Tribute to Roshi Philip Kapleau

The trajectory of my life changed dramatically when I met the Venerable Roshi Philip Kapleau in my youth, a time of great suffering and angst. His Being spoke wordlessly and eloquently of possibilities that hooked me and drove me to want to realize them. I shuddder to think what I would have become had I not met him and paradoxically, the older I grow the more powerful his influence.

This is the first time I'm paying tribute to him so publicly, thanks in part to an article by Rick McDaniel that explored the vast influence of Roshi Kapleau's life in bringing Zen to the west. He was truly a bodhisattva. I hope one day to repay his benevolence and all who have helped me along the way, including his Dharma heir, and my present teacher, Roshi Sunyana Graef.