Philip Kapleau - Work and Teaching

Work and Teaching

During a book tour in 1965 he was invited to teach meditation at a gathering in Rochester, New York. In 1966 he left Japan to create the Rochester Zen Center.

For almost 40 years, Kapleau taught at the Center and in many other settings around the world, and provided his own dharma transmission to several disciples of both genders. He also introduced many modifications to the Japanese Zen tradition, such as chanting the Heart Sutra in the vernacular English in the U.S., or Polish at the Center he founded in Katowice. He often emphasized that Zen Buddhism adapted so readily to new cultures especially because it was not dependent upon a dogmatic external form. At the same time he recognized that it was not always easy to discern the form from the essence, and one had to be careful not to "throw the baby out with the bathwater."

Throughout the 1970s Toni Packer accepted minor teaching positions at Rochester Zen Center. In 1981 she ran the Center in Kapleau's absence and was in line to be his successor. Packer left the Center shortly after Kapleau's return and ceased practicing Buddhism.

Roshi Kapleau lived in Hollywood, FL for several years before returning to RZC.

He lived with Parkinson’s Disease for several years, and while his physical mobility was reduced, he enjoyed lively and trenchant interactions with a steady stream of visitors throughout his life. On May 6, 2004, he died peacefully in the backyard of the Rochester Zen Center, surrounded by many of his closest disciples and friends.