Roshi Lou Mitsunen Nordstrom

Lou Mitsunen Nordstrom, Roshi received a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Columbia University, where he taught until 1970. Roshi began Zen practice in the
late 1960's. In 1974 he gave up a tenured teaching position at Marymount College to become a Rinzai Zen monk. He also edited Namu Dai Bosa: A Transmission of Zen Buddhism to America, an anthology of the works of Nyogen Senzaki, Soen Nakagawa Roshi, and Eido Shimano Roshi. From 1974 to1976 he served as Eido Roshi's head monk at Dai Bosatsu Zendo. Later he returned to
college teaching at Syracuse University (Religion
Department,Chaplain-for-Non-Western Religions, Hendricks Chapel). From 1980 to 1988 Roshi was Director of Training, Liturgy, and Study of the Zen
Community of New York and was ordained a Soto Zen priest. Involvement with Bernard Tetsugen Glassman's center began with an encounter with Taizan
Maezumi Roshi during which Maezumi Roshi indicated his desire for Lou to be his Dharma successor. He received Dharma Transmission from Tetsugen Roshi in
1998. Since 1989 has been doing adjunct and visiting college teaching (Yale, Wesleyan, NYU, Hunter, Baruch,Iona). Since 1987 he has been leading Zen
retreats in New York State, North Carolina, and here in Florida. He has published a study in comparative communication (Communication East and
West), and numerous articles on Zen and comparative-philosophical themes. He lives in Brewster, New York.