Michael Mugaku Zimmerman Sensei is how he’s known by some these days, but Michael Zimmerman was once identified as a Supreme Court Justice in his state of Utah. Now, Zimmerman has opened Boulder Mountain Zendo, his second Zen center, right in Salt Lake City.
Finding the practice after the death of his first wife, he’s now dedicated to helping others practice. “It makes you a better doctor, lawyer or journalist,” Zimmerman tells the Salt Lake Tribune. “You don’t cling so much to one perspective on reality. You become comfortable with ambiguity.” See the Salt Lake Tribune’s article here.
Thanks for the link. Very interesting article.
I guess there's something to seeing someone with a commonality doing this.
Justice Zimmerman, many years ago you sat on the Utah Science Council. I brought in America's leading expert on aspen forests to provide the council with an update on an event called the Aspen Summit where we were hoping to find the most environmentally sound way to harvest aspen trees. Statewide we are losing our aspen forests due to encroachment by spruce forests. You laughed at and ridiculed the expert, refusing to listen to his comments in a most un-Zenlike manner…. and in a manner that made me question your judicial integrity. I hope that your pursuit of spirituality includes reflection on your past history of insensitive treatment of your fellow man.
Case of mistaken identity. I never sat on the Utah Science Council, and know nothing about aspen tree ecology. Sorry you had a hard experience with whomever was on the Council then.
Michael