Dr. Soyu Matsuoka (松岡操雄, 1912–1997), along with

Sokei-an Sokei-an Shigetsu Sasaki (佐々木指月 (曹渓庵); March 10, 1882 – May 17, 1945), born Yeita Sasaki (佐々木栄多), was a Japanese Rinzai monk who founded the Buddhist Society of America (now the First Zen Institute of America) in N ...

and

Nyogen Senzaki Nyogen Senzaki (千崎如幻, 1876–1958) was a Rinzai Zen monk who was one of the 20th century's leading proponents of Zen Buddhism in the United States. Early life Details of Senzaki's early life are unclear. Town records in Fukaura, Aomor ...

, was one of the early Zen teachers to make the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

his home.

Biography

Shortly before World War II Matsuoka came to the US, to serve Japanese immigrants. He came to be the assistant to the abbot of Zenshuji Temple in Los Angeles, and was later the supervisor at Sokoji Soto Zen Mission (Temple) in San Francisco. Matsuoka established the Chicago Buddhist Temple in 1949 (now the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago). In the 1960s he gathered a following of

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many Multi ...

. Richard Langlois was one of the first Americans ever to receive

Dharma transmission In Chan Buddhism, Chan and Zen Buddhism, dharma transmission is a custom in which a person is established as a "successor in an unbroken Lineage (Buddhism), lineage of teachers and disciples, a spiritual 'bloodline' (''kechimyaku'') theoretica ...

. In 1970 Matsuoka left Chicago and moved to

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, where he continued to preside over other communities. Matsuoka left the Soto-shu, Matsuoka holding that Zen is a personal experience, and that the authority of the Soto Sect and its training monasteries (専門僧堂) inhibit the practice of Zen. Matsuoka died in 1997.

Dharma heirs

According to Kozen Sampson, at least three of Matsuoka's students received inka shomei. These three "were considered to be fully transmitted priests with the status of Roshi by him". Four students were registered with the Soto-Shu as "initial novice priest", and to five students was conferred "full priesthood".Mount Adams Zen Center, ''Rev. Dr. Soyu Zengaku Matsuoka, Roshi. 25 November 1912 – 20 November 1997''
/ref> Three Dharma Heirs of Soyu Matsuoka were: * Hogaku Shozen McGuire, * Zenkai Taiun Michael Elliston, * Kaiten Johndennis Govert, Hogaku established Daibutsuji Zen Temple in Cloudcroft and the Zen Center of Las Cruces, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. So Gozen is now the Abbot of Daibutsuji and the Zen Center of Las Cruces. Daiho Hilbert left Daibutsuji to establish the Order of Clear Mind Zen, a socially engaged sangha in New Mexico.NMPRC.state.nm.us
/ref> Taiun Elliston Sensei established the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and is working to establish an order honoring Matsuoka.

References

;Notes ;Sources * * * *

External links

1912 births 1997 deaths Komazawa University alumni Soto Zen Buddhists Zen Buddhist spiritual teachers Japanese Zen Buddhists People from Hiroshima Prefecture {{Zen-bio-stub