Rev. Hogaku Shozen McGuire-roshi

Hogaku Shozen McGuire-roshi was the founding abbot of Daibutsuji Zen Temple in Las Cruces (1969) and Cloudcroft (1998), New Mexico.  Hogaku is Dharma Heir to Rev. Dr. Soyu Matsuoka-roshi, the first Zen Master from Japan to establish a Zen Temple in the United States.  Hogaku-roshi studied with Matsuoka-roshi in Long Beach, California from 1963 until he moved to New Mexico in 1968.  He traveled to Japan on two occasions with Matsuoka-roshi and was presented to the abbot of Sojiji.  Hogaku-roshi took Shukke Tokudo in 1968 and received Inka Shomei in 1977 from Matsuoka-roshi.  Recently, Rev. McGuire-Roshi was honored with the Transmission of Light Ceremony in the Vietnamese Rinzai Zen tradition by the Most Venerable Thich An Giao.  Hogaku-roshi was elevated to the rank of Great Master which is equivalent to Bishop. He was retired and built Zen furnishings for home and Temple until his death in June of 2012..