Kanja Odland

Kanja Odland, born in 1963, is a prominent Swedish Zen Buddhist teacher (Roshi) and priest. She is a significant figure within the tradition established by Roshi Philip Kapleau and his successor, Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede, having trained at the Rochester Zen Center.

Zen Training and Transmission

Odland began her Zen practice in 1984 and was ordained as a priest in 1999. Her authorization as an independent teacher, or Roshi, came with dharma transmission in the 'Cloud-Water Sangha' lineage. This achievement marked her as the first female Zen teacher from Sweden to receive such transmission.

Teaching and Leadership

Since 2001, Odland has dedicated herself to full-time teaching at Zengården, the training temple of Zenbuddhistiska Samfundet, located in Fellingsbro, Sweden. Alongside her co-teacher Sante Poromaa Roshi, she leads Zenbuddhistiska Samfundet, which is one of the largest Zen Buddhist traditions in Sweden and maintains centers in several other European countries, including Germany, Finland, and Scotland. The organization comprises approximately 500 members and is recognized within the Swedish Buddhist Community.

Contributions and Public Engagement

Kanja Odland regularly conducts sesshin, which are intensive meditation retreats, often offered in English. She also delivers public talks on Zen Buddhism and is actively involved in contemporary Swedish intellectual and cultural discourse. Her literary contributions include the book "Vandring på Spårlös Stig" (Wandering on a Path Without Traces), published in 2013, and various articles on Zen topics, such as a commentary on the mu-koan published in Zen Bow magazine.