Zen & Politics, by Bill Kaneko
At Chozen-ji, it has been a longstanding goal to use Zen training for the betterment of society. Zen training and the skills it cultivates—kan (intuition), compassion, strength and sensitivity—are critical to developing public leaders in Hawaiʻi and throughout the world.
In that spirit, Michael Kangen, Cristina Moon and I conceptualized an eight-week course entitled Zen & Politics to explore Zen and its real life application to improve society through political and community action. Fifteen students representing a range of emerging government, community and business leaders were selected to participate based on their track record and commitment to making Hawaiʻi a better place.
Zen & Politics participants lived in over two weekends, with intensive training in zazen, and several martial and fine arts—Kendo, Hojo, Calligraphy, Tea Ceremony and Tai Chi. They also engaged in spirited discussions with Sayama Daian Roshi, Wayne Honda Roshi, Norma Wong Roshi, and Rosie Abriam Roshi about Zen as a framework for developing public leadership.
Participants also had the opportunity to learn about public leadership through a series of intimate discussions with Hawai`i’s top business, political and community leaders. Over six weekly sessions, the students met with U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, former Hawaiʻi Governor John Waihee, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Judge Karen Nakasone, former PUC Chairman Randy Iwase, political strategist Rick Tsujimura, Island Insurance Chairman Colbert Matsumoto, and houseless advocate Twinkle Borge.
At the completion of the eight-week course, the Zen & Politics students became evermore clear and committed about their personal mandates for advancing the public interest, and several of them decided on career changes and even to run for office. As the organizers, we were pleased to see that they had newfound understanding of not only themselves, but also how they can utilize Zen training to make Hawaiʻi and the world better.