Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, a Japanese Zen priest belonging to the Sōtō Zen lineage, came to San Francisco in 1959 at the age of 55 to serve as the priest at Sokoji Soto Zen Temple. He was impressed by the seriousness and quality of "beginner's mind" among Americans he met who were interested in Zen and decided to settle here. As more and more people joined him in meditation, the San Francisco Zen Center came into being and he was its first abbot. Under his tutelage, Zen Center grew into two centers: Tassajara Zen Mountain Center and City Center. He was undoubtedly one of the most influential Zen teachers of his time.