Ama Samy, born in 1936,  trained with Yamada Koun Roshi of the Sanbo Kyodan in Japan. In 1982, Yamada Roshi authorized him to teach Zen. In 1986, Ama Samy founded the Bodhi Sangha, the community of his disciples. Bodhi Sangha became an independent Zen school in 2002. Ama Samy’s teaching method embraces both Soto and Rinzai Zen traditions. He founded Bodhi Zendo in 1996 and Kanzeon Zendo in 2022. He now lives and teaches at Kanzeon Zendo. Since Father Lassalle first invited Ama Samy to join him on a tour of Europe in 1985, Ama Samy has spent several months each year leading retreats in Europe, Australia, and the USA. With the help of his students, he also runs Little Flower, a non-profit organization that helps women, children and landless people in South India.

Bodhidharma is a semi-legendary Buddhist monk who is traditionally regarded as the founder of the Zen branch of Mahayana Buddhism. He is said to have brought Chan (Sanskrit: dhyana) Buddhism to China, and is traditionally considered the first Zen patriarch. There is little contemporary biographical information about Bodhidharma. Most scholars agree that he was a Tamil prince from the Pallava Empire of southern India and have concluded that his place of birth was Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. Kanzeon Zendo is located about 460 km southwest of Kanchipuram.