Jyozen and Kanzeonji L.A.

jyozen

JYOZEN ANJYU·SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 201630 Reads

I've had several teacher's over the years. But there are two main ones. One is my 'root' teacher Hirokazu Kosaka Sensei; He calls me his legacy holder. He's a Shingon Priest, but I am not; the legacy I 'hold' is his teachings on traditional Japanese Culture; for me this is primarily the practice of kyudo or Japanese Archery that he taught me.

My other teacher is Rev. Ryugen Watanabe Osho. A Disciple of Soyu Matsuoka Roshi. Matsuoka Roshi was among the first Soto Zen Priests to come to America and specifically want teach those of non-Japanese ancestry. With some disagreements with Soto-shu Japan on how to do that, he recommended to several of his disciples to not worry about maintaining that relationship with Soto-shu Japan. So at that time we became non-sectarian. My teacher has openly embraced this as a way to reconcile the many sects and not be Zen per se, but simply Buddhist. But our practice, inherited from Matsuoka Roshi is primarily based on the same Soto-Zen Model. But we also have a variety of 'moving meditations' as promoted by other streams that Watanabe Osho studied.

With both of us having multiple influences from a variety of Buddhist Sects and Shinto too, we really like the non-sectarian model.

Also we have not traditionally used a temple setting; but simply use one of the members homes, or convert a home into a meditation space. So we simply practiced in one of homes Watanabe-Osho owned on Terrace 49 in Mount Washington CA. Recently he sold the last home, and is now a wandering homeless monk, which he seems to be enjoying quite immensely.

He, and everyone else, has assumed that I will take up the mantle. To some degree I will, though I have a zendo and some surrounding grounds here at home, that a few years back he dedicated as Jizo-an, a small Zen temple, and appointed me as it's anjyu. In this way I could 'live' at a temple and fulfill his requirement as eligible to take over in due time. It also gave me some experience in running a small temple with a few Sangha members. So, actually I like this small arrangement. But now, he says, I am the Abbot of Kanzeonji, we have moved most of the Temple Altars and other items to my place, and I've set up a temporary space. But it's much too small for more than the private or semi-private practices, I've already been holding. So I will continue that way, at least until the sangha can help decide how to expand; and even then, I would prefer not to expand too much. Best to be small, humble, invisible to some degree.