Sōen Nakagawa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title | Roshi |
| Personal | |
| Born | March 19, 1907 |
| Died | March 11, 1984 (aged 76) |
| Religion | Rinzai |
| Education | Tokyo Imperial University |
| Senior posting | |
| Based in | Ryutakuji |
| Predecessor | Gempo Yamamoto |
| Successor | Eido Tai Shimano (not confirmed) Kyudo Nakagawa Sochu Suzuki Fujimori Kozen |
Sōen Nakagawa (March 19 1907—March 11 1984) was one of the most influential of Japanese Rinzai masters to teach Zen Buddhism in the United States. Sōen was particularly known for his poetry, and throughout life he had retained a special admiration for the haiku poetry of the Zen monk Matsuo Bashō. Known for his maverick personality and his constant questioning of Zen orthodoxy, in 1982 he presented Maurine Stuart with the title of roshi; although Sōen did not officially confer inka to Stuart—this was the first time a female in the United States had been recognized as a roshi in the Rinzai school. It would not be until 1994 that a woman would receive this status in an official capacity, which happened when Roko Sherry Chayat received inka from her teacher Eido Tai Shimano (who is one of five Dharma heirs of Sōen). Sōen's overall influence in shaping Zen practice in the United States was rather extraordinary, with influential teachers such as Philip Kapleau and Robert Baker Aitken having studied under him. He was also a very good friend of Nyogen Senzaki, with whom he carried out many correspondences in life. His Dharma heir, Eido Tai Shimano, considers Sōen to be the founder of Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji.