Bibliograph

Street Zen, the life and work of Issan Dorsey, Tensho David Schneider ; forewords by Roshi Bernie Glassman and Koshin Paley Ellison

Type

Label

Street Zen, the life and work of Issan Dorsey, Tensho David Schneider ; forewords by Roshi Bernie Glassman and Koshin Paley Ellison

Language

eng

resource.biographical

individual biography

Illustrations

illustrationsplates

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Street Zen

Oclc number

1127072228

Responsibility statement

Tensho David Schneider ; forewords by Roshi Bernie Glassman and Koshin Paley Ellison

Sub title

the life and work of Issan Dorsey

Summary

"A fascinating account of one Zen teacher's journey to Buddhism-from a drug-addicted drag queen to beloved spiritual teacher and abbot. Drag queen, junkie, alcoholic, commune leader-and, finally, Buddhist teacher: these words describe the unlikely persona of Issan Dorsey, one of the most beloved teachers to emerge in American Zen. From his days as a gorgeous female impersonator in the 1950s to the LSD experiences that set him on the spiritual path, Issan's life was never conventional. In 1989, after twenty years of Zen practice, he became Abbot of San Francisco's Hartford Street Zen Center, where he founded the Maitri Hospice for AIDS patients. A Buddhist success story centered on salvation and change, Street Zen follows the incredible journey from a destructive path to a spiritual one. David Schneider, one of Dorsey's close friends, captures the essence of this extraordinary-and outrageous-life, offering encouragement, understanding, and a unique outlook on what it means to be a Buddhist"--, Provided by publisher

Classification