Sanbo Zen International is the international organization carrying the Sanbo Kyodan Zen lineage, headquartered in Kamakura, Japan, the historic Zen city south of Tokyo. The lineage was developed in the 20th century by Hakuun Yasutani Roshi (1885-1973), a Japanese Zen teacher who synthesized elements of Soto and Rinzai Zen into a single integrated curriculum that included both shikantaza (just sitting) practice and koan introspection. Yasutani Roshi was particularly influential in bringing this synthesized Zen to Western practitioners. The lineage runs through several of the most significant Western Zen teachers. Philip Kapleau Roshi, who founded Rochester Zen Center in 1966, trained with Yasutani; his book The Three Pillars of Zen (1965) drew on Yasutani's teaching and brought the Sanbo Kyodan approach to a wide Western readership. Robert Aitken Roshi, who founded the Diamond Sangha in Hawaii, also trained with Yasutani and carried the lineage into the broader Diamond Sangha network. Through these and other Western successors, the Sanbo Kyodan / Sanbo Zen lineage has had outsized influence on Western lay Zen training. The Kamakura center is the lineage's home temple in Japan. Programs include sesshin (multi-day silent Zen retreats) following traditional form, individual koan training (dokusan), and longer training periods. The teaching is conducted in Japanese, English, German, and Spanish, reflecting the international character of the lineage's modern audience. Western students of Sanbo Zen and Diamond Sangha-affiliated teachers travel to Kamakura for sesshin and longer training periods at the lineage's home site. The Sanbo Zen approach emphasizes integration of shikantaza practice for daily training with koan introspection in the formal sanzen (private teacher interview) setting. Yogis typically begin with breath counting or shikantaza, then move into koan work as the teacher determines, working through the classical koan curriculum (Mu, Hakuin's koans, the Mumonkan, the Hekiganroku) over years of training. The structured progression of koan work distinguishes Sanbo Zen from purely Soto-style shikantaza-only practice.
Sesshin at Kamakura follow traditional Japanese Zen form: 4 a.m. wake-up, alternating zazen and kinhin in 35-50 minute periods, oryoki meals in the zendo, daily teisho (formal dharma talk) by the teacher, dokusan (private koan interview), and silence held for the duration. Posture follows traditional Zen forms. Sesshin typically run five to seven days. Outside sesshin, the temple holds shorter zazenkai (one-day sittings), regular zazen, and structured koan-curriculum training with individual teacher interviews. The form is the standard intensive Japanese Zen monastic form, taught in multiple languages.
The teaching line is the Sanbo Kyodan / Sanbo Zen lineage developed by Hakuun Yasutani Roshi from his synthesis of Soto and Rinzai Zen. Yasutani's successors include Yamada Koun Roshi, his principal Dharma successor, and the subsequent generation of Sanbo Zen teachers. The Western branch of the lineage runs through Philip Kapleau (Rochester Zen Center), Robert Aitken (Diamond Sangha), and other Western successors, with substantial teaching activity at affiliated centers across North America, Europe, and Latin America.
Practitioners trained in Sanbo Zen affiliated centers (Rochester Zen Center, Diamond Sangha, Zen Bochum, etc.) who want sesshin at the lineage's home site in Japan.
Zen practitioners who want to undertake formal koan work in the structured Sanbo Zen curriculum, with regular dokusan interviews at the temple.
Practitioners drawn to the lineage's international character with teaching available in Japanese, English, German, and Spanish.
Arrival is at the temple in Kamakura after travel from Tokyo (about 75 minutes by train). Visitors check in and are oriented to the form. Lodging during sesshin is in shared rooms or dormitories at the temple. Meals are vegetarian Japanese, oryoki-style during sesshin. The form is demanding: 4 a.m. wake-up, extended zazen periods, formal dokusan with the teacher. Languages include Japanese, English, German, and Spanish, with specific language arrangements per program.
The Kamakura temple includes the main zendo, dokusan rooms, residential buildings for sesshin participants, dining hall, and grounds. Lodging is in shared rooms or dormitories with shared bathrooms. Meals are vegetarian Japanese. Walking grounds are limited at the urban Kamakura site; the historic city of Kamakura itself, with its many Zen temples and the Daibutsu (Great Buddha), is walkable from the temple.
Sesshin and program fees are published per program, typically JPY 30,000 to 200,000 depending on length, covering lodging and meals. Teacher dana is traditional. Sanbo Zen affiliated centers in Western countries have their own pricing structures. The Kamakura temple is supported by program fees, lay donor contributions, and the broader Sanbo Zen organizational structure.
The Sanbo Kyodan home temple in Kamakura, where the lineage that shaped Western Zen has its source.
All three sit within the Sanbo Kyodan / Sanbo Zen lineage descending from Hakuun Yasutani Roshi. Philip Kapleau founded Rochester Zen Center in 1966 after training with Yasutani; Robert Aitken founded the Diamond Sangha in Hawaii similarly. The Western branch of the lineage runs through these and other Western successors. The Kamakura temple is the lineage's home site in Japan.
Yes. The Sanbo Zen curriculum includes structured koan training with formal dokusan interviews. Practitioners typically begin with breath counting or shikantaza, then move into koan work (starting with Mu, Hakuin's koans, or the Mumonkan) as the teacher determines, working through the classical koan curriculum over years.
Programs are conducted in Japanese, English, German, and Spanish, reflecting the lineage's international character. Specific language arrangements vary by sesshin and visiting teacher; most international programs include English support. The temple's website lists language arrangements for each program.
The Sanbo Kyodan tradition synthesizes elements of Soto and Rinzai. It includes both shikantaza practice (more typically Soto) and koan introspection (more typically Rinzai), in a single integrated curriculum. Yasutani Roshi developed this synthesis in the 20th century specifically to integrate the two main Japanese Zen approaches; it is distinct from either Soto-only or Rinzai-only training in the standard Japanese pattern.
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