Philip Kapleau

American Zen teacher who wrote The Three Pillars of Zen — the most influential introduction to Zen Buddhism for Western practitioners — and founded the Rochester Zen Center, one of the first major Zen training centers in America.

Made rigorous Zen practice available to Western practitioners — The Three Pillars of Zen's combination of instruction, first-person accounts of enlightenment experiences (kensho), and Q&A with a master provided the practical framework for serious Western Zen practice.