Glassman-roshi, Bernard Tetsugen

Ordained a Soto Zen priest in 1970, Bernard Glassman eventually became the first American-born Dharma heir of Maezumi-roshi’s Soto Zen lineage. In 1995 he was given the title of roshi and, upon the death of Maezumi-roshi, Glassman assumed leadership in the White Plum lineage. Glassman-roshi’s center, the Zen Community of New York, has launched an extensive and progressive array of for-profit and non-profit programs addressed directly to the urban crisis. Greystone Bakery, Greystone Family Inn for homeless families, and Issan House (a residence for people with AIDS).