Willigis Jäger (; 7 March 1925 – 20 March 2020) was a German
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
priest and
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monk. He was a
Zen master
Zen master is a somewhat vague English term that arose in the first half of the 20th century, sometimes used to refer to an individual who teaches Zen Buddhist meditation and practices, usually implying longtime study and subsequent authorizat ...
who trained and taught in the
Sanbo Kyodan
is a lay Zen sect derived from both the Soto (Caodong) and the Rinzai ( Linji) traditions. It was renamed Sanbo-Zen International in 2014. The term ''Sanbo Kyodan'' has often been used to refer to the Harada-Yasutani zen lineage. However, a n ...
tradition. Jäger founded a centre of Zen and contemplation at the
Münsterschwarzach Abbey Münsterschwarzach Abbey (Abtei Münsterschwarzach, formerly often known as Kloster Schwarzach or Schwarzach Abbey), is a Benedictine monastery in Germany. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Schwarzach and Main in Bavaria.
Carolingian ...
in 1983, and his own Benediktushof, an inter-faith centre of meditation and awareness, in 2003.
Life
Jäger was born on 7 March 1925 in
Hösbach
Hösbach is a market community and municipality in the Aschaffenburg district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany. It has a population of around 13,000 (2020).
Geography
Location
The municipa ...
.
He entered the
Benedictine order
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
at
Münsterschwarzach Abbey Münsterschwarzach Abbey (Abtei Münsterschwarzach, formerly often known as Kloster Schwarzach or Schwarzach Abbey), is a Benedictine monastery in Germany. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Schwarzach and Main in Bavaria.
Carolingian ...
in 1946,
and studied philosophy and theology from 1948.
In 1952, he was ordained as a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
.
Jäger worked as a teacher in the abbey's secondary school. From 1960, he was responsible for mission and development at the
Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend
The Bund der Deutschen Katholischen Jugend (BDKJ) is the umbrella of Catholic youth organizations in Germany.
Member organizations
* Aktion West-Ost
* Bund der St. Sebastianus Schützenjugend (BdSJ)
* Christliche Arbeiterjugend (CAJ)
* DJK-Sp ...
youth association. The same year, he began to work for Missio, an ecumenical missionary movement which sent him on trips to countries including Japan.
From 1972, he studied Zen in Japan for six years with
Hugo E. Lassalle and
Yamada Ko-Un Roshi, entering Yamada's convent in 1975.
He gained authorisation to teach Zen in 1980.
Jäger taught in the
Sanbo Kyodan
is a lay Zen sect derived from both the Soto (Caodong) and the Rinzai ( Linji) traditions. It was renamed Sanbo-Zen International in 2014. The term ''Sanbo Kyodan'' has often been used to refer to the Harada-Yasutani zen lineage. However, a n ...
tradition (being given the Japanese name Koun-ken).
He founded a centre of Zen and Contemplation at the Münsterschwarzach Abbey in 1983. In 1980, an ecumenical study group of contemplative prayer was founded, which became the Würzburg School of Contemplation.
Jäger taught as part of Sanbo Kyodan until 2009, and then continued his own
sangha
Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...
independently.
Catholic authorities questioned his teaching starting in 2000, and he was banned from teaching in public events and in writing in 2002. He left the abbey in 2003 but continued his work. That year, he founded the Benediktushof, an inter-religious centre of meditation and awareness, where he lived and taught.
In 2007, he established a foundation named ''West-Östliche Weisheit'' (West-East Wisdom), propagating the spirituality taught at the Benediktushof.
Jäger died in
Holzkirchen on 20 March 2020.
Books
Some of Jäger's many books were translated to English, including:
* ''Contemplation: A Christian Path'' (1994)
* ''Search for the Meaning of Life: Essays and Reflections on the Mystical Experience'' (2003)
[Jäger, Willigis (2003)]
Search for the Meaning of Life: Essays and Reflections on the Mystical Experience
Liguori Publications,
References
External links
*
West-Östliche WeisheitWilligis Jäger Stiftung
*
Benedictushofthe inter-religious centre founded by Jäger
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jager, Willigis
1925 births
2020 deaths
People from Aschaffenburg (district)
Zen Buddhist spiritual teachers
German Benedictines
German Buddhists
Christian Zen