Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi
February 1, 1938 - July 26, 2002

On July 26, 2002, in Switzerland, Kobun Chino Otagawa Roshi drowned while trying to save his daughter Maya who also drowned.


www.kobun-sama.org - gratefully remembering Kobun Chino

Jikoji site bio of Kobun

2-10-14 - Our Great Friend and Teacher Kobun Chino - by DC

Kobun Chino in the SFZC Wind Bells

Video with Kobun from ZMC film (3 places in context or one video with just his parts) on cuke video and easier to watch on Youtube.

Bio of Kobun in Japanese with cover photos

Podcast: Kobun & Harriet 🔊

 



The Tenfold Prohibitory Precepts - by Kobun Chino and Les Kaye

Kobun and Steve Jobs and Shunryu Suzuki and Zen

Los Altos - June 22, 1967 at the Haiku Zendo

I am so grateful to introduce to you Kobun Chino, sensei. He was appointed to Zen Center to be a teacher of you. I hadn’t met him before. I was told about him but yesterday I met him for the first time and I felt as if we were old friends. I was so happy to see him. 

Kobun Chino said: To all members of this Haiku Zendo. I received now introduce about me from Suzuki Roshi. Thank you very much. I am Kobun Chino. I came from Japan last 19th (of June) morning. I am very younger than. I must study the true way of human being myself and with you. Please help me and please good health for me for development of this Haiku Zendo and widely all of this member of Zen Center and its branches. Thank you very much.  ------------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 67-06-22-A as found on shunryusuzuki.com



Kobun and writer Jim Harrison - lots on the Internet about this connection. Here's a page with results from a Google search for their two names. It would be neat to go into each link and take out the relevant material. I can't get to that right now but it's good to do before stuff disappears off the web.

Kobun and Kyudo by Robert Halpern

July 1, 2013 - Kobun Chino's Stupa Opening


Kobun on Wikipedia


Taido Chino's Square Pegs site with much on his father, Kobun.


12-01-10 - A Light in the Mind – Kobun Chino Roshi as remembered by Carolyn Atkinson - the final chapter in her book A Light in the Mind: Living Your Life Just As It Is  (Amazon link) - thanks HK


3-07-11 - Kobun remembers Shunryu Suzuki


1/25/03 - An article by Carol Gallup on Kobun, originally published in The Dot, The Quarterly Newspaper of the International Shambhala Mandala.

A note from John Steiner on Kobun Chino with an announcement of an exhibit of his Calligraphy in Boulder.

An appeal for funds for Kobun's family from Vanja Palmers.

On Kobun and Maya's funeral - David Schneider

On Kobun's passing - DC

Jikoji Home Page with information on their memorial services for Kobun.

A Shambhala Announcement

In Memoriam Poem and comments - William P. Benz

From Haiku Zendo Chronicles - this link goes to the section on Kobun Chino, but he is mentioned earlier in the introduction of this history of the Haiku Zendo in Los Altos.

A story from Rick Fields

Crissan Brennan writes of Kobun in The Bite in the Apple: A Memoire of my Life with Steve Jobs


8-04-13 - Remember standing with Kobun Chino in 68 at Tassajara during the great visit - looking at the visitors. He pointed to Shunryu Suzuki and said that here's an example of a great Soto teacher. He indicated Hakuun Yasutani and said that there's an example of a great Rinzai teacher He was really Soto but had that fierce Rinzai style and taught with koans. He didn't say "great" either. He used a word or phrase to mean matured, well cultivated. Can't quite get it. Maybe well developed. Anyway, then he pointed to Nakagawa Soen and said, "And there - ahhh - too much personality." At other times i remember asking him what about Soen first.  - dc Posting in DC on SR etc


2-22-13 - Remembering Kobun is a book about Kobun Chino Otogawa that became available last year on a limited basis. I didn't mention it then I guess because I was trying to figure out how to get it and also there was immediate talk of doing another edition with some additions and corrections.

Here's a page for it on the Jikoji site that lists some of the sources. A number of really good links here too. There's mention on that page of sending at least $20 for the book to help compensate Vanja Palmers for it's production but there's nothing about how to get it. It's not listed on Amazon. Here's the Jikoji home page so you can get hold of them to get the book.

When I search for "Remembering Kobun" the Gratefully Remembering Kobun Sama site comes up with German and English sections and links to other memories that are also found on that page or at this site's extensive Kobun section.

I plan to edit my contribution to Remembering Kobun today, get it to Vanja for the next printing, and post it soon. - dc [Did that - it's at the top of this page.]


7-23-12 - Kobun Otogawa Roshi Memorial Sesshin and Celebration

This sesshin, led by Vanja Palmer, honors the 10th anniversary of Kobun's passing.  It begins Wednesday evening after a social dinner at 6 pm, through Saturday and leading to a day-long celebration on Sunday -- see the links above for details, or visit Jikoji's web site.


1/20/03 - CD to benefit the late Kobun Chino's children.

8/23/02 - There will be a memorial service for Kobun Chino Roshi at Jikoji near Los Gatos, CA, on Sunday, August 25th, at 11:00 A.M. Jikoji is located off Hgwy 35, 1.8 miles north of Hgwy 9 on Ward Road. Many will attend. 


Hokoji near Taos was founded in 1983.

Kubon married Jobs and Laurene Powell in 1991.

Haiku Zendo in Los Altos closed and Kannondo in Mountain View was founded in 1978.


Bio of Kobun in Japanese with cover photos

Yado Nashi Kobun: Steve Jobs no Zenso 

This is a translation of the title, a riff off of Homeless Kobo with the book-selling link to Jobs:

“Homeless Kobun; The Zen Monk of Steve Jobs”

By Yukiko Yanagida McCarty.

Publisher: Shueisha international Japan

Publishing date: July 1, 2020 

Link to buy - in Japanese of course