Ryūtaku-ji (龍沢寺) is a Rinzai Buddhist temple located in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, that was founded by Zen Master Hakuin Ekaku in 1761. During the mid Twentieth century Ryutaku-ji was led by a number of influential Abbots, who encouraged and supported the study of Zen by Westerners. Most Notable among these was Soen Nakagawa Roshi who was highly regarded as a Caligrapher and Haiku Poet, often referred to as the "20'th Century Bassho." Nakagawa's career included regular travel to the United States where he assisted in the founding of the New York Zendo Shobo-ji, and it's training monastery in upstate New York. Nakagawa died in 1984 and his ashes were divided with part being interred at Ryutaku-ji and part in New York. Nakagawa was known for his enigmatic behavior derived from his dedication to ascetic and solitary Zen practice, and his rejection of the excessive formalism of the Zen Hierarchy in Japan.
Kyudo Nakagawa was the abbot of Ryūtaku-ji (as well as Soho Zendo on West Broadway in New York City) up until his death in December 2007.Since January 2008, the new abbot of Ryūtaku-ji is Eizan Goto Roshi, who is also the Zen Master of Centre Assise, a meditation center near Paris (France).
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