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Enlightenment Extinguished…

Author:  Mark Oppenheimer

Zen Predator (177x284)One could do worse than to concisely sum up the vast expanse of human history as a “parade of scumbags”.  There used to be a time when people looked up to their leaders as honorable individuals and upstanding model citizens, but over the centuries – and particularly over the last few decades – the full extent of this illusion has become clear.  Politicians, doctors, priests, teachers, ministers, Boy Scout leaders, police officers.  The list seems to grow by the day, so it should come as no surprise that we can now add Zen Buddhist monks.  Investigative journalist Mark Oppenheimer tells the story of one such monk in an e-book entitled The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side.

As I alluded in the first paragraph, America was a different place in 1964, when Eido Shimano – a 32 year-old Zen Buddhist monk from Japan – arrived in New York City.  Zen Buddhism was new and hip and any expert from Japan was a hot commodity.  With minimal effort, Shimano was able to rapidly build a sangha (Zen community), receiving financial support from wealthy donors and collecting new and curious followers every day.  As his popularity and bank account grew, Shimano was able to open meditation centers on Manhattan in 1968 and in the Catskills in 1976, winning lavish praise in both Zen and secular circles.

Astonishingly, it wasn’t until 2010 that the first flaws in Shimano’s enlightened world began to appear, when one of his female followers openly accused him of sexual improprieties.  This is where Oppenheimer enters the story, writing an article about the allegations in The New York Times.  As the press coverage expanded, more and more accusations surfaced dating all the way back to Shimano’s first arrival in the United States.

Interviewing Shimano himself, as well as dozens of his victims, students and colleagues for this book, Oppenheimer elaborates on the nature of Shimano’s ethical lapses in greater detail, exploring how we define such “crimes”, even though Shimano may have never done anything technically illegal.  The author also tries to determine how Shimano was allowed to prey on any woman of his choosing, almost in broad daylight.  Over the decades, there were many opportunities for otherwise honorable individuals to stop Shimano’s immoral behavior, but it didn’t happen.  Oppenheimer’s discussion of why these kinds of human and institutional failings are so common is intriguing.

Oppenheimer writes frequently on religious topics for numerous publications and his extensive knowledge and investigative skills are on fine display here.  It would be easy to over sensationalize this sex story and to vilify Shimano as a monster, but the author balances his account by frequently acknowledging Shimano’s perspective on events without letting him off the hook.  His able prose works well to deliver an interesting look at human nature – as well as a cautionary tale – without descending into tabloid journalism.

A high quality piece of investigative journalism, The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side is an in-depth look at yet another sex criminal.  While sex crime stories are a still a dime a dozen – even after adjusting for inflation – I found that Oppenheimer’s balanced analysis and thoughtful exploration of the numerous associated ethical issues made this well worth reading.

— D. Driftless

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