Sabom Nim

Traditionally, in Korean martial arts a Sabom Nim is an instructor, sometimes an assistant instructor, sometimes the owner of a facility. In the Zen order I studied and taught in for two decades, where martial arts was the primary form of Zen training, a Sabom Nim indicated having earned three black belts.

But, as the founder of the first Zen Buddhist high school in the US, and as the school’s the primary Zen teacher directly under the Zen Master Chang Sik Kim, my training was different than that of many Zen teachers.

I taught meditation and Zen Sword, supported teachers, helped parents be parents, and attended to the students’ spiritual and intellectual development.

Zen teachers were often administrators, direct instructors, and coordinators for the local Buddhist community. As a principal, school counselor, and therapist I served in those roles.

Zen teachers are often poets… poetry practice is central to my personal practice and my exploration of the tradition and the dharma. In Zen all activities are spiritual practice.

Those many roles at the school, with my teacher’s support, were my training.

In East Asia (China, Korea, Japan) a Zen Master not only was adept in the Zen tradition’s techniques, literature, rhetoric, myths, and (sometimes) history, they were usually acknowledged publicly by a recognized master as a peer and as one who has gone beyond their teacher in some key way.

My teacher was an acknowledged Zen Master and a unique poet but he did not recognize any of his students (at least publicly) as such before his death. These most experienced and ambitious students carry on his teaching in accord with their capacity.

Though I left his order after his passing, I have kept both the title of Sabom Nim and that of instructor in order to acknowledge his efforts at training me and my varied experience of expressing that training.

Hopefully, I am doing this with integrity in both my training and the teaching of students. I am presently studying with two teachers in the Soto Zen tradition to help in this, with the intention of earning ordination.

Community Zen is a small sangha, which is growing slowly, organically. It is a place that asks little, just that we attend to our practice and come to sit.

The liturgy and zazen is a mix of chanting, reflection, questions, and meditation.

Please join us if you are interested in learning about Zen practice as a support for good community work. We need you.

Sincerely, with the Dharma… Peter