Zenshuji Soto Misson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zenshuji Soto Mission |
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曹洞宗北米両大本山別院禅宗寺 (Sōtōshū Hokubei Ryōdaihonzan betsuin Zenshūji))
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Soto Zen Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | 123 S Hewitt St, Los Angeles, California 90012 |
| State | California |
| Country | United States |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | 1922 |
Zenshuji Soto Mission is a special place in Los Angeles, California. It was the very first Soto Zen Buddhist temple in North America. It opened in 1922 in the Little Tokyo area. Today, it is the main center for Soto Zen in North America. It works closely with the main Soto Zen temples in Japan, called Eiheiji and Sojiji.
What is Soto Zen?
Zenshuji follows the ancient teachings of Gautama Buddha. These teachings were passed down through history. Two important figures in Soto Zen were Koso Dogen Zenji (1200–1253) and Taiso Keizan Zenji (1268–1325). They are seen as the founders of Soto Zen.
Dogen Zenji brought the main ideas of Soto Zen to Japan. This was about 800 years ago during the Kamakura period. Later, Keizan Zenji helped make Soto Zen more popular. He made it easier for everyday people to learn and practice.
In 1244, Dogen Zenji started Eiheiji Temple. It is in what is now Fukui Prefecture in Japan. Then, in 1321, Keizan Zenji started Sojiji Temple. This temple is in today's Kanagawa Prefecture. Both Eiheiji and Sojiji are still the main temples for Soto Zen Buddhism.
History of Zenshuji
In 1922, Rev. Hosen Isobe started the Zenshuji Soto Mission. He set it up in an apartment in Los Angeles. This was a few years after he visited an event in San Francisco.
At that time, it was very hard for people of Japanese descent to buy land in the United States. But in 1923, land was bought for the temple. The building was finished in 1926. In 1927, Zenshuji became a recognized non-profit group in the U.S. By 1937, it was officially the North American headquarters for Soto Zen. It became a direct branch of the Eiheiji and Sojiji temples in Japan.
Bishop Daito Suzuki became the third head priest on December 8, 1941. This day is known as Bodhi Day. During World War II, many people of Japanese heritage were sent to special camps. Because of this, Zenshuji had to close for a while. Another religious group used the temple during the war. When the war ended, Bishop Daito Suzuki returned. He worked hard to get Zenshuji back to normal.
Rev. Koun Yamada also served as a Bishop at Zenshuji. He later went back to Japan. There, he became the president of Komazawa University. He also became the abbot of Eiheiji.
Another priest, Dr. Wako Kazumitsu Kato, worked at Zenshuji in the 1960s. He later taught at several universities. These included San Francisco State University and University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Kato is still involved with Zenshuji today.
Bishop Kenko Yamashita was also very important to Zenshuji. He was the general supervisor for 26 years. This was from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s.
Zenshuji Today
Today, Rev. Shumyo Kojima has an office at Zenshuji. He often leads ceremonies and services there. Zenshuji's goal is to help people in Los Angeles learn about Soto Zen. They welcome everyone who wants to explore their spiritual side.
See also
- Shuichi Thomas Kurai
- Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United States
