[Buddha-l] a controversial aspect of Zen in America

[slachs at att.net]

I would like to announce a joint paper "The Aitken-Shimano Letters" written by Vladimir K., owner of <thezensite> and myself, Stuart Lachs. The paper can be accessed at:

http://www.thezensite.com/ZenEssays/CriticalZen/Aitken_Shimano_Letters.html

This paper looks at a controversial aspectof Zen in America beginning in 1960 and continuing into the present. The paperis based entirely on what was until recently, the sealed section of the voluminous RobertAitken roshi collection of papers and letters at the University of Hawaii atManoa library. The paper refers to letters between Robert Aitken roshi and EidoShimano roshi as well as between Aitken and his teachers Soen Nakagawa,Yasutani, and Yamada roshis as well as letters to and from the wider AmericanZen community. The letters give an insight into the development of American Zen not usually available to the public.