Tempel La Gendronniere, Buddhist temple in Valaire, France

Tempel La Gendronniere is a Sōtō Zen temple in Valaire, near Blois, housed in a late 19th-century chateau on a wooded estate of about 80 hectares with small lakes. Its main building is a 400 m² great dōjō for zazen and ceremonies, with a smaller dōjō beside it. The chateau has a red brick facade with light stone quoins and window surrounds, a steep dark slate roof with chimneys and dormer windows, and a central entrance reached by stone steps.

The temple was founded in 1980 by Master Taisen Deshimaru, who brought Sōtō Zen from Japan to France. Its full name, Zendonien Tai Sei Bukkyo Dai Ichi, means "Principal Sōtō Dojo of the West for the Teaching of the Buddha". After Deshimaru died in 1982, part of his ashes was buried at La Gendronnière.

The temple's full name, Zendonien Tai Sei Bukkyo Dai Ichi, means "Principal Soto Dojo of the West for the Teaching of the Buddha"; a sign near the great bell calls the place "La Gendronnière, main Zen temple of the West. Castle of Fearlessness". Retreats combine zazen with shodō calligraphy, sumi-e brush-and-ink painting and ikebana, under titles such as "Golden Fingers" and "The Spirit of the Gesture".

The temple lies at Valaire, about 15 km south of Blois on the edge of the Sologne forest. The 80-hectare estate is reached by road from Blois; the main buildings cluster around the late 19th-century chateau and the 400 m² dojo. Monthly sesshins and the summer ango require advance registration, and the daily rhythm follows zazen, ceremonies and samu.

A sign near the great bell calls La Gendronnière "the main Zen temple of the West, Château of No Fear". Part of Taisen Deshimaru's ashes was buried here after his death in 1982, and the site remains the gathering point for the sanghas linked to him.