Taizan Maezumi

Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi 前角 博雄
Title	Rōshi
Personal life
Born	(1931-02-24)February 24, 1931 Otawara, Tochigi, Japan
Died	May 14, 1995(1995-05-14) (aged 64) Tokyo, Japan
Spouse	Martha Ekyo Maezumi
Children	Kyrie Maezumi Yuri Jundo Shira Yoshimi
Education	Komazawa University
Religious life
Religion	Buddhism
School	Sōtō Rinzai
Lineage	Baian Hakujun Dai-osho[web 1]
Senior posting
Predecessor	Baian Hakujun Kuroda Koryū Osaka Hakuun Yasutani

Hakuyū Taizan Maezumi (前角 博雄 Maezumi Hakuyū, February 24, 1931 – May 15, 1995)^[1] was a Japanese Sōtō Zen Buddhist priest who substantially contributed to development of Zen in the USA.

In 1956 he was sent to the United States to serve as a priest for a Japanese-American congregation in Los Angeles. After taking English classes, Maezumi began holding zazen for Western students early in the 1960s, founding the Zen Center of Los Angeles in 1967.

After studying koans with Hakuun Yasutani and lay-teacher Koryū Osaka,^{[note 1]} in his teachings and practice Maezumi combined Sōtō-style shikantaza with Harada Daiun Sogaku's kōan-curriculum, which uses both Rinzai and Soto kōan-collections.^{[note 2]} In 1979 Maezumi and his first dharma-heir Bernie Glassman informally conceived the White Plum Asanga, a "community of peers" of dharma-heirs of Maezumi and their successors, "represent[ing] the vision of Maezumi Roshi."

Maezumi publicly admitted he was an alcoholic in 1983, coinciding with revelations that he had been having sexual relationships with some of his female students. Many students and several of his dharma-heirs left, founding their own Zen-communities.

Maezumi died under dramatic circumstances while visiting Japan in 1995. His dharma-successors, including Tetsugen Bernard Glassman, Dennis Merzel, John Daido Loori, Jan Chozen Bays, Gerry Shishin Wick, Joko Beck, William Nyogen Yeo, and Charles Tenshin Fletcher have gone on to further develop western Zen with traditional Japanese influences.

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