Olympia Zen Center is a member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association and the American Zen Teachers' Association.
The Priest Ryokan-San (1758 - 1831)
Ryokan-san was born in Izumozaki, a little south of Niigata city. He became a
priest at 18 and met his teacher Kokusen Roshi while Roshi was traveling
to various temples to teach. Ryokan-san was so 
impressed that he immediately
left with Kokusen Roshi and returned with him to Entsuji. There, he devoted
himself to training and became Kokusen Roshi's closest student. When Kokusen
Roshi died, Ryokan-san inherited the temple. But, temple master's life
did not suit him and he left, wandering around Shikoku and Kyoto area
for many years. He returned
to his home town and settled in a little hut, Gogoan, on Mt. Kugami. There,
he practiced takuhatsu (begging), and writing poetry in his unique calligraphic
style. Ryokan-san loved children and often forgot about this begging rounds
while he engaged in games with them. He was extremely gentle and was never
known to raise his voice in anger or annoyance. His kindness was legendary.Once while
he was away from his hut, a thief came and stole his few possessions.
When Ryokan-san returned, the thief was just leaving and he saw that one
possession had been left behind. Ryokan-san picked up the cushion and
ran after the thief to give it to him. Later he wrote this poem:
The thief left it there
There in the window frame -
The shining moon.