Egely Monastery
Encyclopedia
Egely Monastery - Taikyo-ji is a Buddhist monastery
, formerly in the Rinzai Zen
tradition, founded by Denko John Mortensen on the Danish
island of Bornholm
in 2007. Located in an old farmhouse and cowshed, it was the only Rinzai Zen monastery in Scandinavia
with Zen teacher in permanent residence.
Denko Mortensen first became interested in Zen Buddhism in the late sixties in Denmark
. He went to Ryutaku-ji
in Japan
, where he met Soen Nakagawa
. Later he became a student of Soen's successor, Eido Shimano. Denko was ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist priest on July 4, 1980 and received Dharma transmission
from Eido in 2002.
Denko later broke with Eido Shimano and became an independent teacher. On May 19, 2011, he announced on the monastery website that he had become a student of H. E. Kilung Jigme Rinpoche, a Tibetan Nyingma
Lama
and Tulku
, and would therefore be changing the style of practice at Egely Monastery.
Denko is a member of the American Zen Teachers Association
.
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, formerly in the Rinzai Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
tradition, founded by Denko John Mortensen on the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
island of Bornholm
Bornholm
Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is...
in 2007. Located in an old farmhouse and cowshed, it was the only Rinzai Zen monastery in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
with Zen teacher in permanent residence.
Denko Mortensen first became interested in Zen Buddhism in the late sixties in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. He went to Ryutaku-ji
Ryutaku-ji
is a Rinzai Buddhist temple located in Mishima, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, that was founded by Zen Master Hakuin Ekaku in 1761. During the mid Twentieth century Ryutaku-ji was led by a number of influential Abbots, who encouraged and supported the study of Zen by Westerners...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, where he met Soen Nakagawa
Soen Nakagawa
Soen Nakagawa was a Taiwanese-born Japanese rōshi and Zen Buddhist master in the Rinzai tradition...
. Later he became a student of Soen's successor, Eido Shimano. Denko was ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist priest on July 4, 1980 and received Dharma transmission
Dharma transmission
Dharma transmission refers to "the manner in which the teaching, or Dharma, is passed from a Zen master to their disciple and heir...
from Eido in 2002.
Denko later broke with Eido Shimano and became an independent teacher. On May 19, 2011, he announced on the monastery website that he had become a student of H. E. Kilung Jigme Rinpoche, a Tibetan Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
Lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
and Tulku
Tulku
In Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is a particular high-ranking lama, of whom the Dalai Lama is one, who can choose the manner of his rebirth. Normally the lama would be reincarnated as a human, and of the same sex as his predecessor. In contrast to a tulku, all other sentient beings including other...
, and would therefore be changing the style of practice at Egely Monastery.
Denko is a member of the American Zen Teachers Association
American Zen Teachers Association
The American Zen Teachers Association was founded in the late 1980s as the Second Generation Zen Teachers Group. It is a peer-group organization of ordained and lay Zen Buddhist teachers, all of whom have received either teaching authorization or dharma transmission from the mostly Asian Zen...
.