Daniel Odier

Daniel Robert Odier (born 17 May 1945 in Geneva), is a Zen master, Chan master, writer, poet, screenwriter and essayist, specialist in Kashmir Shaivism. Praised by Anaïs Nin as "an outstanding writer and a dazzling poet," he is also a spiritual teacher of Eastern religious traditions, especially Tantra. Daniel Odier began studies at the school of Beaux Arts at Rome but later chose to focus on writing rather than painting. He received his university degree in Paris and was employed by a leading Swiss newspaper as a music critic. He has taught screenwriting at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma.

Fascinated by Chan (the Chinese origin of zen), Daniel Odier decided to study the proximity of Chan and Tantra, inspired by the work of the Chinese hermit Chien Ming Chen, whom he met in Kalimpong in 1968. Also in 1968, Daniel Odier becomes a disciple of Kalu Rinpoche for seven years; he receives from his master the transmission of the Mahamudra.

In 1975, he met in a himalayan hermitage a Kashmiri Shivaïte yogini called Lalitâ Devî, a decisive meeting which he recounts in his various works on Tantra. He receives from Lalitâ Devî the transmission of Mahamudra and of the mystical teachings of the Pratyabhijñā and Spanda schools of the Kaula tradition. He then specialized in Kashmiri Shaivism, which he taught in several countries (France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, United States ...).

In 1995, Daniel Odier founded the "Tantra/Chan centre" in Paris, which he dissolved in 2000 in order to encourage independent spiritual practice. He has taught courses on Eastern spiritual traditions at the University of California.In 2004, he received dharma transmission from Jing Hui, abbot of Bailin Monastery and dharma successor of Hsu Yun, using the name "Ming Qing".Daniel Odier is most of all a teacher of Kashmir Shaivism; he relates in his book Tantric Quest his mystical initiation from a tantric dakini, Lalita Devi, in Kashmir.He was married to the violinist Nell Gotkovsky (died 1998).