- Yamada Koun
Infobox Buddhist biography
name = Yamada Koun
img_size =
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landscape =
birth_name =
other_names =
dharma_name =
birth_date = 1907
birth_place =Nihonmatsu ,Japan
death_date = 1989
death_place = Kamakura,Japan
nationality =
denomination =Zen Buddhism
school =Sanbo Kyodan
lineage =
title =Roshi
workplace =
education =
occupation =
teacher = Asahina Sōgen
Hanamoto KanzuiHarada Daiun Sogaku Yasutani Haku'un Ryoko
reincarnation_of =
predecessor = Yasutani Haku'un Ryoko
successor =
student =
spouse =
partner = Yamada Kazue Myo-en
children =Masamichi Ryoun-ken Yamada
website =Yamada Koun Zenshin (1907—1989), or Koun Yamada, was the former leader of the
Sanbo Kyodan lineage ofZen Buddhism , theDharma heir of his teacherYasutani 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 deemphasizing the separation betweenlaypeople and theordained —just as his teacher Yastunai had done. Yamada was also instrumental in bringingChristian s to the practice of Zen. According to Michelle Spuler, "By the end of Yamada's teaching career approximately one quarter of the participants at hissesshin s were Christians."Spuler, 9-10]Biography
Yamada Koun was born in
Nihonmatsu inFukushima prefecture ofJapan in 1907. He attended school withSoen Nakagawa at Dai-Ichi High School located inTokyo, Japan , and also went to university with him.Koun, 296] In 1941 Yamada began working for the Manchurian Mining Company as a labor supervisor—a company known for poor working conditions and exploiting itsslave labor forces comprised of Chinesepeasant s,POW s andcriminal s. By 1945 he had become deputy director of the General Affairs Department for the company.Victoria, 96-97] While working as supervisor for the company his old friendSoen Nakagawa came toManchuria on behalf of his master,Gempo Yamamoto , in an effort to encourage workers to double their output forJapan 'swar effort s. According to the forweord in the book "The Gateless Gate: The Classic Book of Zen Koans", "In Manchuria at age thirty-eight Yamada began Zen training. Three years later he returned toJapan and settled in Kamakura with his wife and three children. Once set on his course in Zen, Yamada pursued his goal relentlessly. Although he was a managing director of a large Tokyo firm, he went twice a day todokusan with Asahina Sōgen Roshi. After his firstkensho was approved, he engaged inkoan study for three years and then continued his studies with Hanamoto Kanzui."In 1953 Yamada invited
Haku'un Yasutani to Kamakura and founded the Kamakura Haku-un-kai. Then, according toStephen Batchelor , "On 26 November 1953, Koun Yamada, a Japanese business executive in Kamakura, was returning home with his wife on a suburban train. He came across a passage in a Zen text in which the author declared: 'I came to realise clearly that Mind is no other than mountains and rivers and the great wide earth, the sun and the moon and the stars.' He broke into tears with the realization that after eight years of "zazen" he had finally grasped what this statement meant."Batchelor, 209-211] Later that night he awoke abruptly from sleep and saw the same passage flash in his mind, which was followed by akensho experience. The next day Yasutani confirmed that what Yamada had experienced was a kensho.Yamada continued to study under Yasutani for seven years following this experience, and in 1961 he became the successor to
Haku'un Yasutani —one year after completing some six hundredkoan s under him. There is some confusion over the date on which Yamada became the leader of theSanbo Kyodan . According to Daizen Victoria in "Zen War Stories", "In 1967 Yamada succeeded to the leadership of the Sanbō-Kyōdan (Three Treasures Association), an independent, lay-oriented Zen sect that Yasutani had created in Kamakura in 1953." According to the book "The Sound of Liberating Truth", "In 1970 Yamada Kōun became the successor of Yasutani Roshi as head ("kanchō") of the Sanbōkyōdan."King, 17] Finally, according to Michelle Spuler in the book "Developments in Australian Buddhism", "Yasutani's successor, Yamada Koun Zenshin (1907-1989), was appointed as the leader of the Sanbo Kyodan in 1973." The date is most likely 1973, however, as Charles S. Prebish writes in his book "Luminous Passage: The Practice and Study of Buddhism in America", "With the blessing of both Nakagawa Sōen Rōshi and Yasutani Rōshi, Koun Yamada Rōshi was invited to lead theDiamond Sangha , and he moved toHawaii in 1971."Prebish, 20] It is likely the date is not 1967 or 1970 because Yamada would not need anyone's blessing to go to Hawaii were he already the head of the school, not to mention 1973 was the year ofHaku'un Yasutani 's death.What is clear is that Yamada made
Robert Baker Aitken either asensei orroshi in 1974. Even this date comes with some confusion, as author Richard Seager says he receivedDharma transmission in 1974.Seager, 94] However, the author David W. Chappell states in the book "Buddhist Peacework: Creating Cultures of Peace", "...in 1974 [Baker] was appointed "sensei" (teacher) by Kamakura-based Zen master Yamada Koun Roshi. In 1985, Yamada Roshi gave Aitken transmission as an independent roshi."Chappell, 93] In 1988Ruben L.F. Habito , a formerJesuit priest who had also studied under Yasutani, received Dharma transmission from Yamada. [http://www.mkzc.org/barthashius.htm] additionally, Yamada left behind many other Dharma heirs which are listed in the next section of this article.Dharma heirs
*Yukiyoshi Zuiun-ken Adachi
*Reiko Houn-an Adachi
*Robert Chotan Gyoun Aitken
*Osamu Shoun-ken Ashida
*Fr. Niklaus Goun-ken Brantschen, SJ
*Brigitte D'Ortschy
*Uta Ryuun-an Dreisbach
*Sr. Ludwigis Koun-an Fabian, OSB
*Lourdes Mila Gyokuun-an Golez
*Ruben Keiun-ken Habito
*Bruce Soun-ken Harris
*Kodo Nyoun-ken Hasegawa
*Tetsuo Taiun-ken Hiyama
*Fr. Willigis Koun-ken Jaeger, OSB
*Akira Ji'un-ken Kubota
*Heidi Heki-un an Kern
*Johannes Houn-ken Kopp
*Victor Yuun-ken Loew
*Peter Choun-ken Lengsfeld
*David Tetsuun-ken Loy
*Sr. Elaine Koun-an McInnes
*Gundula Zuiun-an Meyer
*Carmen Baika-an Monske
*Teizo Kaku'un-ken Nakamura
*Tsuneo Go'un-ken Oda
*Akira Soun-ken Onda
*Silvia Rin'un-an Ostertag
*Sonia Shuni-an Punzalan
*Kathleen Seiun-an Reiley
*Joan Jo-un Rieck
*Ama Genun-ken Samy
*Ana Maria Kiun-an Schlüter Rodes
*Shitetsu Shoun-ken Sendo
*Paul Choun-ken Shepherd
*Roselyn Seiun-an Stone
*Toshio Hekiun-ken Tonoike
*Shue Reiunken Usami
*Masamichi Ryoun-ken Yamada (son of Yamada Koun and current leader of theSanbo Kyodan )Bibliography
*cite book| last =Yamada| first =Koun| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =The Gateless Gate: The Classic Book of Zen Koans| publisher =Wisdom Publications| date =2004| location =| pages =| url =http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=0861713826| doi =| id = | isbn = 0861713826
ee also
*
Buddhism in Japan
*Buddhism in the United States
*Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States Notes
References
*cite book| last =Batchelor| first =Stephen| authorlink =Stephen Batchelor| coauthors =| title =The Awakening of the West: The Encounter of Buddhism and Western Culture| publisher =Parallax Press| date =1994| location =| pages =| url =http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/30078996&referer=one_hit| doi =| id = | isbn = 0938077694
*cite book| last =Chappell| first =David W.| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =Buddhist Peacework: Creating Cultures of Peace| publisher =Wisdom Publications| date =2000| location =| pages =| url =http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=086171167X&=Search&qt=results_page| doi =| id = | isbn = 086171167X
*cite book| last =King| first =Sallie B.| authorlink =| coauthors =Paul O. Ingram| title =The Sound of Liberating Truth: Buddhist-Christian Dialogues in Honor of Frederick J. Streng| publisher =Routledge| date =1999| location =| pages =| url =http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50518756&referer=one_hit| doi =| id = | isbn = 070071121X
*cite book| last =Prebish| first =Charles S| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =Luminous Passage: The Practice and Study of Buddhism in America| publisher =University of California Press | date =1999| location =| pages =| url =http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/39299808&referer=brief_results| doi =| id = | isbn = 0520216970
*cite book| last =Seager| first =Richard Hughes| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =Buddhism In America| publisher =Columbia University Press| date =1999| location =| pages =| url =http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40481142&referer=one_hit| doi =| id = | isbn = 0231108680
*cite book| last =Spuler| first =Michelle| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =Developments in Australian Buddhism: Facets of the Diamond| publisher =Routledge| date =2003| location =| pages =| url =http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/49952207&referer=brief_results| doi =| id = | isbn = 0700715827
*cite book| last =Victoria| first =Daizen| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =Zen War Stories| publisher =Routledge| date =2003| location =| pages =| url =http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50518582&referer=brief_results| doi =| id = | isbn = 0700715800
*cite book| last =Yamada| first =Koun| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =The Gateless Gate: The Classic Book of Zen Koans| publisher =Wisdom Publications| date =2004| location =| pages =| url =http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=0861713826| doi =| id = | isbn = 0861713826External links
* [http://www.sanbo-zen.org/histry_e.html Short history page] of the Sanbō Kyōdan
* [http://www.mountainmoon.org/ Mountain Moon Sangha] of Roselyn Stone, Sei'un An Roshi
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