On Saturday, September 2nd, Nyoze Demian Kwong stepped up on the mountain seat and became the new abbot of Genjoji, Sonoma Mt. ZC. Jakusho Bill Kwong, Nyoze's father has been the abbot since the temple's founding in 1973. Bill and his wife Laura were very early students of Shunryu Suzuki, having come to Sokoji, the old SF Zen Center temple, in 1960. When Suzuki died, he was working with Bill on his transmission. Later Jakusho received transmission from Suzuki's son Hoitsu.

on Nyoze Kwong from the Genjoji site

Nyoze Demian Kwong received a B.A. in Anthropology/Archeology from University of California Santa Cruz. He worked as a fundraiser in Stanford University’s Engineering Department. In 1998 he lived and worked at Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico and studied socially engaged Buddhism with Joan Halifax-roshi and Bernie Glassman-roshi of the Zen Peacemaker Order for two and a half years.

Nyoze received lay precepts in 1987 at Sonoma Mountain Zen Center. In 2009 he was ordained as a novice monk by Jakusho Kwong-roshi. In 2012 Nyoze finished his formal training at Eiheiji, the oldest monastery and head temple of the Soto Zen School in Japan. He received Dharma transmission in November 2014 and completed zuisse at both Eiheiji and Sojiji Head Temples of Sotoshu (the Soto School of Zen) in June 2015. He is recognized by Sotoshu as a Kokusaifukyoshi (international zen teacher) in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi.

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Thanks JJ Wilson for alerting me about this. - DC

Monday, September 4, 2023

Congratulations Nyoze Demian Kwong

Santa Rosa Press Democrat article