Lou Mitsunen Nordstrom, Roshi received a Ph.D. in philosophy from Columbia University, where he taught until 1970. Roshi began Zen practice in the late 1960's.  In 1974 he gave up a tenured teaching position at Marymount College to become a Rinzai Zen monk.  He also edited Namu Dai Bosa: A Transmission of Zen Buddhism to America, an anthology of the works of Nyogen Senzaki, Soen Nakagawa Roshi, and Eido Shimano Roshi. Soen Nakagawa Roshi, one of the great Rinzai masters called him, "a true Zen Man". 

From 1974 to 1976 he served as Eido Roshi's head monk at Dai Bosatsu Zendo.  Later he returned to college teaching at Syracuse University (Religion Department, Chaplain for Non-Western Religions, Hendricks Chapel).  From 1980 to 1988 Roshi was Director of Training, Liturgy and Study of the Zen Community of New York and was ordained a Soto Zen priest.  Involvement with Bernard Tetsugen Glassman's center began with an encounter with Taizan Maezumi Roshi during which Maezumi Roshi indicated his desire for Lou to be his Dharma successor. 

He received Dharma Transmission from Tetsugen Roshi in 1998.  Since 1989 has been doing adjunct and visiting college teaching (Yale, Wesleyan, NYU, Hunter, Baruch, Iona).  Since 1987 he had been leading Zen retreats in New York State, North Carolina, and here in Florida.  He has published a study in comparative communication (Communication East and West), and numerous articles on Zen and comparative-philosophical themes.  He lives in Carmel, New York.