Oki Takudo 大木琢堂

大木琢堂 Oki Takudo (active 1920s-1997)
Oki Takudo, also known by his Buddhist name Genju and the hermitage name Sanmaian, was a Japanese Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk active during the Showa period (1926-1989). He studied Zen under the renowned master Shaku Sokatsu at Engakuji Temple in Kamakura while working as a pharmacist in Chiba Prefecture, financially supporting his teacher's activities. Following Sokatsu's death in 1954, Takudo became a disciple of Goto Zuigan and formally entered the Buddhist priesthood. He devoted himself to preserving and spreading Zen teachings, traveling throughout Japan to raise funds for the establishment of a meditation center. In 1955, he revived the Ryobo Zen Association and became its second leader, later establishing Garyuzan Ryobo Zen Hermitage in Chiba Prefecture. Through his dedication to Zen practice and spiritual cultivation, he contributed to the continuation of the Rinzai Zen tradition. He passed away in March 1997.