Our mission is to open our hearts to the awakening of this practice called zazen in our everyday lives by providing a safe space for all beings in this growingly complex universe, and to cultivate and sustain an authentic lay Zen practice, fostering a community that embraces individuals of all ages, genders, cultures, and beliefs. This safe place is for the development of endless dimension universal life.
Lou Mitsunen Nordstrom Rōshi began practicing Zen in 1969. He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Columbia University, where he taught until 1970. In 1974 he gave up a tenured position at Marymount College to become a Rinzai Zen monk with Eido Shimano Rōshi, and served as Eido Rōshi’s head monk at Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji in the Catskill Mountains between 1974 and 1976. During his time at Dai Bosatsu, he was also Sōen Nakagawa Rōshi’s jisha.
This forged his life-long connection with Sōen Rōshi, from whom he would later receive Dharma Transmission (Inka Shōmei), in an intimate, informal ceremony in 1982. At this time Sōen Rōshi called Mitsunen “a true Zen Man.” Mitsunen Rōshi put to use his academic skill set to edited the seminal work “Namu Dai Bosa: A Transmission of Zen Buddhism to America,” an anthology of the works of Nyogen Senzaki, Sōen Nakagawa Rōshi, and Eido Shimano Rōshi, which was published in 1976.
During that year, Mitsunen Rōshi left Dai Bosatsu and returned to Manhattan to teach and live a “normal” life. But his desire for monastic life returned, and in 1980, he began studying with Taizan Maezumi Rōshi and Bernie Tetsugen Glassman Sensei. During the beginning of this time, Maezumi Rōshi expressed his desire for Mitsunen to be his successor. However, he would need to stay in New York and help build the Zen Community of New York, where he would serve as director of Training, Liturgy and Study under Tetsugen Sensei. In 1983, Mitsunen received the formal written kirigami of Forbearance from Tetsugen promising Dharma transmission. In 1988 Mitsunen left Greyson and started leading Zen retreats at Southern Dharma Retreat Center, which he would continue to do until 1998.
In 1998, Mitsunen Rōshi received Dharma Transmission (Shiho) in the Soto White Plum Lineage from Tetsugen Rōshi. In 1999, he started leading retreats in Florida. In 2001, Mitsunen Rōshi founded Ryugen-Ji, Brevard Zen Center in Cocoa, Florida. In 2008, Mitsunen Rōshi founded Hokori-ji Zen Center, in Lakeland Florida where he continues to lead retreats. He has since published three books entitled “Zazen Without The Za,” “Memoirs Of An American Zen Pioneer,” and “Painted Cakes.” These are collections of talks, essays and memoirs spanning over 50 years of Zen practice and teaching. These books can be ordered through Amazon.com.
Each dawn
Putting on
The great armor
Of defenselessness.
-Mitsunen Kyogen Roshi
Ryutaku Sensei first encountered Zen Buddhism during a family visit to Japan at age 6. 18 years later while a Religious Studies major at Hunter College, he met Lou Mitsunen Nordstrom Roshi, through whom he realized his deep affinity for Zen and began practice. During his first sesshin with Mitsunen Roshi, Ryutaku became Roshi’s student.
In 2001 Ryutaku Sensei moved to Los Angeles with his family but continued his training with Mitsunen Roshi. Ryutaku Sensei received Jukai in 2001 and Tokudo (monk ordination) in 2002 from Mitsunen Roshi. He makes frequent trips to the Ryugen-Ji and Hokori Zen Centers to study with Mitsunen Roshi. In 2019 Ryutaku Sensei was named Dharma Holder by Mitsunen Roshi allowing him to teach. In 2021 Ryutaku Sensei was given Dharma Transmission by Mitsunen Roshi in the Rinzai Mushroom Monk Lineage of Soen Nakagawa Roshi.
Ryutaku Sensei began sitting with Ocean Moon Sangha in 2018. Ryutaku Sensei assumed leadership of Ocean Moon Sangha in 2020. Ryutaku Sensei worked hard to keep the Sangha sitting together on Zoom during the first 18 months of the pandemic. He is happy so many of the group returned to in-person sitting on Wednesdays.
Ryutaku Sensei currently lives in Venice, CA with his wife, three daughters and two dogs.
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Ocean Moon Sangha is an unincorporated group that meets solely for the purpose of Zen Buddhist meditation.