Zen Center of Georgia

Our group was founded in 1995 by Ginny Whitelaw. Ginny studied under Hosokawa Roshi for many years and saw her move to Atlanta as an opportunity to establish the same type of Zen training she had received. Hosokawa Roshi, in turn, trained under Omori Sogen, who believed that the fine arts and martial arts were valuable adjuncts to Zen practice. Consequently, our lineage has long encouraged training in both areas as a means of deepening one's Zen practice. Hosokawa Roshi served as shike (abbot) of Daihonzan Chozen-ji in Honolulu, Hawaii, until his retirement in 2005.

The group initially operated as the Atlanta Center for Zen and the Arts. In its early years, the center offered meditation classes exclusively but eventually expanded its program to include Okyō (chanting), calligraphy, hōjō (staff training), and Zazenkai (overnight Zen retreats conducted without a Zen master), held three times a year. Ginny also established an Aikido school, the Aikido Association of Atlanta (AAA). Through Ginny's association with both organizations, the Atlanta Center for Zen and the Arts shared facilities with the Aikido Association of Atlanta

Several senior Zen students began accompanying Ginny to retreats (sesshin) in Chicago, where they had the opportunity to train under Hosokawa Roshi. The Chicago Zen group was originally a branch temple of Daihonzan Chozen-ji, the headquarters temple in Hawaii, and operated under the auspices of Hosokawa Roshi, Chozen-ji's abbot. The Chicago group has since developed into Sokeizan Daiyuzen-ji, a fully established Zen temple in its own right.

In 1996, Ginny Whitelaw was ordained at Chozen-ji, becoming a Zen priest. In 2001, Rev. Whitelaw relocated to Baltimore, leaving Glenn Murray, the center's senior Zen student, in charge of its operations.

In 2004, as classes at the Aikido Association of Atlanta continued to expand, the senior Zen students decided to establish a separate location for their activities, allowing both organizations greater freedom to develop their respective programs. This transition led to the formation of the Zen Center of Georgia.

More Daiyuzen-ji information

• The History and lineage of Daiyuzen-ji
• Our Teachers