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Taisen Deshimaru (November 29, 1914—1982), born as Yasuo Deshimaru, was a Japanese Soto Zen teacher and swordmaster who authored numerous books on Zen Buddhism. He was influential in helping spread Zen Buddhism in Europe and abroad, founding L'Association Zen d'Europe in 1970. He had Zen practice centers located in France, Belgium, Germany, the United States, South America and North Africa.[1]
[edit] Biography
Taisen Deshimaru was born as Yasuo Deshimaru on November 29, 1914—the son of a samurai family located in the Saga Prefecture of Kyushu, Japan.[2] Raised as a Pure Land Buddhist (the religion of his mother), Deshimaru studied economics and English at the University of Yokohama located in Tokyo.[3] He studied various world religions in his freetime while at the university, and in 1936 began studying Soto Zen under Kodo Sawaki. During the years of World War II, Deshimaru was sent to Indonesia to supervise a mine because his poor vision made him ineligible for conscription. Despite his status, he still saw his fair share of fighting—for one ship he traveled upon was blown up, forcing him to drift at sea for more than a day. He nearly died of malaria because of this experience, and was eventually imprisoned in Singapore by the Japanese under suspicion of being a "native rebel." Escaping a death sentence, Deshimaru returned to Japan and resumed his studies under sawaki. In November of 1965 Sawaki ordained Deshimaru as a lay monk and gave him the Dharma name Mokudo Taisen.[3] Following the death of his teacher he sat in zazen for 49 days, then left his wife and children and headed to Paris, France in 1967.[1][3]
Upon his arrival in France Deshimaru was firty-three years of age and destitute, knowing no French and owning very few possessions.[4]
He founded L'Association Zen d'Europe in 1970.[1]
[edit] Teaching style
[edit] Select bibliography
- ^ a b c Snelling, 206
- ^ Coupey, xxiv
- ^ a b c Batchelor, 120—122
- ^ Smith & Novak, 134
[edit] References
