Getting a zen stick

At a ceremony held at Providence Zen Center this past December, Robert Genthner, of Lexington, Kentucky, became the ninth student to receive formal teaching authority from Zen Master Seung Sahn. Bob is a long-time student of Zen under several teachers and a practicing psychotherapist. He and his wife, Mara, started the Lexington Zen Center in 1982. Bob and members of the Lexington sangha have purchased a large piece of land in Kentucky that Dae Soen Sa Nim has christened as a major retreat site; it is rapidly becoming an important gathering place for the sangha. This talk is excerpted from a talk at Providence Zen Center after the ceremony. Excerpts from the formal Dharma Combat encounters that traditionally precede the granting of inka, or teaching authority, can be found on page