Claude Dalenberg

Claude Dalenberg (also known as Ananda Claude Dalenberg) (July 2, 1927^[1] — February 18, 2008^[2][3]) was a Zen priest ordained by Shunryū Suzuki and a dharma successor of Tenshin Reb Anderson.^[3]

Biography

Dalenberg was born on July 2, 1927, in South Holland, Illinois.^[1] Growing up in a Dutch-Reformist environment,^[4] he attended Sunday school, catechism classes, Sunday morning and evening services.^[1]

After serving in the Navy, Dalenberg enrolled in Northwestern University in the School of Engineering.^[1] Dalenberg initially discovered Buddhism after attending a talk by Alan Watts in Chicago in 1949.^[4] Dalenberg eventually graduated Northwestern with a degree in Philosophy.^[1]

After moving to California in the 1950s, Dalenberg began attending the American Academy of Asian Studies where he met D.T. Suzuki,^[4] Gary Snyder^[3][4] and others who deepened his interest in Buddhism.^[4] Dalenberg was a member of a zazenkai group with Snyder, Philip Whalen, Albert Saijo, and Lew Welch.^[5] He studied with Nyogen Senzaki in Los Angeles^[4] as well as with Hodo Tobase at Sokoji in San Francisco.^[4]

In the mid-1960s, Dalenberg met Shunryū Suzuki and began studying with him, eventually becoming a Senior Priest at the San Francisco Zen Center.^[6]

Dalenberg enjoyed learning from other Buddhist sects and often attended services at a Buddhist Churches of America branch near Sokoji.^[7] He was also involved with Quakers and worked with them towards prison abolition.^[7]

He served as President of the Buddhist Council of Northern California^[3] and helped establish the East-West House in San Francisco.^[3]

Dalenberg appeared under the pseudonym "Bud Diefendorf" in Jack Kerouac's novel The Dharma Bums.^[3][4]