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Taizan Maezumi, Roshi

Maezumi Roshi with his Mother

1931-1995

Founder of Great Vow Zen Monastery. The original teacher of Chozen Bays, and the ordination teacher of Hogen Bays.

Maezumi Roshi was ordained at age 11 by his father, Hakujun Kuroda Roshi. He came to the United States to serve the Soto Zen Mission in Los Angeles. He had begun koan study in Japan with the lay Rinzai teacher Osaka Koryu Roshi at age 16. After meeting Yasutani Roshi, he undertook koan study with him, becoming his successor in 1970. Later, Maezumi Roshi resumed and finished koan study with Koryu Roshi, thus becoming a Dharma successor in both the Soto and Rinzai traditions. Maezumi Roshi founded the Zen Center of Los Angeles. His kind but rigorous training at this mother temple produced thirteen Dharma successors who teach in North America, including Chozen Bays.

 

"Dogen Zenji wrote the Fukanzazenji (Instructions for Zazen) at the age of 28, just after he returned from China. It is characteristic of Dogen Zenji's style that he says the most important thing immediately, in the first couple of lines. They are "Tazunuru ni sore..." and can be translated as "After searching exhaustively..." He came to the realization that the very essence of the Way is originally perfect and all-pervading. What is the Way? It's anuttara samyak sambodhi, the supreme unsurpassable Way or Perfect Wisdom.

"We may ask, "What is wisdom?" It is our life itself. We not only have that wisdom, we are constantly using it. When we are cold, we put on more clothing. When hungry, we eat. When sad, we cry. Being happy, we laugh. That's wisdom. The seasons change, the stars shine in the sky, it's all wisdom. Regardless of whether we realize it or not, we are always in the middle of the Way. We are nothing but the Way itself.

"The Fukanzazenji talks of "Bodhidharma's transmission of the mind-seal." What is the mind-seal? Again, it is a synonym for the Way. In a sense there is nothing to be transmitted. Realization is itself transmission. The teacher just approves it. That is, you transmit yourself to yourself. How is it done? Realizing that this very body, this life is Buddha. What more could there be but that?"

©2006 Zen Community of Oregon
Updated: January 11, 2007
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