The history of Daiyuzenji

The history of Daiyuzenji is the story of a handful of very remarkable teachers who labored to transmit a unique and vibrant Zen lineage to the west.

The late Omori Sogen Roshi (1904-1994), former Archbishop of Daihonzan Tenryuji, has been called the greatest Japanese Zen master of the 20th century. His unusual life, during which he was a political activist, a university president, the author of twenty-plus books as well as a Zen priest, gave rise to a unique style of Zen teaching known for its vitality and power. A devoted student of calligraphy and swordsmanship from a young age, the Zen transmitted by Omori Roshi integrates insights from the fine arts and martial arts with traditional Zen training.

Two of Omori Roshi's successors, Tenshin Tanouye Roshi (1938-2003) and Dogen Hosokawa Roshi (b. 1947) were responsible for helping these teachings take root in the west. Tanouye Roshi, himself a skilled martial artist as well as musician, was the force behind the establishment of Daihonzan Chozenji in Honolulu, Hawaii, and traveled from this temple to teach in the mainland United States. Dogen Hosokawa Roshi, serving as abbot and later archbishop of Chozenji, continued this work; from 1987 until his retirement in 2005, he travelled tirelessly several times a year to Chicago to teach and lead retreats.

Chicago, the home of the late Zen and Aikido master Tenzan Toyoda Rokoji (1947-2001), became the center of activity as this lineage began to take root in the U.S. mainland. Toyoda, having come to the United States in 1974 to teach martial arts, had his own long history of involvement with Zen training. In 1977, he was introduced to Tanouye Roshi, and became his student. Interestingly, Toyoda had met Omori Roshi while a young trainee at the famous Ichikukai Dojo in Tokyo. The cooperation between Tanouye Roshi and Toyoda Sensei led to the first Zen retreats (sesshin) in Chicago, which continue to this day. Toyoda was named a successor to Tanouye Roshi in 1997.

The temple now called Daiyuzenji was originally located on the second floor of 1016 W. Belmont Avenue, Toyoda Sensei's dojo on Chicago's north side. The space was designated a betsuin (branch) of Chozenji. Following Toyoda Sensei's death in 2001, the betsuin relocated to its current north side Chicago location, 3717 N. Ravenswood.

In 2005, now having our own resident roshi to conduct training, we became a fully independent temple. Hosokawa Roshi designated our new name to be Sokeizan Daiyuzenji: "Sokei" refers to the mountain on which the 6th Zen patriarch, Hui Neng, lived. "Daiyu" refers to the place where Pai-chang, the originator of the Zen monastic system, lived. These two persons, who together created and defined what became the Zen we practice today, serve as reminders of our tradition's deep roots, as well as models of a pure, vigorous, living Zen which must now take root in the West.

Our future, as contributors to the planting and nurturing of the Zen teachings in the United States, is an exciting one. It of course involves the same kind of work and devotion that our teachers demonstrated, and many challenges lie in store for us. But we welcome anyone who feels, as we do, that the Zen teachings are a treasure worth working hard to preserve, and to spread.