Yasuo Deshimaru (November 29th, 1914 - † April 30th, 1982), in Religion Mōkudo Taisen, more known like Taisen Deshimaru (Japanese: 弟子丸泰仙), was a Buddhist Master Zen Japanese of the school Soto. He is the founder and the principal inspirer of a multitude of Dojo S and Zen groups in Occident.

Biography

Born in the prefecture from Saga, on the island of Kyushu, Deshimaru was raised by his/her large father, old a Samurai, and by his mother, an enthusiastic disciple of the Japanese Buddhist school Jodo Shinshu. By curiosity, it moves away from the Buddhist spiritual practices to study the Christianisme under the direction of Pasteur Protesting. It returns then to Buddhism, follows the teaching of the school Rinzai, from which it also moves away.

It then meets the large Master of the Soto Zen Kodo Sawaki, of which he quickly becomes a disciple. It will be devoted from now on entirely to the practice of the Shikantaza.

Deshimaru receives monastic ordination little time before its Sawaki Master falls seriously sick. This one informs him of its wish to see Zen spreading itself in the world and asks him to go to Europe for that.

According to the wish of its Master, Deshimaru goes in France in 1967 by the Transsibérien. Arrived at Paris, he works in a store of food Macrobiotique. Whereas he speaks only one rudimentary English, he practices Zazen in the back-store, which attracts with him disciples gradually that he thus initiates with Zen.

In 1975, whereas he taught with the dojo that he had founded in Paris street Pernety, Deshimaru accepted the official shiho Yamada Zenji, abbot of Eihei-ji. In 1985, Niwa zenji, abbot of this same temple, conferred to him on a purely posthumous basis the dignity of Zenji.

Deshimaru founded more than 100 Dojo S in Europe, North Africa and with the Canada, as well as the temple of Gendronnière in the Loire Valley which becomes the first and the largest temple Zen of all Europe. According to the registers of the temple, it ordered 500 monks and nuns more, and more than 20.000 people have, one day or the other, practiced at its sides.

Deshimaru also founded Association Zen of Europe, which became International Association Zen thereafter.

Deshimaru died in 1982 in Japan of a Cancer of the Pancréas.

After its death, three of its closer disciples were certified Masters in the tradition of Zen soto, by Niwa Zenji, more the high ranking authority of Zen at that time. It is about Stephan " Kosen" Thibaut, Etienne " Mokusho" Zeissler and Roland " Yuno" Rech.