LINEAGE

Koten Inoue Roshi was born in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan. Still in his early teens, he entered Hosshin-ji monastery in Fukui prefecture, Japan, to begin Zen training and remained there for several years. Later, he continued his study under Sekkei Harada Roshi of Hosshin-ji. He currently serves as Godo Roshi (senior monk in charge of the meditation hall) at Hosshin-ji monastery and as an executive of the Soto Sect Teachers’ Association of Japan. He also served for six years as executive chairman of the Soto Sect’s Association of Zen Meditation Dojos (for laymen). He is the resident priest of Saiken-ji temple in Hamamatsu, Japan.

Doiku Takeda sensei was born in the US. In 1975 he went to Japan to enter Hosshin-ji monastery and practice zazen under Sekkei Harada Roshi. Shortly after, he ordained as a monk and continued to practice at Hosshin-ji for over 20 years. Later, he moved to Ryusen-ji, a small temple in Hiroshima prefecture, to continue his training. He is now the resident monk of Ryusen-ji and also holds the position of Godo at Tosho-ji monastery in Okayama prefecture, Japan.

Konstantinos Sgoubopoulos was born and raised in Athens. He has been practicing Tae Kwon do since 1986, owner of 7 Dan and 3 Dan in the art of Iaido. Since 1998 he has been studying and delving into the philosophy and practice of Zen.

In 1999 he goes Shaolin Monastery in China for the prequisite interview that would enable him to follow the three-months monk training there. He succeeds and is admitted for the practice-training in Zen meditation. By 2001 he therefore returns to China for the 100 days of meditation in the monastery, required to be able to continue his independent practice back in Greece. By completing this training he is given monk status and begins deepening his daily zazen practice.

In 2010 he visits Fudenji, a Japanese Soto Zen monastery in Italy. There he makes a definitive decision to focus completely on the practice and teaching of Zen and the goal of establishing in Greece the first Soto Zen Monastery.

In 2012 travels to Hosshin-ji monastery and is accepted by its abbot at the time, Koten Roshi as a novice monk and his student. By 2013 he becomes a Soto Zen monk and since then, he returns to Hosshin-ji uninterruptedly two times a year for intensive practice. In the meantime, in 2013 he establishes Zen Center Athens, where he is currently based as the Sangha teacher and Koten Roshi’s representative in Greece.