founder, Shiomi Doun, Roshi; Zan means mountain; and Yokoji means sunlight temple. Commonly the center was known by the name of Zen Mountain Center and in 2006 it returned to the lineage root name, Yokoji Zen Mountain Center to prevent confusion with other Zen centers. Yokoji Zen Mountain Center is open to people in all spiritual traditions and walks of life. The center has full-time residential training programs, as well as regularly scheduled silent meditation retreats ( sesshin ). Home practice

2852-515: The laity should say "we are the Church," in the same way that the saints said that "Christ lives in me." Lay involvement takes diverse forms, including participation in the life of the parish, confraternities , lay apostolates , secular institutes , and lay ecclesial movements . There are also lay ecclesiastical ministries , and where there is a priest shortage , lay people have to take on some functions previously performed by priests. In December 1977, "A Chicago Declaration of Christian Concern"

2914-494: The minister or during their planned absences. The United Methodist Church recognizes two types of lay ministries. One is a "lay servant ministry" of (a) assisting or leading local church meetings and worship or of (b) serving as lay missioners to begin new work within the church that requires special training. The other type is the "ministry of the laity" in their daily lives. In addition to being appointed by members of their local churches, local and certified lay speakers of

2976-592: The next two years. In 1959 Maezumi took classes in English at San Francisco State University .The same year he met Shunryū Suzuki for the first time and occasionally visited Suzuki's temple, Sokoji, for ceremonies. Early in the 1960s, Maezumi began holding zazen at Zenshuji for Western students, which eventually led to the opening of the Zen Center of Los Angeles in 1967. That same year he married his first wife, Charlene (they divorced in 1971.) Also in 1967, Maezumi began koan-study with Hakuun Yasutani , who had left

3038-735: The non-profit Kuroda Institute for the Study of Buddhism and Human Values, promoting academic scholarship on Buddhist topics. The White Plum Asanga was also established during this period. His senior student Tetsugen Bernard Glassman opened the Zen Community of New York in 1979 with Maezumi's blessing and encouragement. Another student, John Daido Loori , acquired land in the Catskill Mountains of New York and in 1980 established Zen Mountain Monastery (ZMM) with Maezumi; Loori

3100-554: The people in the congregation and parish. Ministers are simply men and women whose gift is for their role in teaching and possibly pastoral work. They are thus selected for advanced theological education. All elders (teaching and ruling) in meetings of Session, Presbytery, or Assembly are subject to the Moderator, who may or may not be a minister but is always an elder. Many leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are lay ministers. Essentially all male members above

3162-418: The plan of God". The laity are full members of the Church, fully share in Church's purpose of sanctification, of "inner union of men with God", acting with freedom and personal responsibility and not as mere agents of the hierarchy. Due to their baptism , they are members of God's family, the Church, and they grow in intimate union with God, "in" and "by means" of the world. It is not a matter of departing from

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3224-583: The shape of Western Zen is incalculable. Jan Chozen Bays says, To me, Maezumi's genius lay in his ability to see the buddhanature and also teaching potential in many different kinds of people. There are some Zen teachers who have no successors or maybe one or two. Maezumi was more the Tibetan style—scatter the seeds widely, some will grow and some will not. We won't know for several generations which of his successors have established lineages that will continue." His daughter Kirsten Mitsuyo Maezumi writes: He

3286-463: The structures of the church. There are elected lay representatives on the various governing bodies of churches in the Anglican communion. In the Church of England , these governing bodies range from a local parochial church council , through Deanery Synods and Diocesan Synods . At the topmost level, the General Synod includes a house of Laity. Likewise, in the Episcopal Church in the USA,

3348-538: The world as the monks and the nuns do that they sanctify themselves; it is precisely through the material world sanctified by the coming of the God made flesh, i.e. made material, that they reach God. Doctors, mothers of a family, farmers, bank tellers, drivers, by doing their jobs in the world with a Christian spirit are already extending the Kingdom of God. According to the repeated statements of Popes and lay Catholic leaders,

3410-459: The world just this! There is nothing extra. Genuinely appreciate your life as the most precious treasure and take good care of it." Maezumi's main concern was to leave a number of American dharma heirs, and he named twelve dharma successors, ordained sixty-eight priests, and administered the Buddhist precepts to over five hundred individuals. Author James Ishmael Ford says, " His influence on

3472-443: The world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church". Much of the ministry of the laity thus takes place outside official church structures in homes, workplaces, schools, and elsewhere. It is "through their continuous participation in political, economic, educational, and kinship institutions" that the laity "powerfully influence the character of these institutions". Laymen also play important roles in

3534-549: Was an alcoholic in 1983, and sought treatment at the Betty Ford Center . This coincided with revelations that he had been having sexual relationships with some of his female followers at the Zen Center of Los Angeles despite being married to his wife, Martha Ekyo Maezumi, "including one of the recipients of his dharma transmission". According to Kirsten Mitsuyo Maezumi, this "caused the separation of my parents and

3596-644: Was born in Japan on February 24, 1931, to Yoshiko Kuroda-Maezumi and Baian Hakujun Kuroda, a prominent Sōtō priest, in his father's temple in Ōtawara, Tochigi . In later years, he took the name Maezumi, his mother's maiden name. He was ordained as a novice monk in the Sōtō lineage at age eleven, and in high school began studying koans under a lay Rinzai instructor, Koryū Osaka . While studying under Koryu he attended Komazawa University —receiving degrees in oriental literature and philosophy. After college he trained at Sōji-ji , and then received shihō from his father in 1955,

3658-669: Was installed as Abbot at ZMM in 1989. That following year Maezumi founded a summer retreat for the ZCLA called the Yokoji Zen Mountain Center , which today serves as a year-round residential and non-residential Zen training center. In 1984 another student, Dennis Merzel , left ZCLA to establish the Kanzeon Sangha , an international network practicing in the White Plum lineage. Maezumi publicly admitted he

3720-461: Was not a good father, or a good husband to my mother, but he was an outstanding teacher with a love for the dharma and a vision of liberation that took precedence in all he did. As an adult, in my travels and own seeking, I hear testimonials to his awakened Buddha nature and hear and see the proof of it in the difference it has made for so many other gifted beings to step into their place as teachers and facilitators of peace and consciousness. It

3782-559: Was published. The declaration looked back a decade to the Vatican Council II with appreciation for its "compelling vision of lay Christians in society." As the Declaration interpreted it, the Council viewed the laity's "special vocation" as being the "leaven" for the "sanctification of the world" in their "secular professions and occupations". However, lamented the Declaration, the council's vision has "all but vanished" from

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3844-444: Was the reason my mother left the Zen Center of Los Angeles with my brother and [me] in 1983". Maezumi was forthcoming in admitting his mistakes and did not justify his behaviors. These events caused much turmoil in his school, and many students left as a result. Some members who stayed described themselves as forced to see Maezumi on a more human level, even seeing this period as a breakthrough for them, no longer deluded into thinking

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