Kobun Chino Otagawa Roshi.

The Zen of Steve Jobs:

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “no” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ~ SJ

If you’re an entrepreneur, a doer, a dreamer: Three videos worth your time.

A complicated, heartful, brilliant innovator, artist, businessman, meditator…and even, 1990 or so, a great family man despite a…well, complicated origins story.

He was a genuine, and frequent weeper:

“Did you know Steve Jobs read Chögyam Trungpa? According to this article in the Huffington Post, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism was one of his favorite books in college.”

Kobun presided over Steve Jobs’ 1991 marriage to Laurene Powell.

His Buddhist teacher, Kobun Chino Roshi, who I knew a bit growing up in an American Buddhist community—was the most elegant and gentle man I’ve ever met. He was a master calligrapher (calligraphy, in Buddhism, is a demonstration of mind and heart, not “just” an artform, it’s like meditation or prayer). He died, tragically, a few years back, trying to save his daughter from drowning despite not knowing how to swim himself—that’s heartbreaking love and bravery.

He studied at the Los Altos Zen Center, which is where he formed a bond with Kobun Chino Roshi, who he reportedly later named as corporate spiritual advisor to Apple (?).

The more you sense the rareness and value of your own life, the more you realize that how you use it, how you manifest it, is all your responsibility. We face such a big task, so naturally we sit down for awhile.

~ Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi

Images via Forbes.

Kobun Chino Roshi makes a few brief appearances here: the video generally is worth your time. I watched this the other night and was thoroughly inspired.

Official video:

His memorial: