Kosho Uchiyama

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Kosho Uchiyama Roshi (1912-1998) was a Soto Zen priest who served as head abbot of Antai-ji temple, a Soto Zen monastery which was established in 1923 by Oka Sotan. He was born in Tokyo, Japan.

In 1937, before ordaining as a monk, Uchiyama receieved an Masters degree in Western philosophy at the renowned Waseda University and later taught at the Miyazaki Theological School in the Miyazaki prefecture of Japan. In 1941 he ordained as a Zen Buddhist priest under the tutelage of Sawaki Kodo-roshi. Due to World War II Antai-ji was empty until 1949, when Kosho Uchiyama and Sawaki Kodo moved back in and returned it to a place of Zen practice. Kodo travelled extensively throughout Japan teaching others the way of zazen.

In 1962, due to old age and poor knees, Kodo settled down back at Antai-ji until 1965, the year of his death. While Uchiyama had bore the role of custodian for many years at Antai-ji, now he officially took over as head abbot of the temple and membership at the temple grew due to several publications in Japanese by him. Kodo and Uchiyama were important figures in Zen development in Japan for the 20th century as they transformed it from a mostly intellectual process back to its roots. Zazen. In 1975 Uchiyama retired from Antai-ji and lived a secluded life with his wife at Noke-in temple just outside of Kyoto.

Uchiyama has had many books in the Japanese language published in Japan, two of which have been translated into English: Approach to Zen and Refining Your Life.