American Zen Association

Description of Organization

Founded in 1983 by the late Robert Livingston Roshi,the American Zen Association provides Zen training and practice in the tradition of Master Taisen Deshimaru. Our two main temples are located in Sewanee, TN and in New Orleans, LA. After the death of Deshimaru, Robert Livingston returned to the U.S. from Paris and operated several dojos in Uptown New Orleans during the 1980s. After the death of Robert Livingston in early 2021, the Temple relocated to the Broadmoor neighborhood and finally relocated to Oak Street in New Orleans. Richard Reishin Collins, AZA’s second abbot since 2016, currently resides in Sewanee, where he directs Stone Nest Dojo and oversees the operations of the extended sangha of the American Zen Association. He returns to New Orleans periodically to teach at the Oak Street location.