Jakusho Kwong

Infobox Buddhist biography
name = Jakusho Kwong


img_size = 200
img_capt =
landscape =
birth_name = William Kwong
other_names =
dharma_name =
birth_date = birth date and age|1935|11|14
birth_place = Santa Rosa, California, United States of America
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = American
denomination =
school = Soto
lineage = Shunryu Suzuki
title = Roshi
author
workplace = Sonoma Mountain Zen Center
education =
occupation =
teacher =
reincarnation_of =
predecessor =
successor =
student =
spouse =
partner =
children =
website = [http://www.smzc.net www.smzc.net]

Jakusho Kwong (b. November 14 1935), born William Kwong, is a Chinese-American Zen Buddhist teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. He serves as head abbot of Sonoma Mountain Zen Center, of which he is founder. He received the title "Dendo Kyoshi" (or, Zen teacher) from the Soto School of Japan in 1995.cite book| last = Dochong JDPSN| first =| authorlink = | title = Peering Through the Clouds| publisher = Lulu.com| date = 2006| pages = p. 224| doi = | isbn = 1847285368]

Biography

Early life

Jakusho Kwong was born as William Kwong in Santa Rosa, California on November 14, 1935. In the 1950s, while studying to be an art teacher at San Jose State University, Kwong was in a car accident that nearly killed him. He took a temporary job as a postman to improve the strength in his legs, which had been badly damaged in the accident. He soon married and took a job as a sign painter, leaving school early due to clashes with his art instructor. Kwong and his wife Laura were looking for an alternative lifestyle at this time, when Bill happened upon an article in a Japanese newspaper with a feature story on Shunryu Suzuki.cite book| last =Breathnach, Sarah Ban;| first =Kwong, Jakusho| authorlink = | title = A Man's Journey to Simple Abundance| publisher = Simon and Schuster| date = 2001| pages = pp. 84-85| doi = | isbn = 0743221893]

Zen practice

In 1960, he began studying Soto Zen under Shunryu Suzuki in San Francisco and became one of his first students.Citation| last =| first =| author-link =| last2 =| first2 =| author2-link =| title =A Public Talk and Book Reading by Rev. Jakusho Kwong-roshi| newspaper =University of San Francisco| pages = | year =2003| date =November 2003| url = http://www.pacificrim.usfca.edu/events/events/2003.html] In 1971 Suzuki began preparations to give Dharma transmission to Kwong, having given transmission to Richard Baker that previous year, but Suzuki died soon after without carrying it out.cite book| last =Ford| first =James Ishmael| authorlink = James Ishmael Ford| title = Zen Master Who?| publisher = Wisdom Publications| date = 2006| pages = p. 126| doi = | isbn = 0861715098] In 1973, with Laura (now "Shin Ko Kwong") and four sons, Kwong moved to an old farm in Sonoma County, California with the intention of establishing a meditation center there. The land today encompasses at least eighty-two acres of land, and is known as Sonoma Mountain Zen Center.Citation| last =Coursey| first =Chris| author-link =| last2 =| first2 =| author2-link =| title =Zen on Sonoma Mountain: Harried Lives Turned to Quiet Contemplation| newspaper =Santa Rosa Press Democrat| pages = p. D1| year =1998| date =May 1998| url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=0EAFEDF592D78C22&p_docnum=1&s_dlid=DL0108010109290120755&s_ecproduct=SUB-FREE&s_ecprodtype=INSTANT&s_subterm=Subscription%20until%3A%2012%2F14%2F2015%2011%3A59%20PM&s_subexpires=12%2F14%2F2015%2011%3A59%20PM&s_username=santarosa&s_accountid=AC0105061516020614723&s_upgradeable=no]

In the years since, he has traveled to both Poland and Iceland to lead retreats and workshops, giving Dharma talks to affiliate groups.

ee also

*Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States

References