Taisen Deshimaru - Expansion of consciousness

Taisen Deshimaru (1914-1982) grew up on the island of Kyushu in Japan. He was a disciple of Kodo Sawaki, who was one of the most influential Zen masters of the 20th century in Japan: He insisted on the importance of the practice of zazen and made the practice accessible to lay people.

Shortly before his death, Kodo Sawaki ordained Taisen Deshimaru as a monk and asked him to pass on the living Zen to the West. Taisen Deshimaru brought the essence of Zen to Europe in its original freshness. In Europe he found the ideal environment to spread a Zen which is rooted in everydays life.

It was his great concern to contribute to the crisis of our civilization by spreading the practice of Zen. He had a deep desire to help today's people and to lead them through zazen to a deeper understanding of themselves and their lives, whose imbalance he felt deeply.