3 years ago
Soto Zen Buddhist priest and renowned Dharma teacher Sojun Mel Weitsman passed away at his home on 7 January -the sangha of Berkeley Zen Center announced.
Weitsman had been battling cancer. He lived with his wife Elizabeth Horowitz and son Daniel.
He co-founded Berkeley Zen Center, a Soto Zen Buddhist practice center in Berkeley, California.Weitsman served as guiding teacher and abbot for fifty-three years.
Sojun created a place for daily meditation practice integral with people’s life of family, work, and service. He considered BZC as “one room schoolhouse,” where everyone can find the necessary teachings for their position in life.
Sojun was Born in Los Angeles in 1929. His life was in turning point when he met Suzuki Roshi. He practiced zazen and the task of sustaining the dharma of zen.
At the instruction of Suzuki Roshi he founded Berkeley Zen Center in 1967. A year later he was ordained in the attic zendo. Because of his declining health, he stepped down as abbot in October 2020.
From 1988 to 1997, Sojun served as co-abbot of San Francisco Center, where he had begun his Zen practice while still guiding Berkeley Zen Center. He continued as Senior Dharma Teacher all his life.
Founding teacher of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association and the American Zen Teachers Association left this world at age of 91.
