Muho Noelke

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Muho Noelke


Information



Born:	1968
Place of birth:	Berlin, Germany



Religion:	Zen Buddhism
School(s):	Soto

Title(s):	Priest











Website

Portal:Buddhism

Muhô Nölke is the abbot of the Japanese Soto Zen temple Antaiji.

He was born in 1968 in Berlin and grew up in Western Germany. At age 16, he was introduced to zazen by one of his high school teachers and soon had the wish to become a Zen monk. To prepare for his stay in Japan, he studied Japanese at the university in Berlin, along with philosophy and physics. During his studies, he spent one year at Kyôto University and learned about Antaiji for the first time. At age 22, he spent six months there as a lay practitioner.

Three years later, after graduating from university, Muhô ordained as a Sôtô Zen monk under the abbot Miyaura Shinyû Rôshi. Apart from Antaiji he trained for one year at the Rinzai monastery Tôfukuji in Kyôto, and one year at Hosshinji in Obama.

After obtaining the transmission of dharma (shihô) from his teacher Miyaura Rôshi he decided to live as a homeless monk in a park in central Ôsaka, where he led a zazen group. He was 33 years old.

After six months though, in February of 2002, he learned of the sudden death of his teacher and was called back to Antaiji. He succeeded his teacher as the ninth abbot in the spring of that year.

Muhô is married since 2002 and has a son and a daughter.