He is the abbot of the Seikyuji temple in Spain (Andalusia). At the age of twenty-one, he began practising zazen. Master Taisen Deshimaru ordained him as a monk in 1973. He was in charge of the dojo in Paris from 1990 to 1997 and of the International Zen Association (AZI) from 2004 to 2013. In 1997, he received the Dharma transmission from Master Yuko Okamoto, a friend of Master Deshimaru. In the same year, he founded the dojo in Lisbon.

Raphaël leads sesshin (Zen retreats) in many countries, including Spain, Portugal, France, Quebec and Sweden, as well as in the Seikyuji temples (of which he is the abbot).

He served as abbot of the Gendronnière temple from August 2012 to August 2015.