A conversation with Shumyo Kojima – In 1922 – two years before Sokei-an Sasaki began his lectures on Buddhism at the Orientalia Bookstore in New York City, and a full thirty-seven years prior to Shunryu Suzuki’s arrival in San Francisco – the Japanese Soto-shu established the Zenshuji Soto Mission in Los Angeles, the first ZenContinue reading “Zenshuji”
Tag Archives: japan
Soyu Matsuoka
A conversation with Tim Ryuko Langdell – Tim Ryuko Langdell is the guiding teacher at Still Center Zen in Pasadena. He contacted me after I had written a post about the Japanese teachers who first brought Zen practice to North America. I had neglected, he informed me, to include Soyu Matsuoka. In fact, I wasContinue reading “Soyu Matsuoka”
Glenn Webb
Conversations with Genjo Marinello and Kurt Spellmeyer – “I came to Seattle in 1976 as a VISTA volunteer,” Genjo Marinello tells me. Genjo is the abbot of Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji. “I had already started studying Zen in 1975 with Daizen Victoria at the College of Oriental studies and a little bitContinue reading “Glenn Webb”
Issan Dorsey
Maitri Compassionate Care – Issan Dorsey died thirty-five years ago on Sept 6th, 1990, nearly a quarter of a century before I began this pilgrimage into the landscape of North American Zen. What I know about him comes from reading, especially David Schneider’s biography, Street Zen.[1] For me, Issan is a stellar example of aContinue reading “Issan Dorsey”
Kurt Spellmeyer
Cold Mountain Sangha, New Jersey “I’m from a mixed background/heritage, and religion really wasn’t an important part of my upbringing,” Kurt Spellmeyer tells me. “I became interested in all kinds of religious traditions, but it wasn’t part of our family’s experience.” I ask what the mix was. “Well, I was really ‘all of the above’Continue reading “Kurt Spellmeyer”
