John Daido Loori

John Daido Loori (1931–2009) was a significant figure in American Zen Buddhism, serving as the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and establishing the Mountains and Rivers Order and Dharma Communications. He received extensive dharma transmission across multiple lineages, including Soto and Rinzai Zen, and was recognized as a Zen Buddhist rōshi. Beyond his spiritual leadership, Loori was also an accomplished photographer, exhibiting his work nationally and publishing books that often merged his photographic art with Buddhist teachings, particularly those of Eihei Dogen.

Loori's life included a diverse background before his dedicated Zen practice, which began in the early 1970s after studying photography with Minor White. He later studied Zen under Soen Nakagawa and Taizan Maezumi, eventually purchasing land in New York to found Zen Mountain Monastery. He authored over twenty books, exploring Zen philosophy, practice, and its intersection with art and nature. Dharma Communications, which he founded, became a notable publisher of Buddhist materials. Loori passed away in 2009 from lung cancer.

John Daido Loori held a prominent position within Zen Buddhism in the United States. He served as the abbot of Zen Mountain Monastery and founded the Mountains and Rivers Order, establishing a significant institutional framework for Zen practice. Loori received dharma transmission (shiho) from Taizan Maezumi in 1986. His lineage was further broadened when he received a formal Dendo Kyoshi certificate from the Soto school of Japan in 1994. Demonstrating a deep engagement with various Zen traditions, he also received dharma transmission in the Harada-Yasutani and Inzan lineages of Rinzai Zen in 1997. This comprehensive transmission made him a holder of dharma in both Soto and Rinzai schools, a rarity among Western practitioners.

Loori's life was marked by a dual commitment to Zen practice and photography. He developed an early passion for photography, which he pursued seriously after studying with Minor White. His work as a professional nature photographer led to exhibitions at institutions like the American Museum of Natural History. He also held teaching positions and conducted workshops, contributing to photography education. Loori's artistic output often intertwined with his spiritual path, most notably in his book 'Hearing with the Eye: Photographs from Point Lobos,' which combined his abstract nature photography with commentary on Zen Master Dogen's teachings. His publishing company, Dharma Communications, disseminated Buddhist teachings and also published his own books and photography.

In 1980, Loori acquired a substantial tract of land in New York that became the site for Zen Mountain Monastery, the central hub of the Mountains and Rivers Order. This order, along with Dharma Communications, served as the primary vehicles for his teachings and the dissemination of Buddhist philosophy. Dharma Communications was instrumental in publishing Buddhist materials, including the quarterly journal 'The Mountain Record,' audio-visual resources, and numerous books by Loori himself. Charles S. Prebish noted Dharma Communications as a highly effective publisher of Buddhist materials in North America, facilitating the cultivation of mindfulness and compassion through its resources.