Biographie

Houn Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi – his students and friends called him simply KOBUN – was born on february 1st 1938 in Kamo, Japan, at the family Zen tempel JOKOJI as the youngest of six children. After the early loss of his father, he got sort of adopted by his later master, Hozan Koei Chino Roshi. During the time of his studies at Kamazawa university and his stay at Eiheiji monastery he participated for years in the weekly study group of Kodo Sawaki Roshi. The third major influence was Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, who, in 1967, brought him directly from Eiheiji to Tassajara, the newly founded Zen monastery in California.

For the next 35 years, Kobun lived mostly in the USA.

Kobun was a kind and gentle soul. 'Soft flexibel mind is the way' he said and manifested. In his presence, many people felt a deep existential connection and recognized him as their Zen master. With some, he established a formal student – teacher relationship. And eventhough he avoided, and sometimes outright sabotaged organisational structrures and 'politics' as he liked to call it - ( 'stay away from...’) - , there are today a number of centers and sitting groups in America and Europe that trace their existance to him and find inspiration in his thus-being. Towards the end of his life, he encouraged some of his older students to take on more resposibility in the transmission of Zen and authorized them as teachers.

Besides being a Zen priest and master of ceremony, Kobun was a painter, calligrapher, poet, Kyu-Do archer, he played the Shakuhatchi, the japanese bamboo flute, liked to cook simple as well as elaborate meals, was a good and fearless skier, a healer and astrologer, mostly broke, sometimes up late right through the night, and at heart always an artist. He has two children from his first marriage, three from his second one and three grandchildren.

On july 26th, Kobun enterd paranirvana, together with his 5 year old daughter Maya, in the attempt to rescue her from a pond she had fallen into.