Soen Nakagawa
Encyclopedia
Soen Nakagawa was a Taiwanese
-born Japanese rōshi
and Zen
Buddhist master in the Rinzai tradition. An enigmatic figure, Nakagawa had a major impact on Zen as it was practiced in the 20th century, both in Japan and abroad.
, Taiwan
as the eldest of three boys: Matoi, Tamotsu and Sonow. His father, Suketaro Nakagawa, was an army medical officer and his mother's name was Kazuko. His family moved shortly after to Iwakune, and then finally to Hiroshima
. In 1917, at age 12, Nakagawa's father died, leaving his mother Kazuko a young widow. Soen's younger brother, Tamotsu, died soon after in his early childhood. His mother was forced to work to make ends meet and educate her young children herself. It was an unforgiving childhood for Soen. Soen's family was of samurai
class, so in his youth he was trained as a samurai. But Soen was much more interested in the arts, where at a young age he displayed a gift for poetry.
, enrolled on the same day as him. The two became roommates there and remained lifelong friends. It was expected that Soen would carry on the samurai tradition of his father, but Soen was pondering a more spiritual occupation. On one occasion Koun recalls young Soen talking once about how he was sitting zazen
atop a platform on the balancing bars in the playground resulting in a "natural self-realization". Koun found this rather odd. Soen would write later, as a monk, that his highschool years were spent in search of a meaningful occupation. At the school library Soen read a passage on impermanence and deluded approaches towards happiness by Shopenhauer, which provided young Soen with a sense of clarity. Soen next read Orategama by Hakuin, and found again great clarity in the words. He gave a copy to Yamada Koun, who showed great interest in Zen
afterward.
In 1927 Soen and Yamada enter Tokyo Imperial University together, where Soen stayed in a dorm at the Pure Land
temple Gangyo-ji
. He majored in Japanese Literature
, and it was here that he continued writing his poetry. While at the university Soen studied classics of both the East and West. He studied Buddhist sutras
and even the Holy Bible. Life on campus was fun for him, he frequented the theater to hear renditions of classical masters and had a band of friends immersed within the artistic community of Japan. Soen even started a small group at the university for people to sit zazen
together, a tradition that lives on at the university to this day. Soen's final thesis was on the famous haiku
poet, Matsuo Bashō
.
talk by Rinzai Zen master Keigaku Katsube
at Shorin-ji and knew then he wanted to become a monk. Soen wanted to be ordained on his birthday at Kogaku-ji
, once the monastery of his favorite Zen master Bassui. His mother felt he was throwing away his education, but knew he was a grown man who had to make his own decisions. So on March 19, 1931, Soen was ordained as a Zen monk by Keigaku Katsube at Kogaku-ji
and given his Dharma
name Soen. Just like Bassui, Soen then begins travelling to Dai Bosatsu Mountain in Kai province
(near Mt. Fuji) doing solitary retreats as a hermit
and then returning to the monastery to resume his duties as a monk. On the mountain Soen would sit zazen and write haikus, bathing in nearby streams and living off of the land. One day while on the mountain he nearly killed himself by eating poisonous mushrooms, and some peasants from nearby took him in and nursed him back to health. During this time Soen also becomes a friend and informal pupil of Dakotsu Iida
, the now famous haiku poet. He later sent his work to Iada and had it published in Iida's haiku journal, Unmo. In 1932 Nakagawa first dreams up the idea of an International Dai Bosatsu Zendo while meditating on Dai Bosatsu Mountain, travelling to Sakhalin Island in Siberia
in an empty search for gold to fund the project. It was also on Dau Bosatsu Mountain that Soen came up with his original mantra, "Namu dai bosa". In 1933 Nakagawa completes his haiku anthology Shigan (Coffin of Poems). That following year, 1934, selections from Shigan are published in the haiku journal Fujin Koron.
Zen master Gempo Yamamoto
speaking. Soen became transfixed by the talk and intrigued by the man. Soen would return to the dojo several times after this encounter. One day, Gempo stated:
This remark struck a deep and spontaneous chord within Soen, and so he requested dokusan with Gempo following the talk where he expressed the desire to train under him. So Soen became a student of Gempo Yamamoto at Ryutaku-ji. In 1937 Nakagawa makes a trip with Gempo Yamamoto to Manchuria
to start a branch of Myoshin-ji Zen. Soen had recently began corresponding with Nyogen Senzaki
(now in Los Angeles) in 1935, whose unconventional style of Zen teaching Soen greatly appreciated. In 1938 Yamada Koun was transferred to Manchuria on business where he meets Soen again. Here Soen mentions to Yamada his earlier dream of one day founding a non-traditional monastery on Dai Bosatsu Mountain in the spirit of Bassui. Yamada and Soen were walking one night together while Yamada was going on about some thing or another, and Soen stopped to say something that sparked Yamada's interest:
Years later Yamada Koun would become a Zen monk and roshi, as well. In 1939 Nakagawa returns to Dai Bosatsu Mountain for another solitary retreat. In 1941 Ryutaku-ji is officially recognized as a Rinzai training monastery.
In 1949 Nakagawa makes his first trip to the United States where he meets Nyogen Senzaki in San Francisco. He found Senzaki's approach to Zen refreshing, and was happy to find a new freedom in expressing himself to followers that would be unheard of in Japan. Free to combine his love for Japanese theater (Noh
) into analogies that paralleled sayings of the great Zen masters of the past. Nyogen expressed his wish to Soen that he would like him to stay with him to become his heir, but Soen has responsibilities back at Ryutaku-ji he is unwilling to compromise. The two saw each other again in latter visits to the USA. During this year, Soen also publishes his Meihen (Life Anthology).
, lineage holder of both the Sōtō
and Rinzai school.
In 1954 Soen meets a young monk named Tai Shimano (Eido Tai Shimano
) at a funeral for Zen
priest Daikyu Mineo. In the summer of that year, Tai Shimano ordains as a monk at Ryutaku-ji under Soen's tutelage. In 1955 Soen makes his second trip to the United States and Nyogen Senzaki comes to Ryutaku-ji to visit with Soen for 6 weeks. In 1957 Keigaku Katsube roshi passes away. In 1958 Nyogen Senzaki passes away. Soen was named as the executor of Senzaki's estate and returns to the U.S. to settle Senzakis' affairs. In 1959 and 1960 Soen travels to the U.s. twice, leading a sesshin in Honolulu, HI during the latter.
In 1961 Gempo Yamamoto roshi passes away. In 1962 Soen's mother passes away. Soen and his mother were extraordinarily close. She would visit Ryutaku-ji almost daily to go on excursions into the mountains to talk. They would sit together to have tea, or listen to classical music together. Her passing, along with Gempo's passing the year before, sent Soen into a depression. He frequented Dai Bosatsu Mountain many times following this for solitary retreat. In 1963 Nakagawa travels to the U.S.A., India
, Israel
, Egypt
, England, Austria
and Denmark
with Charles Gooding, a former student of Nyogen Senzaki, teaching Zen with various sanghas.
on September 15. In 1969 Nakagawa travelled again to Israel
, England, Egypt
, New york, California and Hawaii to lead sesshin
s with sangha
s.
In 1971 Nakagawa made his 9th visit to the USA, helping The Zen Studies Society (founded by Cornelius Crane) purchase land in the Catskill Mountains
for International Dai Bosatsu Zendo
. In 1972 Nakagawa made his 10th visit to the United States where he gives Dharma transmission to Eido Tai Shimano
.Upon returning to Japan in 1973 Nakagawa retired as abbot of Ryutaku-ji. This same year he published "Ten Haiku of My Choice". In 1974 and 1975 Nakagawa made 2 more visits to the USA staying first at the still unopened International Dai Bosatsu Zendo, and then going into solitary retreat at New York Zendo Shobo-ji.
In 1976 International Dai Bosatsu Zendo was officially opened. In 1981 Nakagawa published Koun-sho (Ancient Cloud Selection), and in 1982 Nakagawa made his last visit to the USA. Upon returning to Ryotaku-ji, Nakagawa became a recluse
. In 1984, on March 11, while approaching his 77th birthday, Nakagawa died while taking a bath at Ryutaku-ji.
Notable formal and informal students of Soen Nakagawa include:
Taiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
-born Japanese rōshi
Roshi
is a Japanese honorific title used in Zen Buddhism that literally means "old teacher" or "elder master" and sometimes denotes a person who gives spiritual guidance to a Zen sangha or congregation...
and Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
Buddhist master in the Rinzai tradition. An enigmatic figure, Nakagawa had a major impact on Zen as it was practiced in the 20th century, both in Japan and abroad.
Early life
Soen Nakagawa was born as Motoi Nakagawa on March 19, 1907 in KeelungKeelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
as the eldest of three boys: Matoi, Tamotsu and Sonow. His father, Suketaro Nakagawa, was an army medical officer and his mother's name was Kazuko. His family moved shortly after to Iwakune, and then finally to Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
. In 1917, at age 12, Nakagawa's father died, leaving his mother Kazuko a young widow. Soen's younger brother, Tamotsu, died soon after in his early childhood. His mother was forced to work to make ends meet and educate her young children herself. It was an unforgiving childhood for Soen. Soen's family was of samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
class, so in his youth he was trained as a samurai. But Soen was much more interested in the arts, where at a young age he displayed a gift for poetry.
Education
In 1923 Soen (still Matoi) enters high school and becomes a boarder at the First Academy in Tokyo. Soen's childhood friend, Yamada KounYamada Koun
, or Koun Yamada, was the former leader of the Sanbo Kyodan lineage of Zen Buddhism, the Dharma heir of his teacher Yasutani Haku'un Ryoko. Yamada was appointed the leader of the Sanbo Kyodan in 1967, 1970 or 1973 and continued to differentiate the lineage from other Japanese Zen traditions by...
, enrolled on the same day as him. The two became roommates there and remained lifelong friends. It was expected that Soen would carry on the samurai tradition of his father, but Soen was pondering a more spiritual occupation. On one occasion Koun recalls young Soen talking once about how he was sitting zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
atop a platform on the balancing bars in the playground resulting in a "natural self-realization". Koun found this rather odd. Soen would write later, as a monk, that his highschool years were spent in search of a meaningful occupation. At the school library Soen read a passage on impermanence and deluded approaches towards happiness by Shopenhauer, which provided young Soen with a sense of clarity. Soen next read Orategama by Hakuin, and found again great clarity in the words. He gave a copy to Yamada Koun, who showed great interest in Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
afterward.
In 1927 Soen and Yamada enter Tokyo Imperial University together, where Soen stayed in a dorm at the Pure Land
Pure land
A pure land, in Mahayana Buddhism, is the celestial realm or pure abode of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. The various traditions that focus on Pure Lands have been given the nomenclature Pure Land Buddhism. Pure lands are also evident in the literature and traditions of Taoism and Bön.The notion of 'pure...
temple Gangyo-ji
Gangyo-ji
is a Buddhist temple in Kyoto, founded by the priest Henjō. The Emperor Kōkō endowed the temple and the emperor Kazan abdicated in this temple.-History:Gangyō-ji was founded in the early Heian period....
. He majored in Japanese Literature
Japanese literature
Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
, and it was here that he continued writing his poetry. While at the university Soen studied classics of both the East and West. He studied Buddhist sutras
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
and even the Holy Bible. Life on campus was fun for him, he frequented the theater to hear renditions of classical masters and had a band of friends immersed within the artistic community of Japan. Soen even started a small group at the university for people to sit zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
together, a tradition that lives on at the university to this day. Soen's final thesis was on the famous haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
poet, Matsuo Bashō
Matsuo Basho
, born , then , was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as a master of brief and clear haiku...
.
Zen training
In 1931 Nakagawa and Yamada graduated from Tokyo Imperial University, and it would be several years before the two would meet again. A short while after graduation Soen attended a DharmaDharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
talk by Rinzai Zen master Keigaku Katsube
Katsube Keigaku
Katsube Keigaku was a Zen Buddhist Roshi in the Japanese Rinzai tradition whom resided over Kogaku-ji in Japan .-See also:*Buddhism in Japan*List of Rinzai Buddhists...
at Shorin-ji and knew then he wanted to become a monk. Soen wanted to be ordained on his birthday at Kogaku-ji
Kogaku-ji
, originally Kōgaku-an, is one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen, founded in 1380 by Bassui Tokushō. The temple is located in southern Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan near Mount Fuji...
, once the monastery of his favorite Zen master Bassui. His mother felt he was throwing away his education, but knew he was a grown man who had to make his own decisions. So on March 19, 1931, Soen was ordained as a Zen monk by Keigaku Katsube at Kogaku-ji
Kogaku-ji
, originally Kōgaku-an, is one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen, founded in 1380 by Bassui Tokushō. The temple is located in southern Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan near Mount Fuji...
and given his Dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
name Soen. Just like Bassui, Soen then begins travelling to Dai Bosatsu Mountain in Kai province
Kai Province
, also known as , is an old province in Japan in the area of Yamanashi Prefecture. It lies in central Honshū, west of Tokyo, in a landlocked mountainous region that includes Mount Fuji along its border with Shizuoka Prefecture....
(near Mt. Fuji) doing solitary retreats as a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
and then returning to the monastery to resume his duties as a monk. On the mountain Soen would sit zazen and write haikus, bathing in nearby streams and living off of the land. One day while on the mountain he nearly killed himself by eating poisonous mushrooms, and some peasants from nearby took him in and nursed him back to health. During this time Soen also becomes a friend and informal pupil of Dakotsu Iida
Dakotsu Iida
was a famous Japanese haiku poet from Yamanashi, Japan. Commonly referred to as Dakotsu, his real name was . He trained under Kyoshi Takahama, and was a frequent contributor to such haiku journals as Hototogisu and Unmo...
, the now famous haiku poet. He later sent his work to Iada and had it published in Iida's haiku journal, Unmo. In 1932 Nakagawa first dreams up the idea of an International Dai Bosatsu Zendo while meditating on Dai Bosatsu Mountain, travelling to Sakhalin Island in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
in an empty search for gold to fund the project. It was also on Dau Bosatsu Mountain that Soen came up with his original mantra, "Namu dai bosa". In 1933 Nakagawa completes his haiku anthology Shigan (Coffin of Poems). That following year, 1934, selections from Shigan are published in the haiku journal Fujin Koron.
Ryutaku-ji
In 1935 Nakagawa accompanied Katsube Roshi to lead a weekend retreat for Tokyo Imperial University students, and realizes he forgot the kyosaku (Zen stick). In search of a replacement stick Soen went to a nearby Zen center, Hakusan Dojo, where he hears Myoshin-jiMyoshin-ji
is a temple complex in Kyoto, Japan. The Myōshin-ji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism is the largest school in Rinzai Zen. This particular school contains within it more than three thousand temples throughout Japan, along with nineteen monasteries. The head temple was founded in the year 1342 by the...
Zen master Gempo Yamamoto
Gempo Yamamoto
Gempo Yamamoto was the abbot of both Ryutakuji and Shoin-ji in Japan—also serving temporarily as the head of the Myoshin-ji branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. A renowned Japanese calligrapher, Yamamoto was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist priest whom followed in the footsteps of the famous Master Hakuin Ekaku...
speaking. Soen became transfixed by the talk and intrigued by the man. Soen would return to the dojo several times after this encounter. One day, Gempo stated:
This remark struck a deep and spontaneous chord within Soen, and so he requested dokusan with Gempo following the talk where he expressed the desire to train under him. So Soen became a student of Gempo Yamamoto at Ryutaku-ji. In 1937 Nakagawa makes a trip with Gempo Yamamoto to Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
to start a branch of Myoshin-ji Zen. Soen had recently began corresponding with Nyogen Senzaki
Nyogen Senzaki
Nyogen Senzaki was a Rinzai Zen monk who was one of the 20th century's leading proponents of Zen Buddhism in the United States.-Early life:...
(now in Los Angeles) in 1935, whose unconventional style of Zen teaching Soen greatly appreciated. In 1938 Yamada Koun was transferred to Manchuria on business where he meets Soen again. Here Soen mentions to Yamada his earlier dream of one day founding a non-traditional monastery on Dai Bosatsu Mountain in the spirit of Bassui. Yamada and Soen were walking one night together while Yamada was going on about some thing or another, and Soen stopped to say something that sparked Yamada's interest:
Years later Yamada Koun would become a Zen monk and roshi, as well. In 1939 Nakagawa returns to Dai Bosatsu Mountain for another solitary retreat. In 1941 Ryutaku-ji is officially recognized as a Rinzai training monastery.
In 1949 Nakagawa makes his first trip to the United States where he meets Nyogen Senzaki in San Francisco. He found Senzaki's approach to Zen refreshing, and was happy to find a new freedom in expressing himself to followers that would be unheard of in Japan. Free to combine his love for Japanese theater (Noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
) into analogies that paralleled sayings of the great Zen masters of the past. Nyogen expressed his wish to Soen that he would like him to stay with him to become his heir, but Soen has responsibilities back at Ryutaku-ji he is unwilling to compromise. The two saw each other again in latter visits to the USA. During this year, Soen also publishes his Meihen (Life Anthology).
Hesitation
In 1950 Gempo Yamamoto roshi decided it was time for him to retire as abbot of Ryutaku-ji, and he wanted to appoint Soen as head abbot. Soen was hesitant and anxious about the proposition of becoming abbot. He fled the monastery briefly after assuming the position, leaving Gempo with no other choice but to resume the position temporarily. In 1951 Nakagawa returned and resumed his position as abbot at Ryutaku-ji. Soen was a non-traditional abbot, deciding to not distinguish himself from his students. He wore the robe of a monk, he bathed and ate in their quarters. Over the next few years Soen set out to visit other masters stating that, since he had only finished 500 koans of Hakuin's 1700 curriculum, he needed more training. He went to Hosshin-ji and studied under Harada Daiun SogakuHarada Daiun Sogaku
Daiun Sogaku Harada Rōshi was a Sōtō Zen monk who trained under both Soto and Rinzai teachers and became known for his teaching combining methods from both schools.- Biography :...
, lineage holder of both the Sōtō
Soto
Sōtō Zen , or is, with Rinzai and Ōbaku, one of the three most populous sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century...
and Rinzai school.
In 1954 Soen meets a young monk named Tai Shimano (Eido Tai Shimano
Eido Tai Shimano
is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist roshi. He was the founding abbot of the New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in Manhattan and Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji monastery in the Catskill mountains of New York; he retired from that position after 40 years amid controversy.-Biography:...
) at a funeral for Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
priest Daikyu Mineo. In the summer of that year, Tai Shimano ordains as a monk at Ryutaku-ji under Soen's tutelage. In 1955 Soen makes his second trip to the United States and Nyogen Senzaki comes to Ryutaku-ji to visit with Soen for 6 weeks. In 1957 Keigaku Katsube roshi passes away. In 1958 Nyogen Senzaki passes away. Soen was named as the executor of Senzaki's estate and returns to the U.S. to settle Senzakis' affairs. In 1959 and 1960 Soen travels to the U.s. twice, leading a sesshin in Honolulu, HI during the latter.
In 1961 Gempo Yamamoto roshi passes away. In 1962 Soen's mother passes away. Soen and his mother were extraordinarily close. She would visit Ryutaku-ji almost daily to go on excursions into the mountains to talk. They would sit together to have tea, or listen to classical music together. Her passing, along with Gempo's passing the year before, sent Soen into a depression. He frequented Dai Bosatsu Mountain many times following this for solitary retreat. In 1963 Nakagawa travels to the U.S.A., India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, England, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
with Charles Gooding, a former student of Nyogen Senzaki, teaching Zen with various sanghas.
Accident, 1967
In 1967 Nakagawa sustained a serious injury surveying the grounds of Ryutaku-ji from the view of a treetop. He slipped on a branch and was left unconscious for three days where he had fallen before being found. He was discovered in a bed of bamboo reeds unexpectedly by one of his monks. He was hospitalized for a long time treated for his head injury. Yamada Koun stated he was never quite the same after this accident.1967-1984
In 1968 Nakagawa made his 7th trip to the USA to open New York Zendo Shobo-JiNew York Zendo Shobo-Ji
New York Zendo Shobo-Ji , or Temple of True Dharma, is a Rinzai zen practice facility located in the upper East Side of Manhattan, NY. It is part of the Zen Studies Society. Founded on September 15, 1968 by Japanese Zen master Soen Nakagawa, the building had been converted from a private home...
on September 15. In 1969 Nakagawa travelled again to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, England, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, New york, California and Hawaii to lead sesshin
Sesshin
A sesshin , literally "touching the heart-mind" , is a period of intensive meditation in a Zen monastery....
s with sangha
Sangha
Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
s.
In 1971 Nakagawa made his 9th visit to the USA, helping The Zen Studies Society (founded by Cornelius Crane) purchase land in the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
for International Dai Bosatsu Zendo
Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji
Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji, or International Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji, is a Rinzai monastery and retreat center located in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. Maintained by the Zen Studies Society, Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji is led by Shinge-Shitsu Roko Sherry Chayat...
. In 1972 Nakagawa made his 10th visit to the United States where he gives Dharma transmission to Eido Tai Shimano
Eido Tai Shimano
is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist roshi. He was the founding abbot of the New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in Manhattan and Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji monastery in the Catskill mountains of New York; he retired from that position after 40 years amid controversy.-Biography:...
.Upon returning to Japan in 1973 Nakagawa retired as abbot of Ryutaku-ji. This same year he published "Ten Haiku of My Choice". In 1974 and 1975 Nakagawa made 2 more visits to the USA staying first at the still unopened International Dai Bosatsu Zendo, and then going into solitary retreat at New York Zendo Shobo-ji.
In 1976 International Dai Bosatsu Zendo was officially opened. In 1981 Nakagawa published Koun-sho (Ancient Cloud Selection), and in 1982 Nakagawa made his last visit to the USA. Upon returning to Ryotaku-ji, Nakagawa became a recluse
Recluse
A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society, often close to nature. The word is from the Latin recludere, which means "shut up" or "sequester." There are many potential reasons for becoming a recluse: a personal philosophy that rejects consumer society; a...
. In 1984, on March 11, while approaching his 77th birthday, Nakagawa died while taking a bath at Ryutaku-ji.
Legacy
Soen was viewed as an unorthodox, eccentric and controversial teacher within conventional Rinzai circles of his day.Notable formal and informal students of Soen Nakagawa include:
- Eido Tai ShimanoEido Tai Shimanois a Rinzai Zen Buddhist roshi. He was the founding abbot of the New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in Manhattan and Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji monastery in the Catskill mountains of New York; he retired from that position after 40 years amid controversy.-Biography:...
- Kyudo NakagawaKyudo NakagawaKyudo Nakagawa , or Nakagawa Kyūdō, was a Japanese-born Rinzai roshi who for many years led Soho Zen Buddhist Society, Inc. in Manhattan's Lower East Side. A Dharma heir of the late Soen Nakagawa—who is of no familial relation—Kyudo first became a Zen monk at age eight...
- Roko Sherry Chayat
- Philip KapleauPhilip KapleauPhilip Kapleau was a teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition, a blending of Japanese Sōtō and Rinzai schools.-Early life:...
- Robert Baker AitkenRobert Baker AitkenRobert Baker Dairyu Chotan Aitken Roshi was a Zen teacher in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha in 1959...
- Paul RepsPaul RepsPaul Reps was an American artist, poet, and author. He is best known for his unorthodox haiku-inspired poetry that was published from 1939 onwards. He is considered one of America's first haiku poets....
- Maurine StuartMaurine StuartMaurine Stuart , a.k.a. Ma Roshi or Mother Roshi, was a Rinzai Zen roshi who was granted her teaching title during an informal ceremony in 1982 held by her teacher Soen Nakagawa. She was one of the first female Zen masters to teach in the United States, and in 1979 became president and spiritual...
- John Daido LooriJohn Daido LooriJohn Daido Loori was a Zen Buddhist rōshi who served as the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and was the founder of the Mountains and Rivers Order and CEO of Dharma Communications. Daido Loori received shiho from Taizan Maezumi in 1986 and also received a dendokyoshi certificate formally from the...
- Denko MortensenEgely MonasteryEgely Monastery - Taikyo-ji is a Buddhist monastery, formerly in the Rinzai Zen tradition, founded by Denko John Mortensen on the Danish island of Bornholm in 2007...
- Genjo MarinelloDai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen JiDai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji is a Rinzai-style Zen temple,located on North Beacon Hill in Seattle, Washington. Its name translates from Japanese as "Listening to the Dharma Zen Temple on Great Plum Mountain."-History, lineage, and teachers:...
- Charlotte Joko BeckJoko BeckCharlotte Joko Beck was an American Zen teacher and the author of the books Everyday Zen: Love and Work and Nothing Special: Living Zen. Born in New Jersey, she studied music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and worked for some time as a pianist and piano teacher...
- Ryotan Tokuda Igarashi
See also
- Buddhism in JapanBuddhism in JapanThe history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods, namely the Nara period , the Heian period and the post-Heian period . Each period saw the introduction of new doctrines and upheavals in existing schools...
- Buddhism in the United StatesBuddhism in the United StatesBuddhism is one of the largest religions in the United States behind Christianity, Judaism and Nonreligious, and approximate with Islam and Hinduism. American Buddhists include many Asian Americans, as well as a large number of converts of other ethnicities, and now their children and even...
- List of Rinzai Buddhists
- Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United StatesTimeline of Zen Buddhism in the United StatesBelow is a timeline of important events regarding Zen Buddhism in the United States. Dates with "?" are approximate.-Early history:* 1893: Soyen Shaku comes to the United States to lecture at the World Parliament of Religions held in Chicago...
Selected works
- Shigan (“Coffin of Poems”), 1936
- Meihan (“Life Anthology”), 1949
- Koun-sho (“Ancient Cloud Selection”), 1981
- Hokoju (“Long-lasting Dharma Light”). Posthumous, 1985