Zen Master DEok SHim (Sunyananda Dharma)
4th Patriarch of the Order (2015 - Present)
Most Venerable Sunyananda Dharma is a multi-yana trained, fully authorized Buddhist Master. Initially ordained in the Korean Seon tradition of Zen Master Seung Sahn, Sunyananda later incardinated into the tradition of Zen Master Il Bung receiving the name Deok Shim (Sunim) from Zen Master Son Hae, as his only ordained disciple. He has further trained extensively in the Lâm Tế Thiền lineage of Hòa Thượng Thích Thiên-Ân (the first Vietnamese Patriarch to the West), under his first western disciple Hòa Thượng Thích Ân Đức (Suhitananda Dharma Mahathero), receiving the transmission name of Thích Đức Tâm.
Having been first exposed to contemplative practice over twenty years ago, Sunyananda has experienced a wide range of religious traditions since his childhood (having spent ten years in Christian ministry school, and having trained as a Swami in the Bhakti yoga tradition), and has thus adopted a very pluralistic approach to engaging the dharma, and strives to foster an atmosphere where truly all are welcome to explore and integrate Buddhist teachings. Sunyananda has studied and taught Buddhism and Buddhist Martial Arts throughout the world, lectured at numerous colleges and universities, in addition to appearing in and writing for various media outlets, and even representing his tradition at the White House. Studying under the guidance of Ni Trưởng Thích Nữ Ân Từ (Dr. Karuna Dharma), Sunyananda earned his monastic ministerial Masters and Doctorate degrees at the Buddhist Studies Institute - Los Angeles, before being named head of the Institute (which was first founded in 1973 by Most Venerable Dr. Thích Thiên-Ân) in 2012. In November of 2012 Most Ven. Sunyananda received the mind-seal of Inka (independent teaching authorization) from Master Wonji Dochong, as a Master of the Kong An (Jp. koan) tradition. Master Sunyananda has further trained in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition, and received the Bodhisattva vows directly from Dzogchen Master Lama Kunzang Tenzin (Surya Das), and in 2014 Master Đức Tâm received transmission of the Patriarchal hats and robes (Truyền Y Mão) from the President of the Vietnamese United Buddhist Churches, Hòa Thượng Thích Như Minh. In April of 2015 Sunyananda was transmitted as 78th Generation Master, and the 4th Supreme Patriarch (宗正) of the Il Bung Zen tradition in the West, with the title “Most Venerable”. He further, in June of 2015 received the final "transmission" authorization of completion of study in the Kong An (Jp. koan) tradition. Sunyananda has studied traditional life protection (martial) arts for slightly longer than Buddhism (having received his first introduction to the Dharma via that involvement), and has attained the title of Master in several of these arts, to include Bulkyo Mu Sool, Ryukyu Kempo, Hapkido, Tukkong Mu Sool and Taekwondo. He has taught seminars throughout the United States, and actively instructs Buddhist Life Protection Arts through programs in Kansas City, as the third Grandmaster of the Korean Buddhist Martial Arts Association, which was founded in 1968 at Jogyesa temple in Seoul, South Korea. Outside of his day-to-day temple duties, Most Venerable Sunyananda serves as board President of the Kansas City Coalition for Welcoming Ministries and maintains an interesting blog at Errant Abbot. |