The genealogical tree of the main Zen Masters starts with Bodhidarma (28th direct descendant from Shakyamuni Buddha). Bodhidarma left India to go to China and become the First Patriarch of the Ch'an (Zen) School. The Masters who succeeded Bodhidarma represent the living route, which leads Zen from the origins to us. In each box of the genealogical tree there is the Chinese and Japanese name of the Masters and, if known, the birth and death dates. The last Master of the line in our school is Yamada Mumon, whose name as a monk was Taishitsu, and was the teacher of the present Zen teacher of the  Scaramuccia monastery Master Engaku Taino.

Yamada Mumon

Yamada Mumon Roshi was born on 17 July 1900 in the province of Aichi, Japan. In 1925 he finished his doctorate in philosophy at the Buddhist University of Hanazono in Kyoto. In 1929 he entered the monastery of Rinzai Tenriuyji in Kyoto. In 1949 he took on the position of Rector of Hanazono University. In 1953 he became roshi of the Shofukuji Monastery in Kobe. He was also Chairman of the Institute of Zen Culture in Kyoto and until his death on 24 December 1988 he held numerous conferences regarding Zen culture at universities, schools, monasteries and on television. He also took part in many calligraphy exhibitions in Japan and abroad. He is recognised as one of the greatest contemporary masters of Zen. 

In 1976 he visited the Scaramuccia Zenshinji Monastery in Orvieto.

In 1979 he returned to Italy for an inter-religious meeting between monks, and during this visit he was received by John Paul ll

Engaku Taino

Engaku Taino (Luigi Mario) was born in Rome in 1938 and holds a degree in Philosophy .He lived in Japan for six years (1967-1973) where he studied Zen under the guidance of Yamada Mumon from whom he received the permission to teach. Since 1973 he has lived in Scaramuccia in Umbria where he has founded the temple Zenshin-ji. Scaramuccia is the only Rinzai Zen monastery in Italy and one of a handful in Europe.Rinzai is the only School that uses a series of questions called Koans to which practitioners must respond. Koans serve as catalysts that can make us go beyond the limits of thought and our dualistic point of view.

Engaku Taino also teaches rock climbing, skiing and Tai Chi. He is married and has two children.

Nan mon

Mario Nan mon Fatibene was born in Puglia in 1950.He now lives and works in Torino where he has founded the center Zenshin. He started his Zen practice in 1984 with Engaku Taino.Having answered all Koans he is authorized as a teacher of the Rinzai Zen tradition. Since 2007 he has been leading sesshins in Greece three times a year continuing the work of the monk Moko who died prematurely in 2006.