Robert Baker Aitken
Robert Baker Aitken | |
|---|---|
| Title | Roshi |
| Personal life | |
| Born | June 19, 1917 |
| Died | August 5, 2010 (aged 93) |
| Spouse | Anne Hopkins Aitken |
| Children | Tom Aitken |
| Education | University of Hawaii University of California |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | Zen Buddhism |
| Lineage | Harada-Yasutani |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Soen Nakagawa Nyogen Senzaki |
| Predecessor | Yamada Koun |
| Website | www.robertaitken.net |
Robert Baker Dairyu Chotan Aitken Rōshi (June 19, 1917 – August 5, 2010) was a Zen teacher in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha in 1959 with his wife, Anne Hopkins Aitken. Aitken received Dharma transmission from Koun Yamada in 1985 but decided to live as a layperson. He was a socialist and anarchist who advocated for social justice for homosexuals, women and Native Hawaiians throughout his life, and was one of the original founders of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.