Reverend Daito Zenei Thompson, Spiritual Director
Reverend Thompson has practiced and studied Buddhism since 1971 at various monasteries and temples, under the spiritual guidance of certified and authentic masters, both in America and Asia, including twice meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet. He has lectured extensively, and taught Zen Buddhism peripatetically, at various civic, community and religious groups, and has also lectured at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad.
Reverend Thompson studied at the famous Gold Mountain Monastery (Dharma Realm Buddhist University) in San Francisco, California under the spiritual guidance of the late Venerable Ch'an Master Hsuan Hua. He later visited and studied at the Seoul National Buddhist University (Dong guk Tae Hak) and visited the world famous Hae In Sa monastery in the southern mountains outside of Kwan-Ju Korea.
Reverend Thompson was ordained into the Soto Zen Mission North America as a Zen Priest in 1978 and received the special Ke Chi Myaku Transmission and permission to teach others by the late Reverend Dr. Soyu Matsuoka-roshi, Archbishop of Soto Zen Mission, North America. Please visit the late Rev. Dr. Soyu Matsuoka-roshi dedication website at www.Mokurai.org to learn more.
Reverend Thompson has been interviewed by numerous newspapers in the USA. New Age Journal is only one of several publications who have interviewed and published articles by Reverend Thompson.
Reverend Thompson has been involved with many social, community and interfaith organizations. He has been a religious advisor to the Boy Scouts of America Buddhist Sangha Awards program; has been formerly or is currently a member of the following organizaitons: the Evergreen Hospital Pastoral Care Advisory Committee; advisory to the state prison chaplaincy program; advisory to the US Armed Forces Buddhist chaplaincy; the World Buddhist Organization; the American Buddhist Congress; the Buddhist Peace Fellowship; the Northwest Dharma association; and others. He has worked extensively with other Asian Buddhist communities as a liaison within the non-Buddhist Western Culture and Society.
Reverend Thompson is currently the Spiritual Director of the Aspen Gold Dharma Center in Sarasota, Florida USA, a Soto Zen Buddhist organization created to support the dissemination and growth of Buddhist Teachings within our communities and to help empower its members through direct participation in its many programs. To learn more please visit us online at www.AspenGold.org.
The late Dr. Reverend Soyu Matsuoka-roshi, Archbishop of Soto Zen Mission North America.
Dharma Master Matsuoka-roshi, a Gondaikyshi (Bishop) of the Soto Zen school, served as superintendent and abbot of the Long Beach Zen Buddhist Temple and Zen Center. The temple was headquarters to Zen centers in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Everett, Washington.
Rev. Dr. Soyu Zengaku Matsuoka, Roshi25 November 1912 – 20 November 1997
Matsuoka Roshi was born in Japan into a family who had been Zen priests for over six hundred years. He attended Komazawa University in Tokyo, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree, then I believe that he attended the University of Tokyo, earning a Ph.D. in political science. I think he also did advanced graduate study at Columbia University in New York under his friend and mentor, Dr. D. T. Suzuki.
Matsuoka Sensei was a black belt in the martial arts of Jujitsu and Karate. He studied Zen in several temples including Sojiji Monastery.
In Japan, Rev. Matsuoka served at several local temples as well as establishing a temple in Northern Japan. Soto Zen Headquarters assigned Matsuoka Roshi to travel to America as an assistant priest of the Los Angeles Zen Center. His next assignment was as the supervisor of the San Francisco Zen Buddhist Temple (which later developed into the San Francisco Zen Center). He eventually went on to found the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago and, in 1971, the Long Beach Zen Buddhist Temple. His early translations of sutras and ceremonies were literary works of spirit that allowed him to explain the treasures of Dharma to students who were unable to read Japanese. There is a story that while in San Francisco, Matsuoka Sensei requested help dealing with the great influx of individuals who were overwhelming the Zen resources. Reportedly, Soto Shu sent Rev. Shineru Suzuki, who later wrote a wonderful book, Zen Mind, Beginner's mind.
The Rev. Dr. Matsuoka lectured to many schools and organizations in the U.S. He also toured Japan fairly regularly, lecturing about Zen and the U.S. He was sponsored by the U.S. Embassy for tours of Japan promoting cultural understanding of the “Unknown American.”
Sensei’s (respected teacher) Zen was direct, fierce, and his life was passionate. Matsuoka Roshi taught that all life, everything, is training, that everything is Zen. “Zen is daily life and Zen is action!” and “Every day is a happy day,” he would say. When asked about dealing with life, he once said, “Be kind, respectful, honest and continue seeing everything and everyone as Buddha — if you can’t manage all that right now, sit some more and keep training.” He would tell his students, “Stop foolish actions, train, sit!”
Matsuoka Roshi spoke of the great transitions of Zen, starting with Shakyamuni Buddha in India and then to China, Japan, and now the U.S. and other Western countries. “American Zen will carry the same flavor and essence as Shakyamuni’s original teachings,” he said, “as well as the Chinese and Japanese flavors, yet will become its own special form of Zen.” In support of this vision, he did not register his ordained or transmitted priests with Soto Zen Headquarters in Japan. Rather, he gave his instructions to each one and sent them out to spread the Dharma.
As of 2008 there are at least 13 temples in the U.S. led by direct disciples of Matsuoka Roshi as well as several priests who have active lives teaching Dharma without being attached to a temple. Many of Matsuoka Roshi’s lectures and sermons have been collected and organized into The Kyosaku, a book compiled by the good efforts of the Rev. Taiun Elliston, Abbot of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center. The second book, Moku-Rai is newly available also through from the Atlanta Soto Zen Center. I encourage everyone to read these wonderful books. My thanks to Rev. Taiun Elliston for his efforts in bringing these works to the public.
While there are many stories that can be shared about the Rev. Matsuoka, the common themes among them are his great compassion, his lack of interest in titles or exalted positions, his love of the Dharma, and his joy in teaching Zen. Those of us fortunate to have studied with him count it a great blessing. If you did not get a chance to meet or study with him, perhaps you can find a reflection of his spirit and heart through his writings and his disciples." - By Rev. Kozen Sampson.
Zen Master Shih Shen Lung, 1947-2006
Zen Master "Ryugen" Shih Shen Lung first gave to Reverend Thompson the Buddhist Triple Gems- Ti Sarana- while Reverend Thompson was at the time an Aikido student of Zen Master Lung. Reverend Thompson proclaimed, "Master Ryugen was the most authentic American born Zen Master I have met. His vast understanding of Buddhism in general, and Zen in particular was most precious. He was, in fact, the Bodhidharma of American Zen."
On October 28th, 2006, Master Lung, founder of the Dragon Flower Ch'an temple, passed away. An American practicing Buddhist Monk since 1972, Venerable Lung was ordained in the Soto Zen tradition by the late Bishop Rev. Soyu Matsuoka-roshi and subsequently received Dharma Transmission from the Ch'an Master Shih Mo Hwa of the Lin Chi Sect in 1980. Venerable Shen Lung's guidance, understanding, and, humor have helped countless numbers of beings to grow and thrive in the Dharma.
Zen Master Lung and Daito Zenei Thompson.
With nine bows of unending gratitude, we honor the monk Shih Wu Ming whose Dharma name is Lung Yen!
The late Zen Master Reverend Kongo Langlois, Roshi, spiritual director Chicago Zen Temple and dharma-heir to the late Rev. Dr. Soyu Matsuoka, roshi.
Reverend Daito Zenei Thompson with Zen Monks of the Quan Am Ch'an Temple officiating Bodhi-day celebration.
Note: Re-use is permitted under the GFDL or released into the public domain.