Kodo Sawaki (1880-1965) was an influential Japanese Zen master, known for revitalizing the practice of Sōtō Zen in Japan in the 20th century. He was born in Tsu, Japan, and orphaned at an early age. Despite a difficult childhood following the death of his mother, Sawaki became interested in Zen Buddhism with the vocation of…
The book Autobiography of a Zen Monk in its Catalan edition: Taisen Deshimaru, Autobiografia d’un monjo zen. Translation: Natàlia Barenys. Publicacions de l’Abadia de Montserrat, Barcelona 2010. “If a sincere desire for redemption were to manifest universally, this could once again awaken the spiritual source that already exists within each one of us. Isn’t the…
Born in Saga in 1914, Taisen Deshimaru was a disciple of Master Kodo Sawaki, one of the most influential Zen masters in 20th-century Japan, known for emphasizing the importance of zazen practice and for opening the practice to laypeople. Unlike most Zen masters, Taisen Deshimaru continued to lead a secular life while following his master’s…
Roland Yuno Rech, born in 1944, graduated from the Paris Institute of Political Studies and holds a DESS in Clinical Psychology from the University of Paris VII. After an initiatory journey to the Far East, he discovered Zen practice at a temple near Kyoto and decided to return to France to follow the teachings of…
