Joshu Sasaki Roshi was born in 1907, ordained a monk in 1921 and then later, after being a ordained a priest and then an abbot in Japan, came to America in 1962. He has been here ever since teaching his unique style of Zen to all interested students.

In his more than 40 years in America, he has been the principal teacher for Zen centers such as Cimarron (now known as Rinzai-ji), Mount Baldy Zen Center, Jemez Bodhi Manda Zen Center, Mount Cobb Saisho Zenji, Albuquerque Zen Center, Myoko Ni Sorin, Rokuon-ji, and several others.