IN MEMORIAM

Rev. Master Daizui MacPhillamy

On April 4, 2003 Reverend Master Daizui MacPhillamy, the Head of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, died of lymphatic cancer at Shasta Abbey, Mt. Shasta, CA. He will be deeply missed for his brightness, wise guidance, and friendship by his fellow monks, disciples, family, and many friends.

Rev. Master Daizui was ordained in 1973, at the age of twenty eight, by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett, one of the first Western female Roshis, or Zen Masters. She, in turn, was a disciple of the late Keidō Chisan Kōhō, Zenji, abbot of one of the two main training monasteries of the Sōtō school in Japan. Rev. MacPhillamy studied with his master at Shasta Abbey, a seminary of the Order in northern California, until her death in 1996. For the last twenty-one years of this time, he served as her personal assistant. Over the course of his monastic training he received Dharma Transmission from Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett, and was named by her as a Master. Upon her death, Rev. MacPhillamy was elected to succeed her as Head of the Order. In addition to serving in this capacity, he also acted as Prior of a small mountain temple, the Fugen Forest Hermitage, in northwestern California, and he functioned as editor both for the publication of the oral teachings of his master and for the Shasta Abbey Press translations of classic Zen Buddhist texts.