Brigitte D'Ortschy

Brigitte D' Ortschy ( born May 31, 1921 in Berlin, † July 9, 1990 in Green Forest, Landkreis München) was a German architect, translator, journalist and author. She was the first German Zen Master and known under the name of Koun -An Doru Chiko Roshi, Shoshike the Sanbo Kyodan line, Kamakura, Japan.

Life

Brigitte D' Ortschy grew up in Berlin. As an adolescent, she worked with the reading of Angelus Silesius, Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila and Chuang -tzu. After high school she studied architecture in Berlin and Graz. One focus of their studies, the sociological and psychological aspects of construction. In 1945, she received her diploma as an architect and engineer.

From 1947 to 1950 Brigitte D' Ortschy worked as a research assistant at the Technical University of Munich in the area of ​​history of architecture and archeology. In 1950 she was sent to the United States in order to gain experience in the field of urban and regional planning for the reconstruction of post-war Germany. At the University of North Carolina she completed her secondary studies and worked for the Planning Commission of Philadelphia. During this time, she met Frank Lloyd Wright.

In 1951 she was co-founder of the Bavarian Association for Regional Studies and worked in the town and country planning. 1952 was brought on their own initiative, the exhibition "60 Years of Living Architecture " of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright to Munich in the House of Art. 1953 invited Frank Lloyd Wright a them to work in his architecture studio at Taliesin West ( Arizona). The ideas of Frank Lloyd Wright's "organic architecture" helped her to understand the Japanese culture in their traits.

When she returned to Europe in 1954, she took over the management of the organization and design of the German department of the " Triennale " in Milan. This was followed by exhibitions in Helsingborg (Sweden), Milan, Israel, Berlin and Munich as well as construction projects for private clients, lectures, and articles for the trade press.

In 1960 she traveled to Israel and was preparing an exhibition on art and craft of Israel. In addition to her work she mingled with religious philosophers and natural scientists. At that time she read the book " Zen in the Art of Archery " by Eugen Herrigel, produced in her a sense of the significance of Japan.

Until 1963 she worked as a freelance designer and wrote for journals, publishers, and the general press and worked for the Bavaria Film GmbH Munich.

Training and work

After their arrival in Japan Brigitte D' Ortschy met the Zen master Yasutani Hakuun Ryoko Roshi (1885-1973) and began in April 1964 in Fukusho -ji in Tokyo and in Mokuso - in in Kamakura, with its Zen training with him. They even taught at the Universities of Waseda, Yokohama and Tokyo. In her essay she busied herself with the ancient Japanese culture and its Zen arts. They went through the entire koan training, completed this in 1972 and received Inka Shomei. Yasutani Hakuun Roshi gave her the name " Doru Chiko Daishi " and thus his Dharma successor. In 1973, the Hasan Sai ceremony with Yamada Koun Roshi Ken Enko Zenshin ( 1907-1989 ) took place. They received his Dharma successor and he gave her the name Koun Roshi on since she was Koun An Doru Chiko ( Daishi =) Roshi. Finally, Brigitte D' Ortschy 1983 by Yamada Roshi as an authentic Zen Master ( Shoshike ) the Sanbo Kyodan was confirmed school. Koun -An Doru Chiko Roshi is the 85th generation after Shakyamuni Buddha and the 35th generation of the Japanese line from Dogen Zenji -.

In Zendo in Kamakura in 1964 she met her Zen - Philip Kapleau companions, who worked on his Zen - classic " The Three Pillars of Zen". She designed for the cover of this book and translated into the German language. The partially written in Kanbun old original texts she translated into English in order to keep their German translation as faithfully as possible. The German translation of the book " The three pillars of Zen " was published in 1969. Another Zen companion at this time was, next to Hugo Makibi Enomiya - Lassalle SJ, Jesuit Father Thomas Californian hand, one of the first Catholic priest in San -Un Zendo and pioneer of the Buddhist- Christian dialogue. With him Brigitte D' Ortschy shared a long-standing friendship, which is documented in a 20-year correspondence.

In 1973, Yamada Koun Roshi she held with the first sesshin in Germany and founded in 1975 their own Zendo in Munich- Schwabing and later Grünwald. The Zendo grew to a community of Zen students from around the world. She was half-hidden and protected their Zendo and her students from the public, to ensure intensive Zen training. According to their opinion, "Spiritual training is always free," she taught for free.

Under the pseudonym " Michael Mueller " Brigitte D' Ortschy published a Teisho on the koan ' MU '. It was published under the title " ZEN" (1984 /97) along with photos of Eberhard Infogrames.

Until her death in 1990 she spent the winter months in their Hanare (garden house ) in Kita- Kamakura and trained further. Yamada Koun Roshi Together with she translated from the Chinese and Japanese originals in San -Un Zendo in Kamakura the basic key texts of Zen Buddhism as " Hui- neng ( Eno ) ( 638-713 ) The Sutra of the High Seat of the Sixth Patriarch " " Sosan no hanashi " and complete koan collections like " Mumon EKAI, Mumon - Kan ( the Goalless barrier) ", " Setcho / Engo, Hekigan - Roku ( the Blue-green rock wall ) ", " Keizan Jokin Denko - Roku ( the passing of the light ) "," Lihua Shogaku Shoyo - Roku ( the book of equanimity ) " and wrote their own Teisho teaching statements.

Just as Yasutani Hakuun Roshi is considered the pioneer of Zen in the U.S., so Koun applies to Doru Chiko Roshi first western Zen Master with students from around the world.

Works

• Mumon Kan. 1-48. (2001)
• Mumon Kan. Teisho 1-4. (2001)
• Mumon Kan. Teisho 5-8. (2001)
• Mumon Kan. Teisho 9-12. (2001)
• Hekigan - Roku. 1-100. (2001)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 1-4. (2002)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 5-8. (2002)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 9-12. (2002)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 3,4,5,90,91. (2005)
• The Evening spell. 3 Teisho. (2002)

• Mumon Kan. Teisho 1-12. (2001)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 1-12. (2002)
• The Evening spell. Teisho 1,2,3. (2004)

• Mumon Kan. Teisho 1-48. (2003)
• Mumon Kan. Teisho 1-12. (2003)
• Mumon Kan. Teisho 13-30. (2003)
• Mumon Kan. Teisho 31-48. (2003)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 1-54. (2003)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 55-100. (2003)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 1-12. (2003)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 13-26. (2003)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho. 27-40. (2003)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 41-54. (2003)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 55-68. (2003)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 69-82. (2003)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 83-100. (2003)
• Hekigan - Roku. Teisho 3,4,5,90,91. (2005)

• A desire to live. Living spaces, Volume 1 (1962 )
• A desire to live. Bedroom and children, Volume 2 (1963 )
• A desire to live. Entrance hall, balcony, terrace, garden, volume 3 (1963 )
• A desire to live. Light, color and material in space, Volume 5 (1965 )