Taisen Deshimaru was a Japanese Soto Zen Buddhist teacher, who founded the Association Zen Internationale.
16 Facts About Taisen Deshimaru
2.
Taisen Deshimaru returned to Buddhism and eventually came into contact with Rinzai teachings.
3.
In 1935, when he was studying economics in Tokyo, Taisen Deshimaru began to practice under Soto Zen Master Kodo Sawaki.
4.
Taisen Deshimaru was exempted from the Imperial Japanese Army because of his near-sightedness.
5.
Taisen Deshimaru went to the island of Bangka, Indonesia, to direct a copper mine.
6.
Taisen Deshimaru defended inhabitants against the violence of his own people, and was therefore almost thrown in jail, in which case he would have been released by "the highest military authorities in Japan".
7.
Thereafter Taisen Deshimaru went to the island of Belitung, to direct a copper mine which was captured from the Dutch.
8.
Taisen Deshimaru studied with him for fourteen years, until Sawaki's death in 1965.
9.
Taisen Deshimaru received ordination as a monk shortly before Sawaki became ill.
10.
Taisen Deshimaru claimed to have received dharma transmission at Sawaki's deathbed, but it was never registered with the Soto school.
11.
In 1967, Taisen Deshimaru went to Europe and settled in Paris in order to fulfill his master's wish and spread the teachings of Zen.
12.
In 1970 Taisen Deshimaru received dharma transmission from Master Yamada Reirin.
13.
Taisen Deshimaru died in 1982, after he had solidly established Zen practice in the West.
14.
In 1977 Master Taisen Deshimaru ordained Olivier Wang-Genh into his Soto-lineage.
15.
Taisen Deshimaru founded the Association Zen Internationale in 1970, and La Gendronniere in 1979.
16.
Taisen Deshimaru trained many disciples, and was the catalyst for the creation of a multitude of practice centers.