Dae Gak


Dae Gak, born Robert Genthner, is a Zen master and the guiding teacher of Furnace Mountain in Clay City, Kentucky, a Korean Buddhist temple and retreat center co-founded in 1986 with Seung Sahn. He received Dharma transmission from Seung Sahn in 1994, and now teaches independently of Seung Sahn's Kwan Um School of Zen. In addition to Furnace Mountain he serves as guiding teacher for other Zen groups in North America, Germany and England. He also holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is currently a licensed psychologist in the state of Kentucky.

Biography

Robert Genthner was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1947. He went to graduate school in Psychology at Kent State University. Genthner graduated from Kent State in 1973 with his Ph.D. in clinical psychology, later that year teaching psychology at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. He stopped teaching in 1979, afterward practicing as a licensed psychologist.
In 1979, Genthner met Korean monk and Zen teacher Seung Sahn during a retreat at the Providence Zen Center. In the early 1980s, he and several other individuals founded the Lexington Zen Center in his home, with retreats sometimes taking place at the homes of other practitioners. The group became affiliated with Seung Sahn's Kwan Um School of Zen, founded in July 1983. In 1986, he co-founded a Zen temple at Furnace Mountain with Seung Sahn. The temple, Kwan Se Um San Ji Sah, was completed in 1994. Also that year, Genthner/Dae Gak received Dharma transmission from Seung Sahn, and founded the Cincinnati Zen Center.
In 2000, Genthner was subject to disciplinary action following allegations by two patients of sexual misconduct and violations of patient confidentiality; while denying wrongdoing, he agreed to a suspension of one year, a fine, and one year of supervised probation after his license was reinstated. Also in 2000, he left the Kwan Um School of Zen and began his own. He has since established groups in North America, Germany and England. Genther, and the Furnace Mountain Zen Retreat Center was featured in the 2010 documentary film Zen Furnace produced by Kentucky filmmaker Steven Middleton.

Groups

  • Affiliates

  • Dharmic Lineage

The following list documents Dae Gak's transmission lineage, starting with the Buddha and the First Patriarch.
India
China
CHINESE 'NAMELIFE DATESVIỆT NAMEJAPANESE NAMEKOREAN NAME
28 / 1達磨 / Ta-mo?Đạt-MaDaruma달마 / Dal-Ma
29 / 2慧可 / Hui-k'o487–593Huệ-KhảEka혜가 / Hye-Ga
30 / 3僧璨 / Seng-ts'an?–606Tăng-XánSōsan승찬 / Seung-Chan
31 / 4道信 / Tao-hsin580–651Đạo-TínDōshin도신 / Do-Shim
32 / 5弘忍 / Hung-jen601/2–674/5Hoằng-NhẫnKōnin홍인 / Hong-Ihn
33 / 6慧能 / Hui-neng638–713Huệ-NăngEnō혜능 / Hye-Neung
34 / 7南嶽懷讓 / Nan-yüeh Huai-jang677–744Nam-Nhạc Hoài-NhượngNangaku Ejō남악회양 / Nam-Ak Hwe-Yang
35 / 8馬祖道一 / Ma-tsu Tao-i709–788Mã-Tổ Đạo-NhấtBaso Dōitsu마조도일 / Ma-Jo To-Il
36 / 9百丈懷海 / Pai-chang Huai-hai720?/749?–814Bách-Trượng Hoài-HảiHyakujō Ekai백장회해 / Paek-Chang Hwe-Hae
37 / 10黃蘗希運 / Huang-po Hsi-yün?–850Hoàng-Bá Hy-VậnŌbaku Kiun황벽희운 / Hwang-Byeok Heu-Iun
38 / 11臨濟義玄 / Lin-chi I-hsüan?–866/7Lâm-Tế Nghĩa-HuyềnRinzai Gigen임제의현 / Im-Je Eui-Hyeon
39 / 12興化存奬 / Hsing-hua Tzun-chiang830–888Hưng-Hóa Tồn-TươngKōke Sonshō흥화존장 / Heung-Hwa Chon-Jang
40 / 13南院道癰 / Nan-yüan Hui-yungd 930?/952?Nam-Viện Huệ-NgungNanin Egyō남원도옹 / Nam-Weon To-Ong
41 / 14風穴延沼 / Feng-hsüeh Yen-chao896–973Phong-Huyệt Diên-ChiểuFūketsu Enshō풍혈연소 / Peung-Hyeol Yeon-So
42 / 15首山省念 / Shou-shan Shen-nien925/6–992/3Thủ-Sơn Tỉnh-NiệmShūzan Shōnen수산성념 / Su-San Seong-Nyeom
43 / 16汾陽善昭 / Fen-yang Shan-chao947–1024Phần-Dương Thiện-ChiêuFunyō Zenshō분양선소 / Pun-Yang Seon-Jo
44 / 17慈明楚圓 / Tz'u-ming Ch'u-yüan986–1039Thạch-Sương Sở-ViênJimyō Soen자명초원 / Cham-Yeong Cho-Weon
45 / 18楊岐方會 / Yang-ch'i Fang-hui992–1049Dương-Kỳ Phương-HộiYōgi Hōe양기방회 / Yang-Gi Pang-Hwe
46 / 19白雲守端 / Pai-yün Shou-tuan1025–1072Bạch-Vân Thủ-ĐoanHakuun Shutan백운수단 / Pae-Gun Su-Dan
47 / 20五祖法演 / Wu-tsu Fa-yen1024–1104Ngũ-Tổ Pháp-DiễnGoso Hōen오조법연 / O-Jo Peob-Yeon
48 / 21圓悟克勤 / Yuan-wu K'o-ch'in1063–1135Viên-Ngộ Khắc-CầnEngo Kokugon원오극근 / Hwe-O Keuk-Keun
49 / 22虎丘紹隆 / Hsü-ch’iu Shao-lung1077–1136Hổ-Khâu Thiệu-LongKukyū Jōryū호구소융 / Ho-Gu Sor-Yung
50 / 23應庵曇華 / Ying-an T'an-hua1103–1163Ứng Am Đàm HoaOan Donge응암담화 / Eung-Am Tam-Hwa
51 / 24密庵咸傑 / Mi-an Hsi-chieh1118?/1138?–1186Mật Am Hàm KiệtMittan Kanketsu밀암함걸 / Mir-Am Ham-Keol
52 / 25破庵祖先 / P'o-an Tsu-hsien1136–1211Phá Am Tổ TiênHoan Sosen파암조선 / Pa-Am Cho-Seon
53 / 26無準圓照 / Wu-chun Yuan-chao
1174/8–1249.
.
무준원조 / Mujun Wenjo
54 / 27雪巖惠朗 / Hsüeh-yen Hui-langTuyết Nham Tổ KhâmSetsugan설암혜랑 / Seon-Am Hye-Rang
55 / 28及庵宗信 / Chi-an Tsung-hsinCật Yêm Tông Hâm급암종신 / Keu-Bam Chong-Sil
56 / 29石屋淸珙 / Shih-wu Ch'ing-kung1272–1352Thạch Ốc Thanh CủngSekioku Seikyō석옥청공 / Seo-Gok Cheong-Gong

Korea
CHINESE NAMEKOREAN NAMELIFE DATES
57 / 30 / 1太古普愚 태고보우 / Tae-Go Bo-Wu1301–1382
58 / 31 / 2幻庵混修 환암혼수 / Hwan-Am Hon-Su1320–1392
59 / 32 / 3龜谷覺雲 구곡각운 / Gu-Gok Gak-Un
60 / 33 / 4碧溪淨心 벽계정심 / Byeok-Ge Jeong-Shim
61 / 34 / 5碧松智嚴 벽송지엄 / Byeok-Song Ji-Eom1464–1534
62 / 35 / 6芙蓉靈觀 부용영관 / Bu-Yong Yeong-Gwan1485–1567/1571
63 / 36 / 7淸虛休靜 청허휴정 / Cheong-Heo Hyu-Jeong
1520–1604
64 / 37 / 8鞭羊彦機 편양언기 / Pyeon-Yang Eon-Gi1581–1644
65 / 38 / 9楓潭義諶 풍담의심 / Pung-Dam Eui-Sim?–1665
66 / 39 / 10月潭雪霽 월담설제 / Wol-Dam Seol-Je?–1704
67 / 40 / 11喚惺志安 환성지안 / Hwan-Seong Ji-An?–1729
68 / 41 / 12虎巖體淨 호암체정 / Ho-Am Che-Jeong?–1748
69 / 42 / 13靑峰巨岸 청봉거안 / Cheong-Bong Geo-An
70 / 43 / 14栗峰靑古 율봉청고 / Yul-Bong Cheong-Kwa?–1823
71 / 44 / 15錦虛法沾 금허법첨 / Geum-Heo Beop-Cheom
72 / 45 / 16龍岩慧彦 용암혜언 / Yong-Am Hye-Eon
73 / 46 / 17永月奉律 영월봉율 / Yeong-Wol Bong-Yul
74 / 47 / 18萬化普善 만화보선 / Man-Hwa Bo-Seon?–1879
75 / 48 / 19鏡虛惺牛 경허성우 / Gyeong-Heo Seong-Wu1849–1912
76 / 49 / 20滿空月面 만공월면 / Man-Gong Weol-Myeon1871–1946
77 / 50 / 21高峯景昱 고봉경욱 / Ko-Bong Gyeong-Uk1890–1961/2
78 / 51 / 22崇山行願 숭산행원 / Seung-Sahn Haeng-Won1927–2004

America
KOREAN NAMEENGLISH NAMELIFE DATES'
79 / 52 / 23/ 1대각 / Dae GakRobert Genthner1947-