Bay Area woman accused of setting fire to nation’s oldest Buddhist monastery

Police have arrested a 36-year-old Mountain View woman in connection with a fire at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in Carmel Valley earlier this year. 

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Announced Tuesday by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the arrest comes after an investigation that revealed GuoGuo Lu was allegedly making online statements tied to the fire and threats toward other Buddhist temples in the state. The fire happened on March 27 at the oldest Japanese Buddhist Soto Zen monastery in the country, officials said. 

The sheriff’s office said Lu is facing several charges, including arson, making criminal threats and committing a felony hate crime. She was already booked in Napa County Jail for unrelated charges, the sheriff’s office said, and is expected to be moved to Monterey County. Her bail has been set at $130,000.

In a statement, Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto said her office will ensure that community members can practice their faith without feeling afraid.

“We take allegations involving crimes motivated by bias or hatred very seriously and will continue to work diligently to investigate these incidents and hold those responsible accountable under the law,” Nieto said. 

The Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, which is run by the San Francisco Zen Center, is the first Zen monastery to open outside Japan and was founded in 1967. According to a blog post from the San Francisco center at the time of the fire, the center’s zendo, which is a meditation hall in the monastery, was destroyed in the blaze. 

“Charred wood, scorched metal, grey ash, and open space are all that remain of the structure, which had stood since 1978,” the center said. A 2,000-year-old stone Buddha statue crumbled in the fire, but the head was “miraculously” still intact, according to the center. 

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David Zimmerman, a leader of the monastery, referred to as an abbot, issued a statement on Tuesday after the sheriff’s office announced Lu’s arrest.

“While this is difficult news, we are sustained by our vow to uphold the Bodhisattva Way and meet the causes and conditions surrounding the zendo fire with wisdom and compassion as they become known,” he said. 

The fire is still an active investigation, and anyone with information is urged to call the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office at 831-755-5111 or submit a tip online.