Series:

Many Branches, One Root: Buddhist Traditions in the Los Angeles Area

Topic:

Asian American History

Buddhism

Biographical Note:

Trained in Zen Buddhism, vipassana, and psychotherapy. Founding teacher of InsightLA.

Interviewer:

Cline, Alex

Interviewee:

Goodman, Trudy

Persons Present:

Goodman and Cline.

Place Conducted:

Goodman's home in Venice in Los Angeles.

Supporting Documents:

Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library’s Center for Oral History Research.

Interviewer Background and Preparation:

The interview was conducted by Alex Cline, series coordinator, UCLA Library Center for Oral History Research; musician; member, Order of Interbeing, Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism, ordained 2009 by Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh.

Processing of Interview:

The interviewer prepared a timed log of the audio recording of the interview. Goodman was given the opportunity to review the log in order to supply missing or misspelled names and to verify the accuracy of the content. The corrections made were then entered into the text.

Length:

12.25 hrs.

Language:

English

Copyright:

Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.

Audio:

Series Statement:

The Many Branches, One Root series traces the histories and practices of a range of Buddhist traditions and communities in the greater Los Angeles area. Beginning in the early twentieth century, a succession of Buddhist traditions have put down roots in Los Angeles, each one providing spiritual support and a sense of community for the tradition’s immigrant population. By the late twentieth century many of those traditions had extended their reach beyond their original ethnic base to include an American-born, often largely Anglo, constituency. The series seeks to document the ethnic and immigrant roots of these traditions, as well as the changes that have resulted as traditions have accommodated to an American context. Series participants included monks, nuns, and lay people from Buddhist traditions from Japan, China, Tibet, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam and a mixture of immigrants and American-born practitioners.

Note:

Portions of session six have been sealed until January 1, 2046, at the request of the interviewee.

Born in Boston during WWII—Father’s background at Harvard University—Mother’s background—Relocation to Los Angeles and birth of siblings—Move to England—Relocation to Bethesda, Maryland—Lacking Jewish community in Maryland—Growing up in Maryland with attention deficit disorder symptoms—Family constantly moves—Hebrew education—Family moves to France—Life in Brittany with Catholic family for a summer.

Catholic atmosphere of France—Living alone and schooling in Paris—Anti-Semitic experience with date—Exploring Paris for a year—Return to Bethesda—Depression after not getting into Bryn Mawr College—Attending Bennington College—Parents relocate to Geneva—Return to Paris to study at Cité Universitaire—Growth and awakening with boyfriend—Return to Bennington—Psychedelic experimentation—Changes studies to anthropology—Works for art gallery and becomes assistant to Joseph Cornell—Marries Jimmy from Bennington and becomes pregnant—Birth of daughter Hillary and leaving Jimmy—Disconnection from counterculture as a parent—Interest in child development and work for Head Start—Move to Geneva with Hillary and studying child development—Hillary’s spinal meningitis and coma—Hillary’s long recovery—Move to Cambridge, Massachusetts—Spiritual experience while in labor with Hillary.

Relocation to Cambridge, Massachusetts—Starting developmental psychology classes at Radcliffe College—Spiritual experiences with LSD and final trip—Attends Harvard and starts therapy—Lives in communal housing—Reunion with Jon Kabat-Zinn leads to meeting Larry Rosenberg—Learning meditation and yoga from Rosenberg and Kabat-Zinn—Encountering Soensunim after he establishes Cambridge Zen center—Soensunim’s teachings and Zen center community—Becomes dharma teacher and director of a nursery school—Attends vipassana meditation retreat—Starts a special needs preschool and pursues family group therapy.

Soensunim’s Korean teaching style at Zen center—Travels to South Korea and China with Soensunim—Goodman encounters Kobun Chino Otogawa and finds he is her teacher—Sits sesshin with Kobun in San Francisco—Dissolution of original Zen center community—Exploring other teachers and traditions—Meets Zen teacher Maureen Stewart and practices Rinzai teachings with her—Experience with Joshu Sasaki Roshi’s inappropriate behavior at retreat—Begins relationship with George Barrow—Becomes resident teacher at Cambridge Buddhist Association—Profusion of Jewish teachers in Insight Meditation community.

Soensunim’s romantic relationships with students and apologies—Goodman’s complicated marriage to George Barrow—Co-teaching with Barrow—Sees no master or teacher as part of sila precepts—Reports inappropriate behavior of Tibetan teacher—Lack of credentials to become Buddhist teacher and sexism in Buddhism—Divorces Barrow and joins Insight—Formation of Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy—Death of Phillip Aranow—Beginnings of mindfulness based stress reduction—Move to Taos, New Mexico with Barrow—Stays in New Mexico and finds Anam Thubten as her teacher—Parents return to U.S. and move to L.A.—Father’s death and Goodman’s relocation to L.A.—Daughter Hillary’s work in law and adoption of Judaism.

Adjustments to L.A.—Sitting in Ken McLeod’s sangha—Visits to zen centers in L.A. and Santa Monica—Continued teaching in Santa Fe and Boston—Teaching girls group at juvenile hall—Deciding to take charge of teaching—Starting a sitting group in living room and moving it to Santa Monica—Lack of connection with fellow teachers in L.A. area—Disastrous first retreat—Growing attendance at sitting group—Adjusting approach towards vipassana with Jack Kornfield—Continuing sangha with low donations and no rich members—Decides not to return to Cambridge as reputation grows—Officially launches InsightLA in 2002—Beginnings of administrative support—Starts family mindfulness program Growing Spirit in 2004—Establishes mindfulness based stress reduction teaching program—InsightLA becomes independent nonprofit—Formation and dissolution of board—Teachers at InsightLA.

Kobun Chino Otogawa’s death in 2002 and daughter Hillary’s stay with him—Soensunim’s death in 2004—Finding a building for InsightLA—Growth of Insight LA due to center and process of finding more space—Notable dharma teachers—Revelation of inappropriate use of donation money—Outside mediation advises Goodman to leave InsightLA—InsightLA announced bankrupt and dissolved—New director hired by InsightLA—Teaching continues and organization stays afloat—Programs increasing diversity and meeting community needs—Younger teachers and practitioners—Contrasting feminism with patriarchal teachers—Goodman’s role regarding women in Buddhism—Sexual misconduct by Buddhist teachers—Marriage to Jack Kornfield—Hope of changing L.A. culture to dharma—Founding of Mindful USC—Future of InsightLA and impact on L.A. community.