Biography of Master Reigen Wang-Genh
Olivier Reigen Wang-Genh has been practicing sôtô zen since 1973. He was ordained by Master Taisen Deshimaru in March 1977 who he followed to many sesshin (meditation retreats) in France and throughout Europe until Master Deshimaru´s death in 1982. During these nine years, he practiced at the dojo in Strasbourg which was directed by Jean Shogen Baby. He also actively participated in developing the Starsbourg dojo which he started to direct in 1986.
In 1987, he began to found numerous dojos in the main cities of Bademberg with the help of many German practitioners. He has founded dojos in Freiburg, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Heidelberg, Mannheim as well as in the main cities of Alsace: Mulhouse, Colmar, Sélestat, Benfeld… Thus the dojo in Strasbourg has become a regional zen centre that coordinates Zen Buddhist activity with all the dojos in the Vosges region. Olivier Reigen Wang-Genh began ordaining monks and nuns in 1992 thus creating a sangha (community) comprised of monks, nuns, and lay people.
Thus, in April 1999, with the help of the entire regional sangha, he founded the Taikosan Ryumon Ji monastery in Weiterswiller in Alsace (France). About fifteen monks and nuns decided to join him to practice the monastic life according to the traditional rules of a Soto Zen monastery.
In 2001, Olivier Reigen Wang-Genh received the Dharma transmission from Master Dôshô Saikawa. In June 2011, he passed on the Dharma transmission to his oldest disciple, Konrad Tenkan Beck and then to several of his close disciples.
Master Wang-Genh is delegate president of the Union Bouddhiste de France (after having been its president for many years), a federation of most of the Buddhist schools present in France. He is also President of the International Zen Association which gathers most of the former disciples of Master Deshimaru, and of the Buddhist Community of Alsace.
VIDEOS - HOW TO MEDITATE? WITH MASTER WANG-GENH
To support your zazen practice - zen meditation - Master Wang-Genh has recorded a series of thematic videos. They are available in French, with English subtitles. You need to enable the subtitles. The views were taken at the Zen monastery Ryumonji ( Alsace) where Master Wang-Genh most often resides.