Keiryuji Teachers
Peter Gakudo den Hollander
Peter Gakudo den Hollander Roshi was born in 1957 in Leiderdorp, the Netherlands. Before dedicating himself fully to Zen practice, he studied social work and worked with young adults from diverse cultural backgrounds in The Hague.
He began practising Zen in 1997 with Genpo Roshi and, in 2000, became a student of Tenkei Coppens Roshi, who would become his root teacher.
Together with his wife, Anjo Koren Kasman Sensei, he helped establish Zen River in the Netherlands. Since its founding, he has been deeply involved in teaching, temple practice, and the training of practitioners.
Gakudo Roshi received Tokudo in 2002 and Dharma Transmission (Shiho) from Tenkei Roshi in 2013. As part of his formal Soto Zen training, he completed two traditional Ango training periods in Japan and performed Zuise at both Eiheiji and Sojiji, the two head temples of the Soto School. He is fully certified as a Soto Zen teacher by the Japanese Soto School.
Since 2008, he has led workshops, sesshins, and residential training programmes. In 2015, he and Koren Sensei moved to the Spanish Pyrenees to establish Keiryuji, a mountain hermitage dedicated to sincere and wholehearted Zen practice.
In 2023, he received Inka, the final seal of approval from his teacher, Tenkei Roshi, recognising the completion of his training and his ability to continue the teaching lineage independently.
He was appointed Nito-Kyoshi (Second Teacher) in 2016 and Kokusaifukyoshi (official overseas representative of the Soto School) in 2018, recognitions held by only a limited number of Western Soto priests.
Keiryuji was founded together by Gakudo Roshi and his wife, Anjo Koren Kasman Sensei, whose dedication and vision continue to inspire the temple today.
Anjo Koren Kasman
Anjo Koren Kasman Sensei (1956–2016) studied business economics and worked as an administrative manager at an academic hospital in Leiden, the Netherlands.She began practising Zen with Tenkei Coppens Roshi in 1999 and became a resident of Zen River, where she lived and practised for almost fifteen years. In addition to serving as the temple's financial manager, she was responsible for the sewing room, an important part of the daily life of the community.
Koren Sensei received Tokudo in 2002 and Dharma Transmission (Shiho) from Tenkei Roshi in 2013. She completed her formal Soto Zen training in Japan, including Zuise at Eiheiji and Sojiji, and was fully certified by the Japanese Soto School.
In 2015, together with her husband, Gakudo Roshi, she founded Keiryuji in the Spanish Pyrenees. Her quiet dedication, warmth, and wholehearted commitment to practice helped shape the spirit of the temple from its very beginning.
Koren Sensei passed away in 2016. Her compassion, enthusiasm, and unwavering encouragement continue to be deeply felt at Keiryuji, and her example remains an inspiration to all who practise here.
Pascal Tetsuko van der Knokke Sensei
Pascal Tetsuko van der Knokke
Pascal Tetsuko van der Knokke was born in 1968 in The Hague, the Netherlands. He began practising Zen in 1997 under the guidance of Cees van den Bunt. In 2000, he received Jukai from Genpo Merzel Roshi and shortly afterwards became a student of Tenkei Coppens Roshi.
During the following years, he was a regular visitor to Zen River Temple, where he often assisted Gakudo Roshi with maintenance and various temple projects.
In 2010, he moved to Spain with his wife and two children. Five years later, he became a student of Gakudo Roshi and joined the newly established Keiryuji, where he has played an important role in the construction, maintenance, and development of the temple.
He received Tokudo in 2019 and served as Shuso at Keiryuji in 2021. In 2022, he served as Shuso once again at Zen River, where he completed his Hossenshiki before the official Soto School witness for Europe. In 2026, he received Dharma Transmission (Shiho) from Gakudo Roshi.