Jeff Shore (1953) was born in Philadelphia, USA. After 10 years studying and practicing in the United States, he went to Japan in 1981. He first spent a year living with Mumon Yamada, Head Abbot of Myōshinji monastery in Kyōto, and got his toes wet training at the monastery of Shōfukuji in Kobe. In 1982 he began practice under Zenkei Shibayama‘s successor: Keidō Fukushima, then Zen master and later Head Abbot of the major Rinzai complex of Tōfukuji in Kyōto. He spent the next 25 years in rigorous Zen training there, completed the training, and became Fukushima Rōshi’s lay successor. Jeff’s focus is directly pointing out the very core of Zen and the heart of living Buddhism. Jeff is now professor emeritus in Zen Studies, Hanazono University, Kyōto, (Hanazono University is the sole Rinzai-affiliated university in the world; Jeff taught there for 35 years). He is a husband and a father. He lives in Kyōto where he also has a small place – the Rōkoan hermitage – open for those who want to deepen their practice. For further detail on Jeff’s life, see his autobiographical essay, “Empty Trash, Empty Self”: (English) (Spanish).
Zenkei Shibayama (right) and Keidō Fukushima, USA, circa 1970.
Jeff Shore 2015 (Photo by Leon Chiprout).
Contact Jeff here.
Being Without Self 