Florence, Alan Jakuan Gensho
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Alan Jakuan Gensho Florence is a dharma successor of the late Houn Jiyu Kennett roshi in the Soto Zen tradition. He began practicing with Kennett roshi in Toronto in May of 1970—Kennett was delivering some talks at the University of Toronto that year and would also hold a weekend retreat and sesshin by month’s end. Gensho attended both the weekend retreat and sesshin. He sat another sesshin with her in December (between Christmas) of that same year, again in Toronto at Hart House farm.
In March of 1971, Gensho moved to Shasta Abbey in Mt. Shasta, California. Planning to stay for six months, his stay there lasted six years. Within weeks of his arrival he was ordained a novice monk and, starting in 1972, he served as Jiyu Kennett’s jisha (personal attendant) until the Fall of 1976, when he resigned. In 1972 he received dharma transmission from Jiyu Kennett roshi.
In 1976, Houn Jiyu Kennett fell ill and was told by a doctor that she had maybe six weeks to live—concerned with her heart and diabetes. According to Gensho, someone named Barbara Blackwell had learned a technique they call Jin Shin Do during a dream she’d had of the roshi being ill. The technique was taught to the late Rev. Daizu MacPhillamy and Gensho. Originally applying it only to the roshi, who was then living at the Berkeley Priory, her health rapidly improved. As she grew stronger, the monks began treating each other. Apparently, this resulted in heightened emotional states for many who were living their monastic lives with Kennett roshi.
Gensho had been having an affair with another monk. Gensho believes it was the power of Jin Shin Do which made the sangha more tense. The monk Gensho was having an affair with confessed her affair to roshi Kennett in 1976. She was confined for several days before being expelled from Shasta Abbey. Gensho, himself scolded for his part in the affair, also left Shasta Abbey that year.
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