Our Roots
The North Carolina Zen Center was founded in the early 1970’s by students of Joshu Sasaki Roshi. Sandy Gentei Stewart became the Center’s first teacher and guided the Center’s daily life and development for the next 35 years. Regularly scheduled practice and retreats were originally held at the Squirrel Mountain Zendo. However, knowing that for many years Sandy had envisioned the creation of a residential center, in 1995 one of Sandy’s students helped the Center acquire 15 acres of land. Shortly thereafter construction began on the Brooks Branch Zendo. The meditation hall was completed in 1998, the kitchen building in 2001, the multi-use/dormitory building in 2003 and the shower house in 2005.
After being the guiding force behind the North Carolina Zen Center for more that 35 years, and making the Center his life’s work, Sandy Gentei Stewart ended his services as Abbot and Teacher of the North Carolina Zen Center in April of 2015. Those who carry on with the Center wish to gratefully acknowledge Sandy Gentei Stewart’s devotion to a life of teaching Zen, and the many lives he touched.
