Zen-Line and life data of KOUN-AN DORU CHIKO DAISH
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HARADA DAI-UN RÔSHI (1870 - 1961) |
YASUTANI HAKU-UN RÔSHI (1885 - 1973) |
YAMADA KÔ-UN RÔSHI (1907 - 1989) |
KÔUN-AN DÔRU CHIKÔ DAISHI (1921 - 1990) |
Koun-An Doru Chiko Daishi was the 85th follower of the Dharma-line SHAKYAMUNI-BUDDHAs (about 565-487 B.C.) and the 35th follower of the japanese line DOGEN-ZENJIs – a Zen-school called„SANBO KYODAN“.
SANBO KYODAN (translated literally: “the confraternity of the three treasuries Buddha-Dharma-Sangha”) is a young Zen-school which was founded by YASUTANI HAKU-UN Roshi on January 8th, 1954. As a follower of HARADA DAI-UN Roshi – a master of the Rinzai-school – YASUTANI HAKU-UN consolidated Koan-Practices of the Rinzai-School with the teachings of the Soto-school, brought from China to Japan by Dogen Zenji (1200-1253). He joined the most important learning of both buddhistic schools – the pursuit of enlightenment by Koan (Rinzai) and the belief that all people are unlighted from the very first (Soto). In his new school he adapted both doctrines to modern life and gave normal people the position to join this monastically code of practice without the necessity to become monk or nun.
YAMADA KO-UN Roshi met YASUTANI HAKU-UN Roshi for the first time in 1950, when he took his Buddhistic vows by HARADA DAI-UN Roshi. He became his scholar after having completed his scholarships by ASAHINA SOGEN Roshi (Engakuji- und Jochiji-Temple in Kamakura) and HANAMOTO KANZUI Roshi (Mokusenji-Tempel in Ofun). Afterwards he became his Dharma-successor.
YAMADA KO-UN Roshi was appointed SHOSHIKE of his school and Dharma-successor of YASUTANI HAKU-UN Roshi in 1967. Together with his wife Dr. YAMADA KAZUE MYO-EN Daishi he built the SAN-UN-ZENDO, the “Zendo of the three clowds” (UN = Clowd, Harada, Yasutani and Yamada) in Kamakura. At this time Brigitte D’Ortschy was already scholar of both Zen-Masters and was designing as an architect – in company with her colleagues of the school of Architect Frank-Lloyd Wright – the new Zendo AMANO TARO Sensei.
BRIGITTE D’ORTSCHY, architect and engineer, came to Japan in 1963. Looking for a Zen-master she met YASUTANI HAKU-UN Roshi and started Zen-Practice at the Fukushoji-Temple in Tokyo and Mokuso-in in Kamakura in April 1964. She lived in a small summerhouse at the back of the Jochiji-Temple in Kita-Kamakura. In addition to teaching at the Waseda- and the Yokohama-University, she gave numerous guest lectures on architecture and philosophy. She also worked as a journalist, translater and writer.
During this time she passed through the Koan-Education by YASUTANI HAKU-UN Roshi, who awarded her the Dharma-Name KO-UN AN DORU CHIKO DAISHI (KO = lucent, UN = cloud, AN = hermitage and title for the feminine Zen-Master, DORU = expurgatory, washing, CHIKO = light of wisdom, DAISHI = title for a feminine Zen-Master, read as “big sister” or ROSHI). BRIGITTE D’ORTSCHY finished her Koan-Education in November 1972 and received her Hasan-Sai ceremony in October 1973.
In 1964 BRIGITTE D’ORTSCHY met PHILIP KAPLEAU who was writing on his book “THE THREE PILLARS OF ZEN“(published in 1965). She designed the front cover of this book and translated it into german. While doing so, she decided to translate the original versions, partially written in Kanbun, once again into english and afterwards into german. For this revision of the old original papers Philip Kapleau gave his explicit and thankful permission. In 1969 the first german translation of “THE THREE PILLARS OF ZEN“ was published.
She wrote also a Teisho about the Koan MU, using the pseudonym „MICHAEL MÜLLER“, published by Wolkenverlag MONICA MAURER (collection MUMON-KAN). She also compiled the texts of the book „ZEN“(1984, 1997) published by ELLERT&RICHTER, Germany.
BRIGITTE D’ORTSCHY and YAMADA KO-UN Roshi helt first Sesshins in Germany (Roseburg and Stuttgart) in 1972. BRIGITTE D’ORTSCHY founded her own Zendo in Munich-Schwabing in 1975 and began teaching at Munich-Grünwald since 1982.
On February 1th, 1983 she became SHOSHIKE of the SANBO KYODAN Zen-school. The title „Shoshike“ stands for the permission to found a own Zen-Line and to announce Dharma-successors.
Until her death in 1990 she spent wintertime in her small summerhouse (HANARE) in Kamakura (Japan) translating keytexts of Zen-Buddhism. Near by she trained herself indefatigable on these topics. She also cultivated an extensive correspondence with scholars and friends all over the world.
On Juli 9th 1990 BRIGITTE D’ORTSCHY died of a short serious desease in Grünwald/Munich– without naming an official Dharma-Successor. Her Zendo fell back to the Zendo of origin in Kamakura and to SANBO KYODAN. Throughout the world there is no Zendo authorized or founded by KO-UN AN DORU CHIKO ROSHI.
Read more about Brigitte D’Ortschy on Wikipedia: Brigitte D'Ortschy
