Issan Dorsey (March 7, 1933 — September 6, 1990), born Tommy Dorsey, Jr., was a Sōtō Zen monk and teacher, Dharma heir of Zentatsu Richard Baker and onetime abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center (HSZC) located in the Castro district of San Francisco, California. Earlier in his life he had worked as a prostitute and a drag queen, and had struggled at times with drug addiction. He died of complications from AIDS in 1990.
He established the Maitri Hospice at HSZC for students and friends dying of AIDS during the spread of the epidemic in the 1980s—the first Buddhist hospice of its kind in the United States. Numbers of his students and colleagues have observed that Dorsey was the embodiment of a bodhisattva.
Sol turns thousands of years of human wisdom from the world’s spiritual traditions into a totally unique personality profile. To get your own profile, check compatibility with friends and much more, download the Sol App today.
Some of their strengths
Issan Dorsey has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Creative, Intelligent, Practical, Intuitive, Loyal, Caring, and Innovative.
Soulful and Understanding
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Issan Dorsey is someone who is a soulful, understanding, and conscious person, who combines smarts with a deep talent for creativity and imagination. A person who is charismatic and resourceful.
Adventurous and Free
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Issan Dorsey well know them as someone who can be talented, wayward and free, like a big river or the ocean.
Altruistic and Innovative
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Issan Dorsey as someone who is altruistic, inventive, energetic, and socially-conscious.
Who is inventive, open-minded and inquisitive, optimistic and cooperative, and who loves working together with others.
Wise and Deep
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Issan Dorsey is someone who tends to have an internal innate wisdom, and who people tend to see as an "old soul".
They are also someone who is balanced, stable, and energetic, who likes the idea of home and family, and who is very comfortable being the person in charge.
Creative and Imaginative
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Issan Dorsey tends to be someone who is sensitive, imaginative, creative, and somewhat of a dreamer. Who is intuitive and compassionate, and who has a friendly, easygoing, calming and relaxing effect on people and for whom friends and family mean the world.
Some of Issan Dorsey's challenges
While Issan Dorsey has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Issan Dorsey can be Indecisive, Unrealistic, Emotional, Standoffish, Anxious, Inflexible, and Blunt.
Indecisive and Unrealistic
One of Issan Dorsey's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as indecisive and unrealistic.
Issan Dorsey must also exercise caution as they can be short-tempered and aggressive, and can be excessive and unrealistic.
Anxious and Inflexible
Issan Dorsey is someone who can be high-strung, impatient, and inflexible, who can be "penny wise and pound foolish", have poor listening skills, and who can be intolerant of people who share a different world view.
Lethargic and Unrealistic
Finally, Issan Dorsey also can be too soft, lazy and lethargic, and who can have difficulty finding others who share a similarly dreamy outlook on life.
