Ven Myokyo-ni | |
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| Personal life | |
| Born | Irmgard Schlögl (1921-01-29)29 January 1921 Leitersdorf im Raabtal, Styria,Austria |
| Died | 29 March 2007(2007-03-29) (aged 86) Fairlight Zen Buddhist Monastery, Luton, UK |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | Rinzai |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | |
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 Statue of theBuddha in theJapanese Tea Garden,San Francisco |
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Ven. Myokyo-ni (bornIrmgard Schlögl; 29 January 1921 – 29 March 2007) was aRinzaiZenBuddhist nun and head of theZen Centre in London.[1]
Raised inLeitersdorf im Raabtal, Styria, Austria, Schlögl obtained aPh.D. degree in geology fromGraz University before joining the Zen Group at theBuddhist Society underChristmas Humphreys in 1950. In 1960 she went to Japan and trained atDaitoku-ji monastery for six years underOda Sesso Rōshi and, after his death, for a further six years under his successor Sojun Kannon Rōshi. In 1966, following the death of Oda Sesso Roshi, she returned to England for nine months, during which time she started a smallZazen Group at the Buddhist Society which continued until she returned permanently in 1972. With the introduction of another Zazen class, and then a beginners' class, running alongside Christmas Humphreys' original Zen Class, the Zen Group grew in size until the Zen Centre was formally established in 1979. During this period she was living at the home of Christmas Humphreys whom she referred to affectionately as 'father'. On his death in 1983, his residence was bequeathed to the Zen Centre becomingShobo-an, Hermitage of the True Dharma, a residential training temple.
In 1984,Sōkō Morinaga Rōshi, who had been head monk atDaitoku-ji during her time there, visited England with a retinue of seven monks, the requisite number to ordain her as both nun and teacher and to inaugurateShobo-an. The ordination took place atChithurst Forest Monastery on 22 July at the invitation of the AbbotAjahn Sumedho. Sōkō Morinaga Rōshi gave her the nameMyokyo-ni, which was the name he had given her as aZen student in Japan. The name is fromMyokyo meaning 'mirror of the subtle' andni meaning 'nun'.
Myokyo-ni is the author of a number of books on Zen andBuddhism, including a translation of The Zen Teaching ofRinzai (Linji). She guided the translation of the Discourse on the Inexhaustible Lamp by MasterTōrei Enji, which was awarded the Culture Prize by the Japanese Translators' Association in 1991.
From 2002 until her death in 2007, Ven. Myokyo-ni lived at Fairlight (Luton), one of the Zen Centre's two training temples, where she received students and gave regular teisho (Zen talks). Fairlight was founded and inaugurated as a Zen Buddhist temple by Myokyo-ni on 8 April 1996. Both temples continue to run under her disciples, providing meditation classes, holding regular sessions and offering residential facilities for Zen Centre members. Fairlight is now run by theVenerable Sogen, with the assistance of Ven. Myosui andShobo-an inSt John's Wood, London is run by Ven. Myokun. Ven. Sogen was ordained on 18 July 1998 and Ven. Myosui and Ven. Myokun on 26 June 2004.
Daiyu (meaning 'Great Oak') was added to Ven. Myokyo-ni's name posthumously so that she is now formally known as Daiyu Myokyo Zenji.
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