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The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side (Kindle Single) by [Oppenheimer, Mark]

The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side (Kindle Single) Kindle Edition

by Mark Oppenheimer (Author), The Atlantic Books (Editor)

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A powerful story of secrets and sexual exploitation perpetrated under the guise of religion—a cautionary tale of the dark side of Zen in America.

Nearly 50 years ago, a Zen Buddhist monk—fleeing a cloud of suspicion—arrived in Manhattan, penniless and alone. Eido Shimano would quickly build an unrivaled community of followers: Zen students he culled from the heights of New York society to form arguably the most prestigious Japanese Buddhist organization in the country. Authors, entertainers, and scions of vast fortunes, all questing for spiritual enlightenment, flocked to study and live in his spacious compound. But always there were whispers that things were not what they seemed.

With sexual-abuse allegations against Zen leaders in the U.S. now stunningly common, The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side examines a dangerously complicated corner of the tradition—and shows how aspects of Buddhist practice may actually facilitate abuse. Featuring exclusive reporting and interviews, the book is a powerful true story of secrets and sexual exploitation perpetrated under the guise of religion—and a cautionary tale of the dark side of Zen in America.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
An essayist, reporter, and critic, Mark Oppenheimer is one of the country’s leading investigators of religion. He writes a religion column for The New York Times and also writes for The New York Times Magazine, Mother Jones, Slate, The Forward, and Tablet, among other publications. Oppenheimer has a doctorate in American religious history and directs the Yale Journalism Initiative. The author of three previous books, he lives with his family in New Haven, Connecticut.

Length: 67 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
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Product details

File Size: 575 KB
Print Length: 67 pages
Publisher: The Atlantic Books (December 4, 2013)
Publication Date: December 4, 2013
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00GMVTPYI
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

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Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #583,604 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #20 in Kindle Store > Kindle Singles > Nonfiction > Religion & Spirituality
- #167 in Kindle Store > Kindle Singles > Biographies & Memoirs
- #281 in Kindle Store > Kindle Nonfiction Singles

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aloha

good approach

January 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

i found the approach to this very important subject matter to be thought provoking and objective. i have been at dai boasts zendo on several occasions during the years covered in the book and took training there. i think this book is important for it explores why this kind of behavior is "allowed" to happen for years tho folks are aware something is not correct. it is not only in the zen tradition. it has been found in yoga schools, the catholic church and so it seems an important issue for us all to look into. i would recommend those in the field of teaching "spiritual" practices to read it.

8 people found this helpful9 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

The title should be something like 'Zen Predator knowingly unleashed by Roshi Robert Aitken

March 11, 2018

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The title should be something like 'Zen Predator knowingly unleashed by Roshi Robert Aitken, to protect Buddhist Cult' to get the whole picture of these frauds. "Well intentioned" is the last refuge of a scoundrel, to coin a phrase. The people who suffered are overlooked (reminds me of Jimmy Swaggart). Let's do justice by those taken advantage of and universally condemn those who are part of this cult, starting with "Roshi" Robert Aitken.

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Amazon Customer

captivating book

December 21, 2013

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This is a captivating little book. Oppenheimer brings the perfect combination of skills to the task: the punctiliousness and persistence of an excellent journalist (I can't imagine these many interviews were easy to arrange), along with a religious historian's firm grasp of "cults" and their evolution throughout time. In the end, it's a sad and unfortunately not all that uncommon story. Here we have another "case study in a community's inability to protect itself." Recent examples are too numerous to list. But they are not limited to religious communities. Penn State football is one that comes to mind.

6 people found this helpful7 people found this helpful

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Lee Carlson

SAD, TRUE STORY, WELL RESEARCHED & TOLD

February 5, 2015

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This is a cautionary tale for anyone looking for an authentic spiritual teacher and group. I have a cursory knowledge of the people and places involved, having met the main character once, and been to the monastery. My own teacher was a student of the main character for a time, and left him because of his behavior. Zen is supposed to be about awareness and truth, sad that in this case delusions and lies abounded, and that one of the major figures in Zen in the west has turned out to be a sexual predator. Oppenheimer does a good job of revealing the truth. This is an excellent use of the Kindle Single format, a journalism subject that isn't big enough for a full-length book, but demands more than a usual magazine-length treatment.

2 people found this helpful3 people found this helpful

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tolarjev

Worthy Dose of Caution

December 21, 2013

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I've had a lifetime, decades, of meditation groups, yoga classes, and skirting the edges of cults. I'd never classify Zen as a cult, but that doesn't stop some of their leadership from behaving like cult leaders. This book is about one case, and it's fascinating. Excellent case study of how the charisma/respect/obedience given to a spiritual guide is an easy hunting ground for a predator.

3 people found this helpful4 people found this helpful

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Eduardo NeechaTop Contributor: Cooking

Fascinating tip of the iceberg?

December 16, 2013

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And for three bucks, same as a slice of pizza at Whole Foods, whatcha got to lose?

Similar to the now classic "Shoes Outside The Door" (about Richard Baker's scandal at the San Francisco Zen Center network) this book chronicles the rise and fall of a ruthless and charismatic sociopath who used Zen Buddhism as a cover and deftly exploited the ludicrous gullibility, desperation and cowardice of an otherwise quite admirable and respectable community to indulge in scandalous, even criminal, behavior for decades (Baker at least got booted out much faster).

Like Downing, Oppenheimer occasionally displays some gaps in his understanding of Zen, but also like Downing, these gaps are quite minor and do not really hurt the story.

What is somewhat disappointing is that despite the fact that Eido Shimano's twisted reign at Dai Bosatsu Zen Center lasted at least five times longer than Baker's at SFZC, Oppenheimer's book is no more than one fifth the length of Downing's book---this more than anything serves as a striking reflection of just how closed-off Shimano's community remains compared to SFZC, where Downing was able to freely accumulate far more material to cover a much shorter-lived period of infamy that was also much narrower in scope. This is the main reason that this reviewer has chosen to rate this book 4 rather than 5 stars.

Perhaps after Shimano's eventual passing, more individuals and information will come to light in order to enable a more comprehensive investigation and retelling of the sorry events that occurred. In the meantime, Oppenheimer's slim volume can be viewed as a teaser of sorts.

6 people found this helpful7 people found this helpful

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Interested Reader

This is excellent in both describing the scandal

February 12, 2015

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There has been a series of scandals at various Zen centers (and other Buddhist centers) around the US. This is excellent in both describing the scandal, and how the members conspired to keep it quiet, resulting in many years of sexual misconduct on the part of the Japanese teacher. Well-researched, well-written; useful for understanding these kinds of scandals, not just this one.

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