Stuart Alve Olson

[Dainin]

Yesterday I received an email with this sad news about Stuart Alve Olson entering hospice care. I've found some of his materials (books and courses) to be both interesting and useful over the years, and wish him a peaceful transition.

 

Dear friends of the Sanctuary of Tao,

 

We write to you today with a heavy heart to share that our beloved friend and teacher, Stuart, is now in hospice care at home. Patrick and Suzanne are taking care of him, offering comfort, warmth, and companionship as he enters this time of sacred passage. His vital signs are gradually declining, and he is now receiving medication to keep him peaceful and free of pain. The hospice nurse has said he will likely pass in the next day or two.

 

Patrick and Suzanne are holding vigil — reciting for him and staying by his side. We invite you to join this vigil from wherever you are: through chanting, prayer, meditation, or simply holding him in your heart and sending love. If you know it, you may wish to chant the Da Bei Zhou, or offer any mantra, spiritual text, or prayer that carries meaning for you.

 

This is a time of deep grief and sorrow for our community. As you receive this news, we extend our hearts to you, knowing that many of you have walked closely with Stuart in one way or another.

 

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the love, support, and prayers you have shared throughout this most difficult journey. We are deeply grateful for your care, and for holding Stuart in your hearts and prayers in the hours and days ahead.

 

With heartfelt gratitude,
Sanctuary of Tao

[Dainin]

Received the following last night:

 

Dear friends,
 
We are writing to share the heartbreaking news that Stuart passed away two days ago, on August 14, 2025, at 4:08 pm. He was in the comfort of his home, and Patrick and Suzanne were at his side until the very end when he passed as they held him.
 
They ensured he was cared for and loved, and they let him know how much all of you loved him, sharing your letters to him and how much he had touched the lives of others. Even though many of you were unable to see Stuart during this most difficult journey, he knew how much he meant to all of you, how loved he was, and how much his life positively impacted the lives of others.
 
He leaves behind an immense void in our hearts as we will miss him greatly. As we come to grips with not having our beloved friend and teacher physically with us, we will carry on through everything he taught. It is through what he taught us and through the moments we shared that he will always live inside of us. 
 
It was also always important to Stuart that the teachings survive him so that others can find wisdom and compassion even after his own time. So, just by remembering what he taught all of you, what he shared with each of you, you are carrying his legacy. May his life continue to shine positively on each of us.
 
We will keep you informed as we take the first steps towards arranging a memorial service for Stuart. It will most likely be in October in Minneapolis, MN. We are also planning an online memorial service for the Sanctuary of Tao community in the coming weeks, and we'll send an email as soon as we have the details regarding this event. If you would like to send a memorial gift instead of flowers, we would be deeply grateful for a donation to the Sanctuary of Tao as a way of helping fulfill Stuart’s vision and carry forward the work he dedicated his life to.

Once again, we would like to thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your support, love, and prayers for Stuart during the time that we needed it most. We will forever be grateful, and we will never forget it.
 
With heavy hearts but with all of our love,
Sanctuary of Tao

[Taiji Bum]

Guy was a legend. He will be missed.

[Dainin]

Received last night:

 

Dear friends of the Sanctuary of Tao,

We warmly invite you to join us for an online memorial for the Sanctuary of Tao community to honor the life and legacy of our beloved teacher and friend, Stuart Alve Olson, on Sunday, August 31st at 1:00pm (Central Time).

This is gathering is free and will be held on Zoom. Please to receive the link. 

There will be an in-person official memorial for Stuart in Minnesota in October. All are invited, and we will send out the details about that as soon as we have them. 

Sanctuary of Tao Online Memorial Honoring the Life and Legacy of Stuart Alve Olson: Sunday, August 31st at 1:00pm (Central Time)

The service will be officiated by Tim Burkett, former Guiding Teacher of the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center. Stuart studied in the lineage of Tim’s teacher, Katagiri Roshi, and in 1982 began his two-year bowing pilgrimage from the Zen Center.

Itinerary (approx. 75-90 minutes total)

• Welcome & Opening Words (~5 minutes)

• Clarity and Tranquility Scripture (~5 minutes)

• Memorial Talk with Tim Burkett (~30 minutes) – Tim will offer a longer talk, sharing reflections from Buddhist and Taoist perspectives on death and impermanence, helping us meet this loss and let it open us to greater understanding on our path of awakening. 

• Stories & Remembrances (~30 minutes) – beginning with Stuart’s lifelong friend Vern Peterson (who will recall how he introduced Stuart to Master T.T. Liang and their early years together), as well as members of the Sanctuary of Tao including Lily Shank, Suzanne Nosko, and Bill McCracken, followed by open community sharing. You may let us know in advance that you’d like to prepare a few words, and we'll put you on the list, or you may simply speak from the heart in the moment.

• Da Bei Chou (Great Compassion Mantra) and Closing Words (~5 minutes)

This memorial is a space to both grieve Stuart’s passing and celebrate his life. It is a time for us to gather as a community—to hold our sorrow within a shared field of love, to cherish our memories of our teacher and friend, and to carry forward his teachings in our lives.

We hope you will join us.

With gratitude,
The Sanctuary of Tao

Edited Wednesday at 09:25 AM by Dainin