Kobutsu Shindo Kevin C. Malone
Biographical Outline
(Ko-Butsu: Ancient Buddha, Shin-do: New Way)
Kobutsu Malone is an American Rinzai Zen Buddhist
Priest ordained by Ven. Eido Shimano, Roshi in 1993.
Kobutsu was born in Nottingham, England in 1950 and is the only son of Ethel Mary Malone and Kevin B. Malone. He emigrated from England with his parents to The Bronx, New York in 1957 and later the family moved to Paramus, New Jersey. He has been a practicing Buddhist for over 39 years and studied with Ven. Eido Shimano, Roshi for many years. Kobutsu has been a student in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and studied with Vidyadhara The Venerable Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. He presently studies under Venerable Shodo Harada, Roshi of Sogen-Ji Monastery in Okayama-shi, Japan.
Kobutsu was a mechanical engineer and has worked in the flight simulation, opthalmological instrumentation, pure physics research and pharmaceutical processing equipment industries. He holds United States and British patents in flight simulation and educational devices. He has worked in developing adaptive electronic equipment for handicapped people.
Kobutsu established the Dharma Song Zendo in Sing Sing Prison in New York State in 1992 and served for eight years as the volunteer Zen Priest at the facility. In 1996 he established the Flowering Dogwood Zendo at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center, a state prison for sex offenders in Avenel, New Jersey. Kobutsu is co-founder with E-Kun Liz Potter of The Engaged Zen Foundation which is a 501 (c)(3) corporation founded in 1995 originally to foster contemplative meditative practice in prisons, develop monastic alternative sentencing/post release programs and deal with the complete circle of human rights imperatives.
The foundation is inexorably committed to the abolition of punitive incarceration in any form, the dismantling of the prison industrial complex, and the adoption of alternative, restorative, methods of dealing with what is colloquially known as “criminal justice.” The Engaged Zen Foundation has published Gateway Journal and Zen Karmics as instructional media for incarcerated people concerned with spiritual practice and human rights issues behind bars.
Kobutsu has been involved in death row chaplaincy since 1996 after serving as spiritual advisor for Jusan Frankie Parker and witnessing his execution by the State of Arkansas. Kobutsu served as the spiritual advisor to Amos Lee King, executed by the State of Florida on February 26th, 2003. Kobutsu spent the last day with Amos and witnessed his medicalized murder.
Kobutsu is involved in anti-death penalty work on state and national levels. He is also involved with human rights, anti-racism, anti-oppression organizations and prison reform groups. Kobutsu took part in the Civil Rights and Anti War movements and was a Conscientious Objector during the Viet Nam War. He is a prolific writer, an accomplished public speaker, speaking and writing on human rights/anti-oppression issues, Zen and Buddhist religious matters, prison reform/abolition, drug policy, and death penalty issues. He works with a small group of private students.
Kobutsu is 58 years old, a single parent of two sons, Ian (Taikan) 24 and Sean (Ryushin Taido, zenji) 27. Ryushin is a Rinzai Zen Monk and has trained with Kobutsu, Venerable Eido Shimano, Roshi and Venerable Shodo Harada, Roshi. Taikan is an electrician in Santa Fe, New Mexico and has recently purchased his first home. Ryushin completed a seven month residency period in January 2007 as a Zen Monk in training at Sogen-Ji Monastery in Okayama-shi, Japan under Venerable Shodo Harada, Roshi. Kobutsu and Ryushin, father and son, were in residency at Sogen-Ji, training together through October 2006 to January 2007. In the middle of January Kobutsu and Ryushin traveled to Malaysia where Kobutsu delivered a series of talks to Buddhist Groups around Kuala Lumpur. Kobutsu lives in a remote village on the coast of Maine, he may be reached through: kobutsu@engaged-zen.org