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On Assuming the Post of Abbot of the Sanbô Kyôdan

YAMADA Ryôun

As of 8 October 2004 I will assume the post of abbot of the Sanbô Kyôdan.       I would like first of all to express my heartfelt gratitude to Kubota Ji'un Roshi who performed this office for so many years.       Kubota Roshi, upon the passing of Yamada Kôun Roshi, assumed the post of abbot of the Sanbô Kyôdan in October of 1989. For the next fifteen years he worked tirelessly on behalf of the administration and educational activities of the organization. During this time, besides his direction of people at San'un Zendo, he also worked strenuously in directing Zen activities in Europe, Australia, Singapore, the Philippines and other places abroad. Under the direction of Kubota Roshi many people were able to realize their true selves, and many leaders and teachers of Zen were formed. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to him and also manifest my great respect for his deep and generous Buddhist spirit.       The Sanbô Kyôdan was established in 1954 by Yasutani Haku'un Roshi with the purpose of "believing, understanding, practicing, and realizing the true Buddha-Way and spreading this Way to the whole world." Now fifty years later, as I take up the important post of abbot, passed on from Yasutani Haku'un Roshi, Yamada Kôun Roshi, and Kubota Ji'un Roshi, I feel deeply a bond with the Dharma. A short time after the founding of the Sanbô Kyôdan, when I was still just a high school student, Yasutani Roshi accepted me as his disciple (shôken) and gave me the Kôan Mu and after six and a half years brought me to Kensho by his excellent direction. After that I received direction from my father, Yamada Kôun Roshi, for 25 years. I feel strongly that I must repay the gifts I have received from Yasutani Roshi and Yamada Kôun Roshi.       As you all know well, in order to fulfill its purpose ("believing, understanding, practicing, and realizing the true Buddha-Way and spreading this Way to the whole world.") the Sanbô Kyôdan has taken as its central position to "stand at the origin point of the Buddhist Way through the Dharma Gate of Master Dôgen." And further, in order to "stand at the origin point of the Buddhist Way" it maintains that the central position within the central position is "Sitting", that is, Zazen. In other words, as far as the activities of the Sanbô Kyôdan go, what is most important is "Sitting". It is not Kôans nor lectures (teishô). Nor is it recitation of the Sutras or the rules of the Zendo.       Never forgetting the importance and wonderfulness of "just sitting with all one's might", with your cooperation I intend to exert myself fully for the further development of the Sanbô Kyôdan. I beg for your help and assistance.

On Leaving the Post of Abbot of the Sanbô Kyôdan

KUBOTA Ji'un

On 5 September 2004 at a meeting convened in the central office of the Sanbô Kyôdan attended by the Teachers, Representatives of the Sanbô Kyôdan, and Officials in Charge of Activities, it was decided that after 15 years (three five-year terms) during which I had performed the duties of abbot, I would leave the post, and it would be assumed by Yamada Ryôun Roshi as of 8 October 2004.       I took up the post of abbot of the Sanbô Kyôdan on 8 October 1989 after the passing of Yamada Kôun Roshi. In order to make secure and efficient the administration of the Sanbô Kyôdan, which consists of lay people, I introduced several new initiatives. The first was to change the period of the abbot's term to a five-year term whereas before it had been for life. This would insure a turnover in those chosen to succeed to the Dharma; however, provision was made for the possibility of serving more than one term. Because of that I have served to this day over a period of 15 years (three terms).       A second innovation was to start the Assembly of Zen Teachers by calling together the 20 or so Zen Teachers scattered all over the world to gather once a year in the central place of the Sanbô Kyôdan, namely the San'un Zendo of Kamakura, or in alternate years at a Zendo of one of the Zen Teachers. The purpose was a study session to raise the teaching level of each teacher. This gathering has been held faithfully every year and in 2001 it was held for the 12th time in Nihonmatsu, the birthplace of Yamada Kôun Roshi. This was the final gathering of its kind. After that a new form of a sesshin for Zen Teachers along with new Zen Teachers was planned with Yamada Ryôun Roshi as the directing leader. Last year and this year in August it was held at the Benedikthof Zendo in Wurzburg, Germany.       A change in generations has accelerated in this way in the Sanbô Kyôdan. From now on it will be an especially important matter to attend to the development of younger teachers. Because of that it seemed best to entrust the administration of the Sanbô Kyôdan to Yamada Ryôun Roshi, a younger man but one with a clear Dharma eye. This is what led to the decision to make a change of abbots. However, after consulting with Ryôun Roshi it has been decided that for the time being I will continue to lead the sesshins in Singapore and Weyarn on the outskirts of Munich, Germany.       I am sincerely grateful to all of you for your support and cooperation given to me over the past 15 years, and I ask that you continue to give the same for the development and administration of the Sanbô Kyôdan with Yamada Ryôun Roshi at the helm now.

On 27 March 2002 Antonio PERLAS (Philippines), Zen Teacher of the Sanbô Kyôdan, passed away. We express our deepest condolences and sympathy, especially for his family. The following is the eulogy on the deceased, written by KUBOTA Ji'un Roshi, abbot of the Sanbô Kyôdan: In Memoriam Dr. Tony Perlas It was during my Singapore Sesshin that I My wife forwarded the news she had gotten from Nenates. Suddenly I remembered his countenance and how he was when I visited him in the hospital last June, just after the Tagaytay sesshin. He, amid his incessant pain, shook hands with me for a long time with such a mild and gentle face. I realized that this was the very Dharma he had continued to teach all people. So I decided to offer the following words of homage to him on the occasion of our zazenkai at the San'un Zendo in Kamakura on 14th of May 2002 (2nd Sunday of the month). Words Dedicated to Tony Perlas On the horizon the sun rises and the moon sets; Beyond the balcony the mountains are deep, the waters cold.
As I reflect quietly - You have dedicated your life over 60 years to medical occupation, Performing remarkable achievements as a psychiatrist in the Philippines. Furthermore you have practiced Zen for a long period of time, Consequently becoming a Zen Teacher of the Sanbo Kyodan, And spreading pure Zen among many people in your country. You have suffered from assailing arthritis since young, Yet persevered the pain as painless pain, While you manifested the real Dharma to all living beings. Now that you rest in the deep Great Peace, Let me offer you a passage of truth:
Where the skull's consciousness comes to an end, How could joy come up? The withered tree is giving a dragon's groan: Though dead, it is still not dried up. Difficult, difficult! Choosing or clarity? See for yourself!
(The verse above comes from Case 2 of the Hekiganroku)
Apology for What the Founder of the Sanbô Kyôdan, YASUTANI Haku'un Roshi, Said and Did during World War II
KUBOTA Ji'un The 3rd Abbot of the Religious Foundation Sanbô Kyôdan
On 8 January 2000 a letter arrived from a lady who lives in the Netherlands. It reported that her husband, from the age of six until he was nine, was confined in a concentration camp in the Dutch East Indies during World War II by the Japanese army, together with his mother and sister; his father was thrown into a male camp, his elder brother was forced to labor for the railway construction in Burma. The trauma of these years has remained until today; he had to undergo brain surgery, and has had psychotherapy for more than 10 years. Not only he himself has suffered a great deal, the lady says, but also his distress has had, and still has, a great impact upon his family.        Similar tragedies have often been reported in China, Korea and other countries in South-East Asia, where Japanese militarism invaded during the war. Whenever I hear such stories, I feel great pain in my heart as a member of the nation that once initiated that horrible war; I sincerely apologize to the lady mentioned above and her husband and to all people who had to go through such excruciating experiences during the past war.        The main reason the Dutch lady raised the question is that she had read Brian VICTORIA's book Zen at War and felt herself betrayed by the war-time words and deeds of the founder of the Sanbô Kyôdan YASUTANI Haku'un Roshi, who repeatedly praised and promoted the war. Since she herself practices Zen contemplation under Father Johannes Kopp, a Zen teacher of the Sanbô Kyôdan, it had never occurred to her that the Zen masters, whom she deeply respected, would ever glorify the waging of war.        I personally became YASUTANI Haku'un Roshi's disciple at the age of 17 and kept receiving his instructions until his death. So I know very well that YASUTANI Roshi did foster strongly right-winged and anti-Semitic ideology during as well as after World War II, just as Mr. VICTORIA points out in his book. If YASUTANI Roshi's words and deeds, now disclosed in the book, have deeply shocked anyone who practices in the Zen line of the Sanbô Kyôdan and, consequently, caused him or her to abhor or abandon the practice of Zen, it is a great pity indeed. For the offense caused by these errant words and actions of the past master, I, the present abbot of the Sanbô Kyôdan, cannot but express my heartfelt regret.        If I may speak as an insider, however, during the 25 years of my practice under him I never saw YASUTANI Roshi ever force his students to accept his political ideology. After all, it was his Dharma that we wished him to transmit to us; never have I aspired, therefore, to learn his ideological standpoint. Furthermore, YAMADA Kôun Roshi, who was to take over as the second abbot, admonished YASUTANI Roshi more than a few times for the latter's ideological inclination, and reminded him of the initial responsibility of concentrating upon the reviving of the pure Dharma, the intrinsic core of Buddhism. As a result, in 1967 -- that is, while he was still alive -- YASUTANI Roshi made a radical decision to entrust YAMADA Kôun Roshi with the fully authorized guidance of the Sanbô Kyôdan.        Kôun Roshi, on his part, made it manifest that the fundamental position of the Sanbô Kyôdan is to "stand at the origin point of Buddhism through the Dharma gate of Dôgen Zenji," and that our aim is to attain the salvation of humanity and to contribute to establishing world peace based on the great enlightenment experience of Shakyamuni, no matter what ethnical origin, nationality, gender or creed one may represent. This resulted in sincere dialogue with Father H.M. ENOMIYA-LASSALLE, through whose intercession a great number of priests and sisters found their way to Zen, until Zen practice outside Japan has flourished to such an extent as we witness it today. In fact, to go back to the origin point is the only way for Japan to correct past wrongdoings and to truly contribute to the peace of the human world.        It goes without saying that the terrible Second World War drove the Japanese themselves to a devastation unheard-of. The end of the war saw the land thoroughly destroyed, and starvation and destitution assailed the entire population, regardless of age or gender. Furthermore, countless soldiers and civilians along the Soviet borders were taken into captivity and forced labor; a huge number of them lost their lives because of hunger and cold. The victims of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki died one of the most deplorable deaths in the world; those who survived the calamities are still suffering from illnesses caused by the radiation. To whom can we appeal to alleviate their sufferings? Truly, this is the reality of war. This century has seen humanity repeating the same folly, and countless millions of people have been compelled to undergo unspeakable agonies.        The ultimate roots of these wars lie in the ego-consciousness of human beings. Shakyamuni, through his experience of great enlightenment, confirmed that this ego-consciousness is a grave misunderstanding and delusion; he established the way of practice through which human beings can quickly wake up to the essential self of infinite and absolute oneness, as well as realize that essence in the phenomenal self. That is zazen. It is time for us to learn seriously from the experiences of the past one hundred years and to take actions based on new wisdom for the 21st century.        On this occasion, the Sanbô Kyôdan solemnly vows never to lose the origin point of Shakyamuni and to follow persistently and energetically the path of realizing the essence of our self in this world of phenomena through our zazen practice.
(1 February 2000; reprint from: Kyosho #281 [March/April 2000],translated by SATÔ M.)
* Note: All Zen pictures appearing on our Home Page, unless otherwise notified, are works by Mr.YOKOO Tatsuhiko, a member of the Sanbôkyôdan Society.

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