Guiding Teacher
Rev. Daijaku Doyo (Jaku) Kinst
Daijaku was ordained in 1988, completed her priest training Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and received Dharma transmission (full authorization as a Soto Zen teacher), in 2004 from Sojun Mel Weitsman Roshi (Abbot of Berkeley Zen Center and Abbot of San Francisco Zen Center from 1988- 1997).
After her priest training, Daijaku completed a master’s degree in counseling psychology and a PhD on the teachings and practice of Soto Zen with a focus on effective ways to support a deep engagement with the path of practice.
Daijaku has taught and led retreats in a variety of settings including Gampo Abbey with the Venerable Pema Chodron and at Buddhist temples throughout the U.S. She continues to learn from and incorporate teachings and wisdom from Buddhist traditions beyond Soto Zen, while remaining deeply rooted in the Soto Zen way.
She is a Professor Emerita at the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS), a Buddhist seminary and graduate school and member school of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley California, where she founded and directed the Buddhist chaplaincy graduate program, as well as the Certificate in Soto Zen Studies. She continues her involvement at IBS in a less formal way.
Jaku was appointed Kokusaifukyoshi (International Teacher) by the Soto Zen School (Sotoshu) in Tokyo Japan in 2009 and is a board member of the Association of Soto Zen Buddhists, a Sotoshu organization of Kokusaifukyoshi in North America. She is also a full member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association, served as a board member of that organization from 2007 – 2013, and is a member of the American Zen Teacher’s Association. She is the author of Trust Realization and the Self in Soto Zen Practice and numerous articles on Buddhism.
Publications
Trust, Realization and the Self in Soto Zen Practice, Institute of Buddhist Studies, BDK, Aug 2015.
An exploration of the foundations of Soto Zen teachings and practice, and the factors that support a deep and fruitful engagement with them.
Articles of Interest
Commentary on Ziyong’s Ship of Compassion. In Record of the Hidden Lamp: 100 Koans and Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women. Wisdom, Fall 2013.
A History of Zen. In Lion’s Roar. Spring 2021,
Dharma U (On the Nature and Role of Studying). In Lion’s Roar July 2019.
Listening: A Practice of Generosity and Healing. In Dharma World. Vol. 43, 2016.
Selection in Without Words: Sojun Mel Weitsman Teachings Remembered. San Francisco Zen Center, 2021.
Is Spirituality Intrinsically Communal? Inextricable Intimacy: Soto Zen Teachings on Realization and Communality. Presentation. American Academy of Religion. 2016.
“The Path by Moonlight: Dogen’s Guidelines for Following the Way” In Seeds of Virtue Seeds of Change: A Collection of Zen Teachings. J. C. Wolfer Ed., Temple Ground Press August 2014.
Thomas Merton, Self, Surrender, and Contemplative Psychology: A Buddhist Perspective. Society of Buddhist Christian Studies, American Academy of Religion. 2009.
Self and Transformation in Soto Zen Buddhist Practice 2008 International Symposium: Beyond Ego Psychology: Journeys of the Heart East and West Ryokuku University. Kyoto, Japan.
Other Articles
“Spiritual Guidance in Mahayana Buddhism: Zen (Ch’an/Son), Pure Land, Nichiren, and Vajrayana.” Co-Authored with Richard Payne, PhD in Spiritual Direction Across Traditions: A Sourcebook for Spiritual Directors and Other Professionals Providing Counsel to People of Different Faith Traditions. Skylight Paths April 2014.
Cultivating an Appropriate Response: Educational Foundations for Buddhist Chaplains and Pastoral Care Providers. In The Arts of Contemplative Care: Pioneering Voices in Buddhist Chaplaincy and Pastoral Work. Wisdom Oct 2012.
