The Kosen sangha
The Kosen sangha is an international community of soto zen practitioners, heir to the teaching of Taisen Deshimaru (1914–1982), the master who brought zen to Europe in the 1970s. It takes its name from master Kosen Thibaut (1950–2025), his principal disciple and the transmitter of his teaching.
A lineage: from Deshimaru to the Kosen sangha
Taisen Deshimaru arrived in France in 1967, with no money and no students. In fifteen years he transmitted zazen practice to thousands of people, founded more than a hundred dojos across Europe and created the temple of La Gendronnière. At his death in 1982, he had been unable to formally transmit the dharma — the shiho — to any of his disciples. The senior Zen authority in Japan, Niwa Rempo Zenji, came to France to give this transmission to three of his principal disciples, including Stéphane Kosen Thibaut.
Master Kosen devoted more than fifty years to transmitting zazen in Europe and South America. He founded dojos in Rennes, Paris, Amsterdam and Montpellier, then temples in Cuba, Argentina and France. His community gradually became known as the Kosen sangha, from the Sanskrit term sangha meaning the community of practitioners.
The Yujo Nyusanji zen temple
The heart of the Kosen sangha, the Yujo Nyusanji zen temple, founded by master Kosen in the Haut-Languedoc, hosts sesshins throughout the year. Practitioners from across Europe and South America gather there for intensive zazen retreats.
The Kosen sangha in Paris
In Paris, the Kosen sangha is present at the Zen Paris dojo, located at 50 rue Labat (75018), in the Goutte d'Or neighbourhood. Sessions take place every Sunday at 9:55 am, led by monks and nuns of the Kosen sangha.
Zen Paris Dojo — Kosen sangha
50 rue Labat, Espace Mélane, 75018 Paris
Sunday · 9:55 am · Intro session €5
Metro Château-Rouge (line 4)
The practice of the Kosen sangha
The Kosen sangha practises soto zen, founded on zazen as transmitted by Dōgen Zenji in the 13th century. Master Kosen's teaching emphasised integrating zen into everyday life — beyond formal practice alone. The zazen posture, precise and demanding, is the heart of practice. It cannot be improvised: initiation with a monk or nun is essential.
Sessions include zazen (seated meditation), kinhin (walking meditation) and sutras — zen Buddhist texts chanted at the end of each session. Sesshins (intensive retreats) can last from one to seven days.