Zen Master Robert Moore
Founding Teacher
Golden Wind Zen Order
Jibong, sŏnsa
Seventy Ninth Ancestor

Zen Master Robert Moore was born in Marshall, Texas on August 22nd, 1941. He developed an interest in music, Zen and the Martial Arts at a very early age. Moore Sŏnsa-nim has been a sanctioned Zen Teacher for more than twenty years; however, prior to begining his training with his primary Zen teacher, Sŏnsa-nim did many retreats with various Zen Masters in the late 1960's and early 1970's looking for the one person with whom he could really connect. Early in 1974 he met Zen Master Sŭngsan and immediately recognized that he was his teacher. A few month's after this initial meeting Sŏnsa-nim and his close friend Sifu David Mott purchased a building and founded the New Haven Zen Center. The Zen Center, which still is in operation today, is close to the Yale University Campus where Sŏnsa-nim was a Professor at the time. Zen Master Moore came to California in 1979 to take a position as a Professor of Music at U.S.C. and became the Head Dharma Teacher at Dharma Zen Center in Los Angeles.

Moore Sŏnsa-nim was given Inka - the seal of Zen Master Sŭngsan's approval and authorization to lead retreats and teach kongan practice - in 1985 and received the title of Dharma Master (Jido Pŏpsa-nim.) Since receiving Inka he has been actively teaching Zen at more than eight Zen Center's located on the entire West Coast. Moore Sŏnsa-nim also has a long standing interest in the martial arts. He is a Certified Master in Taiji, Qigung and other internal Daoist techniques. In conjunction with Zen practice teaches at Golden Wind Zen Center in Long Beach, CA; Aikido Ai Zen Center in Whittier, CA; and Tiger Mountain Zen Center in Seattle, Washington. On April 5th, 1997 Dharma Master Robert Moore became Zen Master Robert Moore - his Korean title being: Jibŏng Haeŭm Sŏnsa (Wisdom Peak Ocean Sound Zen Master) - when he received Transmission (Chŏnbŏp) of the Dharma from his teacher Zen Master Sŭngsan during the annual Buddha's Birthday celebration held at the Head Temple of the Kwan Um School of Zen in Cumberland, Rhode Island. A collection of his teachings is available from the Zen Center.