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| Eido Tai Shimano (1932 - ) |
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 Eido Tai Shimano is a Rinzai roshi, venerable teacher and the first roshi to established a Rinzai lineage in the United States. He was first taught by Kengan Goto and Goto Osho. It was Osho that gave him the name Eido. Eventually, Soen Nakagawa became his master and in 1972, Nakagawa gave him his Dharma transmission. Like many other notarized Zen masters, he came from Japan to America. In 1964, he decided to make America his permanent home settling into the Zen Studies Society, in New York. He has worked there ever since and now serves as head of the Society. Shimano has been the source of a lot of controversy. He has been accused of sexual impropriety, which has caused some students to depart from the community. The Zen Studies Society was established in 1956 by Cornelius Crane to assist Daisetz Suzuki promulgate Zen Buddhism in the West. In 1965 the institute came under the leadership if Eido Tai Shimano. [1][2] To date the has named five American Dharma heirs, most notable of which is Sherry Chayat and Genior Marinello who remain closely associated with the Zen Studies Society. |
Date of Birth: 02 Jan, 1932
Location: United States
State: New York
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Views: 119
Summary
Eido Tai Shimano was born in 1932 in the countryside of Tokyo, Japan. He comes from the Rinzai lineage and was taught by Kengan Goto and Goto Osho. It was Osho that gave him the name Eido. He started to train at Heirenji monastery for two years and then moved to Ryutakuji studying under Soen Nakagawa. Nyogen Senzaki, a priest from Ryutakuji, returned from the United States and his stories about America really started to peak Shimano's interest. He wanted to go to America. Originally, Nakagawa had agreed to let him to go to America with Senzaki, to act as his attendant, but sadly Senzaki passed away. Finally, in 1960, Shimano got his wish to go to America. He was sent to Honolulu to help at the Diamond Sangha that was founded by Robert Baker Aitken and Anne Hopkins Aitken. He officially moved to America in 1964 after receiving Soen's blessing. He took up residence in New York and became a teacher at the Zen Studies Society. He officially received his Dharma transmission from Soen Nakagawa in 1972. He is now the leader of the Zen Studies Society. In the past, allegations of sexual impropriety have surfaced regarding Shimano, which caused some members to depart from his Zen community.
References:
1. Wilson, Jeff (2000). The Buddhist Guide to New York. Macmillan. ISBN 0312267150. p 58
2. Taylor, Eugene (1999). Shadow Culture: Psychology and Spirituality in America. Counterpoint. ISBN 1582430802. p. 197
Related Links:
www.zenstudies.org/
www.zencenterofsyracuse.org/about.html
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