Korinji Monastery 光林寺

02/23/2026

Registration is filling up for our Zen Life Retreat, a weekend event open to complete Zen beginners. Participants will get a taste of monastery and retreat life, receive meditation instruction, and have the chance to meet individually with our teacher. Join us!

Korinji's annual Zen Life Retreat, a beginner's meditation retreat led by Meido Roshi at our monastery in Wisconsin. You will learn to meditate, have a taste of monastery life, and receive direct guid…

02/23/2026

Omori Sogen, from his book The Brush and Zen. This quote was mentioned during the recent Zen-Ken-Sho lecture given by So'zan Roshi at Korinji:

"At our Dojo we have calligraphy and swordsmanship practice in addition to zazen. I call this "using different vehicles for Zen training." Zen - the realization of one's essence, the discovery of a True Human Being without Rank - can be found in all aspects of life. There are many vehicles for Zen training; some are formal disciplines, for example, the tea ceremony and flower arranging, but any daily act - cooking, raising children, working with tools or a pen, walking, standing, sitting, lying - can be an instrument of spiritual forging. In my case, I selected the things I know best; Zen, swordsmanship, and calligraphy for my Dojo. Kendo is practicing Zen with a sword; calligraphy is writing Zen with a brush. If we practice earnestly, a true person without rank will someday grip the sword, and the self of no-self will flow from the brush."

02/23/2026

We have announced dates for Sado (tea) practice, Sacred Calligraphy class, and monthly goma in March and April. Please see the calendar!

Events organized by Korinji monastery in Wisconsin, USA and worldwide within Rinzai Zen International.

02/22/2026

Just released on our Patreon, and open to viewing by all:

"Koan Kufu: Embodying the Koan in Rinzai Zen Practice"

https://www.patreon.com/posts/koan-kufu-koan-151400789

Meido Roshi contributed a chapter with this title to Readings of the Gateless Barrier, a book bringing together perspectives of scholars and practitioners regarding perhaps the best-known collection of Zen koans, the Mumonkan. It has been published by Columbia University Press (https://cup.columbia.edu/book/readings-of-the-gateless-barrier/9780231556958/).

In this podcast, Meido Roshi is interviewed by Dr. Alia Goehr, Assistant Professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the Religious Studies Program at The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Please enjoy their dialogue, as they mutually explore some fascinating aspects of koan practice as it is understood in Rinzai Zen.

Get more from Korinji on Patreon

02/22/2026

It was a remarkable lecture and presentation last night at Korinji. So'zan Roshi spoke on the style of training that marks our Rinzai Zen lineage coming down from Omori Sogen Roshi: Zen-Ken-Sho, the unity of Zen, martial arts/physical culture, and fine arts.

Drawing upon writings by Omori Roshi, Suzuki Shosan, Shido Bunan Zenji, Hakuin Zenji, and others, he clarified the essential structure of our path and the ways in which it leads us to encompass all of life's activities within our shugyo. Throughout, he reaffirmed the need for intensive endeavor in practice, and an approach that goes beyond intellectual Zen and the kind of zazen that is flat and energy-less. It was an inspiring and motivating talk! We will shortly post it on Korinji's Patreon.

As part of the event, So'zan Roshi and Tesshin Roshi (from Daiyuzenji Rinzai Zen Temple in Chicago) demonstrated the Hojo sword forms passed down by Omori Roshi that are so effective for realizing samadhi-in-movement and cultivating the intense vitality (kiai) required in zazen and all our training. Meido Roshi together with Shoko Osho then demonstrated battoho as an expression of martial training, and Tesshin Roshi demostrated shodo to express aspects of our fine art training. Meido Roshi finally demonstrated sado (tea) with Tesshin Roshi serving as guest.

This event was organized somewhat last minute, since So'zan Roshi was spending a week with us and we realized it was a wonderful chance for our members to receive teaching from him. Despite that, and the difficult winter weather, the turnout was still great. Afterward some of us were able to have dinner together nearby in town, where there was a lot of discussion about practice, curriculum development at Korinji, and the various ways in which attendees found themselves moved by the lecture and demonstrations.

We would like to thank So'zan Roshi and Tesshin Roshi again for making the journey to Korinji. Stay tuned for announcements regarding future events focused on the Hojo kata, tea, battoho, calligraphy, and more.

02/19/2026

So'zan Roshi is at Korinji conducting intensive training this week in the Hojo no kata. These are four sword forms from the Jikishinkage ryu that Omori Roshi passed down as an inheritance within our Zen lineage.

He did so because they are uniquely useful for cultivating embodiment of the principles of Zen practice; their purpose is "To cut all habits acquired since the day you were born and return to your original nature."

Because especially today Zen practice tends to become an intellectual or conceptual exercise (or, as Omori Roshi called it, "empty discussion") such methods are crucial.

There will be more opportunities for our members to learn this important training in the future.

02/18/2026

Happy Year of the Fire Horse to all our members. Let's gallop forward courageously, burning up all obstacles!

02/17/2026

02/16/2026

Our 3-day zazenkai (zen retreat) had the strongest group yet. We ran a very challenging schedule and started to catch the forms more fluidly by the last day.

Send a DM if you are interested in the March zazenkai.