Gesshin Myoko Prabhasa Dharma, Zenji

The beloved and respected Zen master Gesshin Myoko Prabhasa Dharma departed this manifest world on May 24, 1999, at her home in Marina de Rey, California.

Born in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 30, 1931, Venerable Gesshin Myoko Prabhasa Dharma came to the United States in the 1950s. She entered Zen training in Los Angeles in 1967 under the Japanese Zen Master Joshu Kyozan Denkyo-Shitsu Sasaki Roshi. A year later she was ordained a nun. In 1972, she was recognized as a Zen priest and teacher (Osho), and received the name Geshhin Myoko (Moon Heart Brilliant Light). She trained for more than a year at Tenryu-ji in Japan under the Zen Master Seiko Hirata Roshi. She acted as director and vice-abbot of both Mt. Baldy and Comarron Zen Centers in Los Angeles.
In 1983 she founded the International Zen Institute of American in Los Angles, later establishing branches in Florida, the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain. She was given the "Dharma Mind Seal Transmission of a Great Master" by the Vietnamese Zen Master Venerable Thich Man Giac in Los Angeles in April 1985, and received the name Thich Minh Phap (Sanskrit: Prabhasa Dharma, "Wondrous Light"), becoming the 45th generation heir in the lineage of Vietnamese Rinzai Zen. In 1996, she founded the International Zen Center Noorder Poort in the Netherlands.

Venerable Gesshin Myoko Prabhasa Dharma was a consistent supporter of Sakyadhita's efforts. She was a powerful and encouraging presence at the Sakyadhita retreat in Santa Barbara in 1990. Her talk from the retreat, "Being Buddha," is included in the book Buddhism Through American Women's Eyes (Snow Lion Publications, 1995).

Over her many years of teaching, a strong following developed around Venerable Gesshin, known as the Moon Heart Sangha, which will continue her lineage. She will be remembered and missed by friends and disciples around the world.

For further information:
International Zen Institute of American and Europe
1760 Pomona Avenue #35
Costa Mesa, CA 92627