Kyozan Joshu Sasaki facts for kids

Kyozan Joshu Sasaki (佐々木承周, Sasaki Jōshū), also known as Roshi, was a Japanese Rinzai Zen teacher. He was born on April 1, 1907, and passed away on July 27, 2014. He lived in Los Angeles, United States, and worked to make Zen teachings understandable for people in the West.

Joshu Sasaki started many Zen centers. He was the founder and head abbot of the Mount Baldy Zen Center in California. He also led the Rinzai-Ji order, which includes many connected Zen centers. He became one of the most important Zen masters in America.

Life and Teachings

Joshu Sasaki became a monk when he was thirteen years old. His teacher was Joten Soko Miura. Soon after, he followed his teacher to Myoshin-ji. This temple is a main center for one of the biggest branches of Rinzai Zen.

In 1947, Joshu Sasaki was given the special title of roshi. This means he was a respected Zen master. He then became an abbot, or head monk, at Yotoku-in temple. In 1953, he became the abbot of Shojuan.

Bringing Zen to the West

In 1962, Joshu Sasaki was asked to travel to the United States. He went there to teach Zen to students in the West. He started his first Zen center in Los Angeles. This was a big step in sharing Zen Buddhism with more people.

Joshu Sasaki held regular training sessions. These took place at the Mount Baldy Zen Center and the Bodhi Manda Zen Center. He also led special intensive training periods called sesshin at other centers. These included the Rinzai-Ji Zen Center in Los Angeles and Haku-un-ji Zen Center in Tempe, Arizona. He also taught at many centers in Europe and on the American East Coast.

His teaching style was very direct and challenging. He kept a strict training schedule even when he was in his 90s. His talks often focused on "Tathagata Zen." He used old Zen texts like the Rinzai Roku and Blue Cliff Record to guide his lessons.

Later Years and Legacy

Towards the end of his life, Joshu Sasaki's teaching schedule changed due to his health. In February 2012, when he was 104 years old, he became ill. He stopped teaching at the Mount Baldy Zen Center and other places. On November 10, he officially stepped down as the abbot of the Mount Baldy Zen Center.

Joshu Sasaki gave full Rinzai priest ordination to about 20 students. This made them oshō, or priests. However, he did not give "dharma transmission." This is a special qualification in Rinzai Zen that allows someone to train new priests. Even without this, many of his students became respected guides in their communities. His followers started about 30 Zen centers around the world.

One of his most famous students was Leonard Cohen. He was a Canadian poet and singer-songwriter. Leonard Cohen worked as Joshu Sasaki's personal assistant in the 1990s. This was when Cohen lived at the Mt. Baldy monastery. Many poems in Cohen's 2006 book, Book of Longing, talk about Mt. Baldy and Joshu Sasaki.

Another student, writing as Shozan Jack Haubner, also wrote books and essays. These stories mention Sasaki Roshi's teachings. They also describe what everyday life was like in the Zen centers connected to Rinzai-Ji.

Joshu Sasaki passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on July 27, 2014. He was 107 years old.

See also

• Rinzai school
• Myoshin-ji
• Mount Baldy Zen Center
• List of Rinzai Buddhists
• Buddhism in the United States
• Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States
• Leonard Cohen