ZEN MESTEREK ZEN MASTERS
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月坡道印 Geppa Dōin (1637-1716)
aka 月坡道印 Gappa Dōin (がっぱ どういん)
Pen name: 老臥仏 Rōgabutsu
語 句 : 梅 是雪霜の前 花風を打って渡るに好し 乙酉（ 1705 ）春 老臥佛書
寺 院 : 曹洞宗 加賀献珠寺 常陸天徳寺 加賀天徳院３世 京都大宝寺開山
別号・他 : 号は老臥仏。和泉蔭涼寺鉄心道印に参じ、加賀天徳院二世龍睡愚穏の法を嗣ぐ。 前記鉄心は天徳院一世。寛文 9 年（1669）永平寺で首座となり、後加賀献珠寺、常陸天徳寺、加賀天徳院三世と歴住する。 山城大宝寺の開山にもなっている。 月坡は詩僧として知られ、語録に 「月坡禅師語録」 がある。
本紙寸法 /cm: 27.2*54.5 全体寸法 /cm: 112*65.8
Text: Plum flowers. The flower of the plum blooms before snow frost, a wind is blowing with fragrance. In the spring , 1705. Painted by Rogabutsu.
Temple: The Soto sect. The third abbot of Tentoku-in in Kaga. The founder of Daiho-ji, Kyoto.
Data: Pen name: 老臥仏 Rōgabutsu. Dharma heir of Ryusui Guon who was the second abbot of Tentoku-in. He also practiced Zen under Tesshin Doin who was the founder of Tentoku-in. He became the abbot of Kenshu-ji in Kaga, Tentoku-ji in Hitachi and the third abbot of Tentoku-in in Kaga. He was the founder of Daiho-ji in Kyoto. He elevated Chinese-style poetry and was praised as the best priest poet in Soto Zen sect. His poems were recorded in "Analects of Geppa Zenji" [Geppa zenji goroku, 1677].
Paper Dimension /cm: 27.2*54.5 Whole Dimension /cm: 112*65.8
Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō (大正新脩大藏經)
月坡禪師語録 (No. 2595_ 月坡道印 語 月坡道印 編 ) in Vol. 82
[Geppa zenji goroku, 1677]
http://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT/ddb-sat2.php?mode=detail&useid=2595_,82,0521&nonum=&kaeri=
http://21dzk.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SAT/ddb-sat2.php?mode=detail&useid=2595_,82,0521&nonum=1&kaeri%20=
BIOGRAPHIES OF
JAPANESE
ZEN MASTERS
from Biographical Extracts of the Original Stream
compiled by zen master 月坡道印 Geppa Dōin (1637-1716)
Translated by Thomas Cleary
In: Timeless Spring, A Soto Zen Anthology,
Weatherhill / Wheelwright Press, Tokyo - New York, 1980,
pp. 27-28, 95-99, 106-112, 138-167.
According to Geppa Doin (1644- ?), one of the eminent
Soto teachers of the Tokugawa period revival of zen in Ja-
pan, the school of Dogen, from its beginnings in the 1230's
and 40's, flourished from the late 1200's to the early 1400's,
faded in the mid-fifteenth century, declined after the late
fifteenth century, and had been continuing weakly for two
hundred years. Geppa's Biographical Extracts of the Original
Stream chronicles the highlights of the succession of his
lineage through twenty-four generations from Dogen to the
seventeenth century zen master Guon, Geppa's final
teacher. As zen is not a doctrinal school but a succession of
living exemplars, the chain of transmission has a profound
meaning in zen which has nothing to do with school or
sect. This book is both conventional and illustrative his-
tory, tracing evidence of the communication of the inmost
mind of zen through the vicissitudes of centuries.
Life of Zen Master Dogen of Eihei
[永平] 道元希玄 [Eihei] Dōgen Kigen (1200–1253)The zen master's name was Dogen. He was from Kyoto.
His lay surname was Minamoto, and he was a descendant
of emperor Murakami (r. 946-967). He left society as a
youth and was ordained by Koen of Yokogawa. Before
many years had passed, he had read the whole buddhist
canon two times.One day he resolved upon that which is outside the
teachings (zen); he left and called on Eisai of Kennin
monastery and Gyoyu at Jomyo monastery. Eventually he
attained the Dharma in the tenth generation of the
Huanglong succession."When he heard someone extolling the zen way in Sung
China, he went right to China on a merchant ship. He
went to ask about the quick way to enter the path from
Liaopa Wuji at Tiantong mountain, Cheying Ruyan at Jin
Shan, Yuankao at Wannian monastery, Sitiao at Xiaosuian:
he didn't agree with any of them - he thought to himself
that there was no teacher in China better than he himself.When he first lay down his staff at Tiantong, the com-
munity decided to place him as a novice2 because he was
from another country. The master was not happy about
this, and appealed in writing to the emperor; after three
times he finally got his wish. From this his name was
heard far and wide.The next year he met Rujing, who had come to dwell at
Tiantong. The master greeted him joyfully, and as soon as
Rujing saw him, he esteemed him as a vessel of Dharma.
The master submitted to him in all sincerity and entered
his room." He meditated diligently day and night, never
lying down.One night as Rujing was passing through the hall, he
saw a monk sitting dozing and said, "For this affair it is
necessary to shed body and mind - if you just sleep like
this, when will you ever have today's affair?" Then he
took off his slipper and hit the monk. The master, nearby,
got the message and was greatly enlightened. The next day
he went to the abbot's quarters; Rujing laughed and said,
"The shedding is shed ." At that time Kuangping of
Fuzhou was standing by as Rujing's attendant; he said, "It
is not a small thing, that a foreigner has attained such a
great matter." The master bowed. After this he worked
most earnestly and attained all the secrets.When he was taking his leave to return east, Rujing im-
parted to him the essential teachings of the Dong succes-
sion4 and the patched robe of master Furong, saying, "You
should go back east forthwith; just spread the teaching so
it will never end." The master accepted with bowed head
and finally returned. When he began to teach in Fukakusa,
south of Kyoto, everywhere they honored him as the first
patriarch of Soto zen in Japan.The master said, "I did not visit many monasteries, but I
happened to meet my late teacher at Tiantong and directly
realized that my eyes are horizontal and my nose is verti-
cal; I was not to be fooled by anyone. Then I returned
home with empty hands. Thus I have no Buddhism at all; I
just pass the time as it goes: every morning the sun rises
in the east, every night the moon sets in the west. When
the clouds recede the mountain rises appear; when the
rain has passed, the surrounding hills are low. Ultimately,
how is it? Every four years is leap year, the cock crows at
dawn."Later in life he built Eihei, Sanctuary of Eternal Peace, in
Echizen province, and lived there . Before long people came
in droves . His monastery regulations were just like those
of Tiantong: it was the first strictly zen monastery in Ja-
pan. At that time (1243-47) the emperor (Go-Fukakusa)
sent down an edict granting him a purple vestment of
honor and the title Zen Master of Buddhism. A chamber-
lain brought the order; after giving thanks for the favor, he
strongly refused it several times, but the emperor would
not allow this. So Dogen eventually took it and offered a
poem which said,Though the mountain of Eihei is insignificant
The imperial order is repeated in earnest:
After all I am laughed at by monkeys and cranes,
An old man in a purple robe.The emperor long admired him.
The master was fond of seclusion and built a separate hut
under Crystal Cliff as a retirement retreat. He wrote poems
such asThe ancestral way which came from the west, I have brought east-
Fishing in the moonlight, pillowing in the clouds, I have tried to emulate the ancient way.
The flying red dust of the conventional world cannot reach
This reed hut on a snowy night deep in the mountains.and
The wind is cold in my three room reed house:
Observing my nose" I first come upon the fragrance of autumn chrysanthemums.
Even with an iron or a bronze eye, who could discern?
In Eihei nine times I have seen the fall.The assistant commander of the Taira, Tokiyori, es-
teemed the master's way and several times called him to
stay at famous temples, but he didn't go . After a long time
the master went on his own to call on him . The assistant
commander greeted him and saw him off; he paid obei-
sance to Dogen as a disciple, and asked him about the
path and received the precepts from him. The master
passed the year and then returned.In the end he summoned his disciple Ejo and imparted
his final instructions. He then wrote a verse and died. The
verse said,He was fifty four, and had been a monk for thirty-sevenFifty four years illuminating the highest heaven,
I leap into the universe.
Ah, there is no place to look for my whole body:
I fall living into hades.
years. His monument was built at Eihei, and he was enti-
tled Joyo, Heir to the Sun.
NOTES TO BIOGRAPHY OF DOGEN
1. Huanglong was one of the branches of the Linji (Rinzai)
2. In a monks' hall or meditation hall, the seating arrangement
school of zen in China, to which Eisai had succeeded. Dogen also
studied with Myozen at Kennin monastery; Myozen was consid-
ered Eisai's foremost disciple.
determined by seniority or ordination age.3. Entering a zen master's room for personal encounter and in-
struction is a special part of zen practice; Rujing is said to have
allowed Dogen to enter his room without formality, to discuss
anything he wanted; the Hokyoki mentioned previously was a
reord of Dogen's conversations with Rujing in his room.4. This probably refers to the teaching of the five ranks of Dong
Shan, the Baojing sanmei and Can Tong Qui: secret oral instruction
on the application and interpretation of these formulae seems to
have been part of the 'transmission of Dharma' from a teacher to
an awakened disciple.5. Fixing the attention on the nose is one method of breath con-
templation; it is also called 'stopping.'
Ejo of Eihei
孤雲懐奘 Koun Ejō (1198-1280)The master's initiatory name was Ejo; he was styled Koun
(Solitary Cloud). He was from Kyoto; his lay surname was
Fujiwara and he was a descendant of the prime minister
Tamekichi of the Kujo branch of that clan.Ever since childhood he did not like to live in society;
he first took Enno of Yokogawa as his teacher, shaved his
head, put on monks' clothes, and was fully ordained. He
studied the essentials of the scholastic schools, and gained
a reputation. One day he lamented, "The four schools of
Kusha (Abhidharrnakosa), Jojitsu (Satyasiddhi), Sanron
(Madhyarnika). and Hosso (Vijnanavada and
Dharmalaksana) are all studies of the compounded; the
two doors of cessation and insight (Tendai) and pure land
(buddha name remembrance) still do not exhaust the
profound mystery."Then he knew these were not the boat for leaving the
world; so he gave them up and called on Kakuen at
Tomine and asked about the teaching of seeing reality to
realize buddhahood.1 Kakuen esteemed him deeply as a
vessel of Dharma.Next he called on zen master Dogen at Kennin
monastery. Dogen cited the saying "one hair pierces
myriad holes" to question him closely. The master silently
believed in Dogen and submitted to him. After that he had
no desire to go anywhere else, so he changed his robe and
stayed there.Before long Dogen moved to Fukakusa and the master
went along with him. He observed and investigated day in
and day out, never careless in his actions. One day in the
hill, just as he was setting out his bowl, he suddenly
attained enlightenment . He immediately went with full
ceremony into Dogen's room.2 Dogen asked him, "What
have you understood? " Ejo said, "I do not ask about the
one hair ; what are the myriad holes?" Dogen laughed and
laid, "Pierced." Ejo bowed. Afterwards he asked to serve
as Dogen's personal attendant, taking care of his robes and
bowl. For twenty years he never left his seat beside
Dogen, except for a dozen or so days when he was sick.One day Dogen said to the master, "I first had you take
care of monastery work because I wanted to make the
teaching last. Although you are older than me, you will be
able to spread my school for many years . Work on this."
At this point the master Ejo began to expound the teaching
too; as Dogen heard him speak, he explained the subtleties
for him.When Dogen died, the master Ejo succeeded him and
led the congregation, with no sign of laziness or weariness
day or night, in cold or heat. He took the bearing of the
teaching of the school as his own responsibility, and the
whole congregation, which never numbered less than fifty,
gladly obeyed him. Great ministers and important officials
came to him and paid obeisance. Henceforth the To
succession 3 would flourish greatly.Late in life he entrusted the teaching to Tettsu . Having
personally transmitted his bequest and final teachings, he
wrote a verse and died sitting.The master Ejo was always strong and sturdy by nature,
capable of austere practice. He used to lead followers out
to Nakahama in the district to practice austerities and carry
on the teaching.
NOTES
1. This refers to the Bodhidharma sect, started in Japan by
Kakuen's teacher Dainichi Nonin, a Tendai monk who
specialized in meditation according to the zen tradition
transmitted by Saicho in the early ninth century.2. Full ceremony means at least three bows before and after and
proper manner of speech and physical deportment.3. Geppa's collection of biographies refers to what we call Soto
zen to the To succession, referring to Tozan (Dong Shan), the
ancestor; Dogen's lineage was through Yunju (Ungo), not Cao
Shan (Sozan), and Japanese tradition has it that the Cao (So) of
Cao Dong (SoTo) comes from Caoqi (Sokei), a place name
referring to the illustrious sixth patriarch of Chan, Huineng
(Eno).
Gikai of Daijo
徹通義介 Tettsū Gikai (1219-1309)The zen master's initiatory name was Gikai; he was styled
Tettsu. He was from Etchu, and his lay surname was
Fujiwara. He was a distant descendant of the general
Toshihito. When he was young he served Ekan at Hachaku
temple as his teacher, and studied the three scriptures of
the pure land teaching, the Surangama Scripture,' the
teaching (of zen) of seeing reality, and others. After he was
fully ordained he left and travelled around; first he called
on Zen master Dogen at Fukakusa. He was strong and
pure by nature - he worked at chores and practiced medi-
tation every day, excelling all others. When he heard
Dogen say in a lecture, "This truth abides in the state of
objective reality; the features of the world are permanent"
- in the spring scenery the hundred flowers are red;
doves are crying in the willows," he suddenly had an in-
sight.Before long he moved to Eihei with Dogen; the master
asked to be water steward, and personally carried water
from Hakkyoku peak. He worked for the community for
years. Because he was capable of hard work, Dogen ap-
pointed him chief cook and monastery supervisor at the
same time. So day and night he took care of a hundred
matters, without tiring; in between he worked on medita-
tion even more than others in the community. Dogen
called him a true worker on the way.Later, when Ejo inherited the seat at Eihei, the master
Gikai assisted him. One day when he went to the abbot's
room, Ejo asked, "How do you understand the shedding
of body and mind?" Gikai said, "'I knew barbarians had
red beards; here is another red bearded barbarian."'3 Ejo
agreed with him. Subsequently Ejo used differentiating
stories" of past and present to refine him thoroughly. After
a long time at this he obtained the teaching."He aspired to cause the school to flourish, and eventu-
ally crossed the great waves to far off China. He travelled
around there, observing the style of zen both east and
west of the Che river," seeing their halls and rooms and
what was in them; he drew pictures of everything and
came back. Ejo greeted him joyfully and abdicated his seat
as abbot of the monastery to him. The master Gikai
opened the hall and expounded the teaching, causing the
school of Eihei to prosper greatly.Later in life he changed Daijo teaching temple in Kaga
into a zen monastery and dwelt there. The master was re-
spectful and solemn in dealing with the community; his
teaching style was most lofty, and everywhere they looked
up to him, calling him the reviver of the To succession.At the end he beat the drum and announced to the
community that he had entrusted the teaching to [okin. He
also explained the process of conceiving the determination
for enlightenment and travel for study. Finally he wrote a
verse:Seven upsets, eight downfalls, ninety-one years
Reed flowers covered with snow,
Day and night the moon is full.
NOTES
1. This scripture has long been popular in Chinese chan circles,
but Dogen did not approve of it.2. This is a saying taken from the Saddh armapundarikosurra, the
Lotus scripture, the section on methods of guidance.3. This is from the sayings of Baizhang; it also appears in
Wumenguan (Mumonkan) 2.4. These are stories involving a shift, a point of transformation,
activation, discriminating knowledge; these are given to students
after they have passed through sayings such as "No," or just sit-
ting with no thought or understanding.5. This can mean he fully realized the import and application of
the teaching, but it also seems to have come to mean the personal
encounter in which not only are the perspective of teacher and
disciple merged, but an explicit design or illustration is articu-
lated, even using sometimes cryptic ancient zen writings as a
basis, as a seal of the transmission of the oral tradition of the
lineage.6. This is the central coastal area of eastern China, containing
large urban centers of the Sung dynasty, and large public monas-
teries.
Jokin of Eiko
The zen master's initiatory name was Jokin; he was styled
螢山紹瑾 Keizan Jōkin (1268–1325)
Keizan. He was entitled Zen Master with Enlightened
Compassion; this was a posthumous title granted by the
emperor of the southern court. He was from Etchu, and his
lay surname was Kubara.When he was a child he took master Ejo as his teacher
and shaved his head and put on monk's clothing. When
zen master Gikai succeeded to the seat to lead the commu-
nity at Eihei, the master Jokin served as Gikai's personal
attendant, taking care of his robes and bowl. One time
when he entered Gikai's room, Gikai asked him, "Can you
bring forth the ordinary mind?" As [okin tried to say
something, Gikai hit him right on the mouth; Jokin was at
a loss, and at this point his feeling of doubt blazed. One
night as he was in the hall sitting in concentration, he
suddenly heard the wind at the window and had a power-
ful insight. Gikai deeply approved of him. After a long
time Gikai entrusted the teaching to Jokin, who finally
succeeded to the seat at Daijo, having had for years the
complete ability, transcending the teacher.When he reopened the Eiko monastery of eternal light
and lived there, lords and officials came to him when they
heard of him; his influence was greatest in his time. One
day he said to his student Meiho, "On the spiritual moun-
tain there was a leader of the assembly (Mahakasyapa)
who shared the teaching seat (with Shakyamuni Buddha);
at Caoqi there were leaders of the assembly who shared
the teaching. Here at Eiko today I too am making an as-
sembly leader to take part in teaching." Then with a verse
he bestowed the robe - "The flaming man under the lamp
of eternal light - shining through the aeon's sky, the at-
mosphere is new. The jutting Peak of Brilliance* is hard to
conceal; his whole capability turns over, revealing the
whole body."Thereafter the master Jokin never drummed his lips
(spoke much) to the assembly; late in life he changed the
disciplinary monastery Soji into a zen place and stayed* This refers to Meiho.
there. After a long time at it , he had had enough of templ e
business, so he gave the abbacy to Gazan , extending a col-
lateral branch of the teaching. The master Jokin always
liked to travel, so when he had retired from his duties he
wandered around with a broken rainhat and a skinny
cane , meeting people wherever he went, and crowds of
people submitted to him.
Soseki of Soji
峨山韶碩 Gasan Jōseki (1275-1366)The zen master's initiatory name was Soseki; he was styled
Gazan. He was from Noto prefecture, and his lay surname
was Minamoto; he was a descendant of the great councillor
Reizei. His mind was exceptionally keen, and his clear
countenance was extraordinary.As a youth he gave up lay life and climbed right up to
Mount Hiei, where he set up an altar and received the pre-
cepts. He often went to lectures and studied thoroughly
the essentials of the school of Tendai. When he happened
to meet zen master Keizan at Oaijo monastery, Keizan saw
at once that he was a vessel of truth, so he said to him, "A
fine vessel of dharma; why don't you change your vest-
ments and investigate zen?" The master Gazan said, "I
have a mother and I fear she would lack support (if I did
so)." Keizan said, "In ancient times Sanavasa gave up a
whole continent to enter our school; how can you neglect
the way of the greatest teaching for a petty mundane
duty?" Then he took off his outer robe and gave it to Ga-
zan, who joyfully accepted it with a bow.Then he went along with Keizan when he moved to Soji
monastery. He was wholehearted and sincere at all times,
never once straying. One day when Keizan got up in the
hall to speak, the master Gazan came forward from the as-
sembly and asked, "Why is it hard to speak of the place
where not a breath enters?" Keizan said, "Even speaking
of it does not say it." The master had a flash of insight; as
he was about to open his mouth, Keizan said, "Wrong."
Scolded, Gazan withdrew; after this his spirit of determi-
nation soared far beyond that of ordinary people. One
night as Keizan was enjoying the moon along with Gazan,
he said, "Do you know that there are two moons?" Gazan
said, "No." Keizan said, "If you don't know there are two
moons,* you are not a seedling of the To succession."At this the master increased his determination and sat
crosslegged like an iron pole for years. One day as Keizan
passed through the hall he said, " 'Sometimes it is right to
have Him raise his eyebrows and blink his eyes; some-
times it is right not to have Him raise his eyebrows and
blink his eyes.' "** At these words the master Gazan was
greatly enlightened. Then with full ceremony he expressed
his understanding. Keizan agreed with him and said, "Af-
ter the ancients had gotten the message , they went north
and south, polishing and chipping day and night, never
complacent or self-conceited. From today you should go
call on (the teachers) in other places."Gazan bowed and took his leave that very day. At all the
monasteries he visited he distinguished the dragons from
the snakes.*** After a long time of this he eventually re-
turned to look in on Keizan. Keizan welcomed him joyfully
and said, "Today you finally can be a seedling of the To
succession." The master Gazan covered his ears.Keizan said, "I am getting feeble and am depending on
a hand from you to hold up a broken sand bowl;" then he
transmitted the teaching to him. After the master had re-
ceived it, he led the community at Soji. The monastery
regulations were fully developed, modeled on the strict
rules of Tiantong. Before long people from all walks of life
came like clouds. Always surrounded by thousands of
people, Gazan greatly expounded Soto zen.* The moon is the symbol of reality. Traditionally 'middle path'
buddhism provisionally distinguishes two levels of reality, con-
ventional (social) and ultimate ('emptiness').** This is a saying of Shitou.
*** Dragons are great meditation adepts; snakes are those that
resemble 'dragons' but aren't really; that is, Gazan saw who were
the genuine knowers and who were the imitations.Gazan Soseki had twenty-five enlightened disciples to
whom he transmitted the Dharma; each spread the teach-
ing in one region, and the influence of the school spread
all over the country. At the end of his life he had Taigen
inherit his seat, and also entrusted Tsugen with the sceptre
of authority of the school. After he had imparted his last
instruction to his various disciples Mutan, Daitetsu, Hobo,
and the rest, he rang the bell, chanted a verse, and died .His verse said,
Skin and flesh together
Ninety one years.
Since night, as of old,
I lie in the yellow springs of death.
Jakurei of Yotaku
通幻寂霊 Tsūgen Jakurei (1322-1391)The zen master's initiatory name was Jakurei; he wa s
styled Tsugen. He was from Kyoto. He was orphaned as a
child and was raised by his grandmother. He saw that he
was physically unfit for worldly occupations, and climbed
Mount Hiei to have his head shaved. His mind and appear-
ance were outstanding and brilliant; he could understand
scriptures at a glance. He deeply cultivated and refined the
teachings (of Tendai buddhism) of cessation and insight
He had some doubt and set his mind on that which is
beyond the teachings; so he left (Hiei) and called on zen
master Gazan at Soji.Gazan asked, "Where have you come from?" He said,
"Mount Hiei." Gazan said, "What do you seek?" He said,
"I have doubted the teaching of cessation and insight for a
long time." Gazan said, "Don't indulge in imagination!"
Tsugen's feeling of doubt flared up all the more, to the
point where he forgot about eating and sleeping. Gazan
knew he was a vessel of Dharrna. and questioned him
closely about the saying about shedding body and mind.One morning the master Tsugen was suddenly en-
lightened and said, "Old teacher, don't fool people!"
Gazan said, "What truth have you seen?" He said, "Riding
backwards on the buddha shrine, going out the main
gate." Gazan agreed with this. After that Tsugen studied
with Gazan for a very long time and understood all the
stories of past and present.When the master Tsugen received the robe symbolizing
the faith, he expounded the teaching at Yotaku and
Ryusen monasteries; his fame in the way was honored
beyond the seas, and crowds of people came and went
ceaselessly. At that time the emperor Goenju of the Oan
era sent down an edict granting Tsugen authority over the
whole school throughout the land; because of this, the
standards of Soto zen were strict everywhere.The master was most high minded and didn't speak
with people . He always stayed in one room and forgot all
about society. One day he had a slight illness; he rang the
bell and told the assembly, then admonished them,
"People, you should end all entanglements and concentrate
on understanding your own affair. On the other side,
throwaway useless words and letters; on this side, slough
off evanescent honor and profit - wherever you are, be
clean and free and you may be true seedlings of the To
succession. Otherwise, you are not my disciples."He asked for a brush and wrote a verse saying,
Coming and going in this world,
A full seventy years;
Here where I turn around,
My feet tread upon the heavens.Having written this, he died sitting peacefully.
Emyo of Saijo
了庵慧明 Ryōan Emyō (1337-1411)The zen master's initiatory name was Emyo; he was styled
Ryoan. He was from Sagami prefecture. When he was
young he left the world and went to Kencho monastery.
He was great by nature and people who saw him cowered.
It came to pass that he thought to himself, "In the investi-
gation of zen, if one does not meet an enlightened teacher,
one may get sidetracked and waste effort and trouble. I
hear zen master Tsugen, the sixth generation of Eihei, has
the power to help people pull out the nails and stakes.
Days and months fly by; why stick by a stump* and re-
main in a little byway?" So he set out to Yotaku.Tsugen's manner of teaching was extremely remote and
inaccessible; a lot of people who came were not allowed to
enter his room, and often had to "stay with their hats on"
for years. When the master Ryoan first got there, Tsugen
asked, "Where have you come from?" He said, "Sagami."
Tsugen said, "How far was the journey?" He said, "Over
three hundred miles." Tsugen said, "How many sandals
did you wear out?" He said, "I lost count." Tsugen hit
him on the head and said, "I don't keep any rice bags like
this around here." The master was greatly enlightened at
these words and immediately expressed his understanding
in verse. Tsugen gave him the seal of recognition and al-
lowed him to enter the room. The whole community was
amazed.* This refers to a well known story of a man who saw a rabbit
run into a stump and die, so he waited by the stump to catch
another rabbit; this exemplifies someone who clings to a method
or teaching, especially to verbal formulations, in hopes of attain-
ing enlightenment.The next day Tsugen said in the teaching hall, "There is
an iron-nose ox here who entered the room last night and
had it out with this old monk." Then he got down from
the teaching seat and put master Ryoan in the senior
monk's seat. After a long time in that position, Ryoan re-
ceived the robe of faith and eventually returned to Sagami.
He began to teach at Saijo, and produced two people of
like mind, Taiko and Mukyoku, and the influence of the
Soto school flourished in eastern Japan.Ryoan used to say to the community, "Zen folk, if you
want to illumine your selves, you must succeed in doing
so in the midst of all kinds of confusion and upsets; don't
make the mistake of sitting dead in the cold ashes of a
withered tree. When I was in the community of my late
teacher, I lost my nostrils at the blow of a staff and have
not found them to this day."
Myoshu of Daiji
大綱明宗 Daikō Myōshū (?-1437)The zen master's initiatory name was Myoshu, he was
styled Taiko; there is no record of his family name. He
first called on Ryoan Emyo at Saijo and asked, "What is an
entry for the student?" Emyo said, "Come here." The mo-
ment Taiko approached, Emyo grabbed him and pushed
him away, saying, "There is no way of entry for you here."
As Taiko got up, the feeling of doubt suddenly arose; day
or night he couldn't put it off.Emyo knew secretly that Taiko was a vessel of dharma,
and subsequently drove him out of the temple on the pre-
text that he had broken the rules. Taiko felt no resentment,
but secretly borrowed a room near the monastery and hidthere. For six years he was never forgiven, and just sat
facing a wall day and night. His meditation work became
increasingly refined, till he got to the point of forgetting to
sleep or eat. One day as he stood beside a cowpen he sud-
denly had an insight; he immediately went to the abbot's
quarters with full ceremony. Emyo hollered at him, "Who
gave you permission to come inside the temple?" He said,
Here an entry is wide open." Emyo laughed and said "A
thief has broken down my door." The master bowed.'Thereafter the master Taiko served as Emyo's personal
attendant, gomg deeper into the mystery every day. Late
in life he began to teach at Daiji monastery, and before
long his fame spread far and wide. The master was austere
with the community, and never carelessly wasted even a
cup of water. He cooked rice and sorted vegetables himself
- people saw he had the will to lead a community, and
they stayed there; there were never less than a thousand
people surrounding his teaching seat.Eventually Taiko "distributed the wellspring" of zen to
fill twelve streams. On one occasion when he had a slight
illness he beat the drum to call the community. When
everyone had assembled, the master said, "My teaching is
come to an end; I am making a bequest to you;" then he
raised his staff, shouted once and died standing.
Sosan of Saisho
吾寶宗璨 Gohō SōsanThe zen master's initiatory name was Sosan; he was styled
Goho. It is not known where he was born. As a man he
was naturally good and wise and whenever he spoke it
was something unusual. When he was fifteen he was sin-
cerely bent on investigating zen; at that time he used to
visit zen master Taiko at Daiji monastery; every time he
asked about the great matter, but Taiko did not reply at all
- he only said, "Understand on your own." For six or
seven years he did not teach him anything particular.One morning as the master was at home sweeping up,
his broom hit a rock and broke; he suddenly had insight.
He went directly to tell Taiko about it , and Taiko acknowl-
edged it. Subsequently Goho gave up lay life and was or-
dained, and served as the rice cooker. He was always pure
and true, and never lay down.One morning as Taiko passed by the kitchen and saw
the master washing rice and putting it in the pot he asked,
"The pot is made of iron, the rice is made of grain; what
does this show?"* The master said, "Let the pot be made
of iron , let the rice be made of grain," then he splashed
water on the ground. Taiko deeply approved of him, and
gave him the seal of recognition, predicting, "Our school
will prosper with you; do not speak easily." Then he gave
him the robe of faith, which the master accepted with
bowed head and left.Later Goho began to teach at Saisho and greatly ex-
pounded the Soto school. He said, "The bamboo of the
southern groves, the wood of the northern lands; the vege-
tables of the east garden, the wheat of the west field; these
are the real livelihood of patchrobed monks; how do you
people understand yourselves?" After a long pause he
said, "Just stretch out your legs on the long beach and
sleep in peace; just have no concerns at all. If you are fel-
lows who talk in your sleep with your eyes open, I'll give
you thirty blows of the staff." Then Unshu came forward
from the assembly and said, "You have already tasted a
score of blows, teacher!" The master laughed aloud and
got down from his seat.* 'what' here is literally 'what side,' meaning 'this side' the
mundane, or 'that side,' the transcendental.
Soryu of Kogon
雲岫宗龍 Unshū SōryūThe zen master's initiatory name was Soryu; he was styled
Unshu. He was from Izumo, and his family had been
Shinto priests for generations and were wealthy. Once
when he was a boy he happened to see a frog die as he
crossed by a field with his father; he asked, "Why can't
the frog jump?" His father said, "It's dead." He said, "Do
people also die?" His father said, "Yes." He said, "How
can it be avoided?" His father said, "I have heard that one
who understands buddhism can escape it." He said, "I
want to understand buddhism; how can I do so?" His
father considered him unusual and thought that the boy
was not ordinary and his determination could not be
changed, so he put him in Gakuen temple and had him
leave home and society (and become a monk).Before he had reached the age of fifteen he determined
to study zen; he travelled all over seeking certainty. Finally
he called on master Sosan at Saisho; his expression of his
state and his actions were fitting, and Sosan granted him
the position of second-ranked monk and secretary. He
studied with Sosan for years and intimately attained the
mind seal. Later in life he began to teach at Kogan monas-
tery; the true line of the To school continued unerring.One evening he called his disciple Bun' ei to come to his
room and instructed him, "Our path is transmitted by way
of four kinds of guest and host: sometimes absolute, some-
times relative; sometimes both absolute and relative are il-
lumined together, and sometimes absolute and relative
both disappear." Then he poked the air with his finger and
said, "This point is neither relative nor absolute; the bud-
dhas and patriarchs since time immemorial cannot grasp
it. Later on you will have broken thatch to cover your
head; don't accept people too easily. I won't be around
long." Then be bequeathed to him the robe and the teach-
ing, wrote a verse, announced his illness and died after
three days.
Bun'ei of Tennei
一華文英 Ikke Bunei (1425-1509)The zen master's initiatory name was Bun'ei; he was styled
Ikke. He first called on zen master Unshu at Kogan; as
soon as Unshu saw him, he knew in himself that he was a
vessel of Oharma. Unshu sent Burt'ei to work as cook. The
master Buri'ei was completely earnest in his daily ac-
tivities. One day as Unshu passed by the kitchen he en-
countered the master sorting vegetables by himself. Unshu
said, "How long have you been here?" He said, "Over a
year." Unshu said, "Outside of sorting vegetables and
washing rice, what work do you do?" He said, "I work at
meditation." Unshu said, "What is the aim of your medita-
tion?" He said, "1 want to become a budd ha." Unshu said,
"What is the use of being a buddha?" Bun'ei was stirred
up by this; he increased in determination and didn't sleep
day or night.Once it happened that when Unshu was in the teaching
hall a monk asked, "What is the place where a patchrobed
monk comes forth?" Unshu said, "Blow on willow fuzz
and hairballs fly; when the rain hits the flowers, yellow
butterflies fly." The master Bunei, standing by, was set
free. That evening he went to the abbot's quarters in full
ceremony; Unshu said, "The vegetable picker has finished
with the great matter." The master bowed. After this he
attended Unshu personally, continuing to inquire with
utmost concentration.When Unshu finally died, the master began to teach at
Tennei. A monk came to call and asked, "What is the mas-
ter's family style?" The master said, "On the meditating
shadow the shoulders are as thin as bamboo; the spirit of
the way is grand and solitary as a pine. "The monk asked,
"Suppose a guest comes; then what?" He said, "The tea is
warm in the broken pot - you should drink it; the fra-
grance is gone from the cold oven - I am tired of cook-
ing."The master Bun'ei was a simple and direct man and
didn't like ostentation; it was impossible to be familiar
with him.
Koken of Bansho
無敵高健 Muteki KōkenThe zen master's initiatory name was Koken; he was styled
Muteki. It is not known where he was from. He happened
to visit zen master Bunei at Tennei; Bun'ei liked the mas-
ter's simplicity and genuine sincerity. Their words and ac-
tions met together like a needle and a seed." The master
then stayed and went back to the hall; he wrapped up his
staff and bowl himself, hung them high on the wall and* The image of needle and seed meeting is often used for the-
rare occasion of meeting of true master and true disciple.sat. Except for meals of gruel and rice at dawn and mid-
day , and for answering the calls of nature, he never left his
seat. Winter and summer alike he only wore a single robe;
even in severe cold and muggy heat he never put on any-
thing more or took anything off. He stayed for twenty
years as though it were but a single day.One evening Bun'ei called the master to come to him ; he
raised the robe of the teaching and said, "This was old
Unshu's: I received it there by sorting vegetables and
washing rice for the community. Now I am pressed for
time and want to impart it to you; can I?" He said, "I am
not such a man." Buri'ei said, "I esteem your not being
such a man. Go away this very day, to where there are no
tracks, pick out a man of the way and transmit it to the
succeeding generation - do not let our teaching be cut
off." Then he handed it over; the master assented.After that Koken built a hut at the foot of Mount Fuji
and lived there; he called it Bansho, "Myriad Pines." He
shut off the road to the world and didn't cross the
threshold of the gate for another twenty years. He wrote a
poem,Since coming to this reed hut
I have never looked for human hearths.
At noon I gather forest fruits,
In the evening I boil spring water.
Sewing clouds together, my cold patchwork robe is thick;
Gathering leaves, my old seat is tranquil.
The green and yellow colors beyond the eaves
Remind me of the passing year.Late in life, after he entrusted the teaching to Eiko, he
burned his hut and went away to no one knows where.
Eiko of Choan
受天英祐 Shūten EiyūThe zen master's initiatory name was Eiko; he called him-
self Jutenmin. He was from Bungo prefecture. He left soci-
ety as a youth and always concentrated on the matter per-
taining to his own self. When he was fifteen he went
traveling; at every monastery he went to he was praised
and considered extraordinary. He called on over thirty
teachers and understood the manner and character of all of
them.One day as he was passing through Suruga on his
travels he happened to hear that zen master Koken was
living in a hut below Mount Fuji. The master thought, "A
monk travels in order to meet an enlightened teacher; why
hesitate to go seek him out?" So he went looking for Ko-
ken, traveling ten difficult miles over the banks of rushing
streams and past withered tree crags, finally reaching him.When Koken saw Eiko arrive, he sat facing the wall in
meditation . The master Eiko went up behind him, bowed
and pleaded, "A disciple has come ten miles expecially to
pay obeisance to you, teacher; please be so compassionate
as to face me." Koken didn't pay attention to him. The
master said, "If you don't face me, I'll beat you to death."
Koken still didn't turn around; the master Eiko knew he
was a real man of knowledge. Then he thought up a ploy;
he put his bundle under his arm and left - but once he
was outside the gate he secretly returned and silently
watched from behind the fence for Koken to come out of
stillness. Koken, not realizing he had fallen for Eiko's
scheme, eventually got up and went out; Eiko suddenly
came out from behind the fence, whereat Koken, startled,
rushed back inside. Eiko followed him and asked, "What
is buddhism in the mountains?" Koken said, "From the
beginning of the valley stream to the end, water is still
water; north of the hut, south of the hut, mountains are
mountains." Eiko believed and submitted to him without
reservation; he bowed with full ceremony and pledged to
wait on Koken, drawing water and gathering fruit. Day
and night he served him closely for twelve years.One day Koken said to Eiko, "I have a patchwork robe,
coming apart at the seams, which weighs a thousand
pounds; if you want to bear it, you must use all your
strength in your arm. I am going; take it away." Then he
gave the robe to Eiko. The master Eiko tearfully accepted it
with a bow. Late in life, because of the insistent request of
donors, he began to teach at Choan; crowds of people
came to him from all over.Eiko always taught the community, "In investigating zen
it is necessary to meet an enlightened teacher; once you
meet an enlightened teacher, you must focus your mind
undividedly for months and years. If you casually wear out
sandals traveling over river and lake, when will you ever
be done?"
Gensaku of Tocho
龍湫玄朔 Ryūshū GensakuThe zen master's initiatory name was Gensaku; he was
styled Ryoshu. Nither the circumstances of his birth nor
his early studies are recorded. When he was traveling he
heard of zen master Eikos fame in the way and went spe-
cially to call on him. Eiko assigned him to attend to
(Eiko's) cloth and bowl; he always worked earnestly and
investigated thoroughly and carefully. One day Eiko tested
him with the saying about the ox going through the win-
dow lattice:" the master was at a loss - Eiko said , "If you
study zen in this way, you ' re just wasting food
money. " At this the master aroused his determination; he
was stirred up all the time and his mind was uneasy - so
he went before the buddha image and vowed, "As long as
I have not clarified the great matter, I will not eat or drink
at all." Nothing had touched his lips for over ten days
when he happened to hear a fellow work monk reading
the record of Dogen's sayings at Eihei; when he got to the
point where it says, "the red heart bared entirely, who can
know? What a laugh, the lad on the way to Huangmei,"**
he was suddenly greatly enlightened.After that he never left Eiko's side and eventually suc-
ceeded to the seat at Choan, where the whole community
gladly submitted to him. He was respected all over in his
time for his practice of the way.The master said, "In one there are many, in two there is
no duality - how do you reckon the phrase in between?
Last year was austere, with neither rice nor wheat; this
year is rich with vegetables and fruit."Later he opened Tocho monastery and moved there; the
patrons and the community submitted to him just as when
he was at Choan.* Wuzu Fayan said, "It is like an ox going through a window
lattice; his head, horns, and feet have all passed through - why
can't the tail also pass?" This famous koan is in the Mumonkan.** The lad going to Huangmei is Huineng , the future sixth pa-
triarch of zen in China on his way north to Huangmei to see the
fifth patriarch Hongren.
Zenban of Ankoku
天翁全播 Tennō ZenhanThe zen master's initiatory name was Zenban; he was
styled Teno. He was born in the Unno clan in Shimano.
When he was young he was gentle and kind, always smil-
ing. He was never heard to cry, but he never spoke, either;
people in his village thought he was mute . He first spoke
when he happened to see an image of a buddha. His par-
ents jumped for joy; they asked him, "You can speak! Why
have you been silent all these years?" He said, "As I heard
ordinary converations, it was mostly common vulgarities;
that's why I didn't speak." His parents were startled and
thought he was strange; eventually they allowed him to
leave home.While he was travelling to study zen, everyone esteemed
him as having innate virtue. When he called on zen master
Gensaku at Choan, as soon as Gensaku saw him he knew
he had innate knowledge and didn't need a word of
examination - he assigned him to the senior seat.One evening Gensaku summoned the master and said,
"I am sick, unable to rise; I transmit this misfortune to
you," then he gave him the robe and died. The master
could not but succeed to the seat and dwell there, but he
never assumed his proper position ('the absolute state') as
abbot; he placed a portrait of his late teacher Gensaku in
the abbot's quarters and paid respects to it morning and
evening along with the community for a full year. Because
of this the community of followers really submitted to him.Visitors came all the time. The master always thought of
giving up temple affairs and eventually entrusted the seat
to Enshu and left. Late in life he opened up Ankoku as a
place to finish out his old age; here he wrote,I have longed to hide for ten years;
Finally weaving a reed hut, I can meditate in peace.
Opening the stove, I put a little damp wood in the fire;
Don't mistakenly lift the blind and let my smoke out.
Shutan of Kosho
懷州周潭 Eshū Shūtan (?-1566)The zen master's initiatory name was Shutan; he was
styled Eshu. As a youth he had his head shaved by zen
master Gensaku at Choan and served him as a teacher.
After Gensaku died, he next served as personal attendant
to Ten'o, taking care of his robes and bowl. He attended
these two teachers for over thirty years in all, and delved
deeply into the matter of his own self; Ten'o always called
him a real leaver of home.Once as Ten'o was talking over tea he said to the group,
After a long time Eshu received the teaching and ap-
"Buddhism is like a born enemy; there's no way for you to
approach. If there is a fellow here who can come forth and
tie up the enemy's staff, I will give him a stinking loin-
cloth and let him be abbot." The master Eshu came for-
ward and said, "Everyone has the mettle to challenge the
heavens, but it's better to go the way of the enlightened
ones." Then be brushed out his sleeves and left. Ten'o
pointed around and said, "Without a determination such
as this, how could anyone get my stinking loincloth?"
peared in the world at Choan. The master was a most sol-
emn and upright man; he was so stern it was impossible
to be familiar with him. If anyone broke the rules of the
temple, he would forcibly eject them. He once said, "My
former teacher had me be the master of this temple; how
could I dare take it easy? " Those who heard him were
scared .Later in life he entrusted the teaching to Zokuo and re-
tired to the western hall."* Finally he opened Kosho tem-
ple, where the monastic standards were modeled on those
of Choan.* The western hall is the traditional abode of the retired abbot.
Soden of Ryuko
續翁宗傳 Zokuō SōdenThe zen master's initiatory name was Soden; he was styled
Zokuo. He was from Mutsu prefecture, but his name, or-
dination and early studies are not known. He was a strong
and direct man, extremely vulgar in speech and action; at
all the monasteries he went to he was called Rustic Den.
He was extremely brilliant and very good at poetry, but no
one knew this.One day as he was traveling through Kamakura he hap-
pened to go to Kencho monastery. The followers there, see-
ing the master's rustic crudeness, laughed and made fun of
him, but he sung aloud happily, as if no one were there.
Someone casually composed a verse and showed it to the
master; as soon as he read it the master knew the phrasing
was adequate but the pure essence was not yet ripe. Then
he replied with three verses of his own, and everyone was
so startled they couldn't even clap in appreciation; he got
up and left them.Later he called on zen master Shutan at Choan. Shutan
tested him with the story, "A monk asked Yunmen, 'When
one doesn't produce a single thought, is there any fault or
not?' Yunmen said, ' Mount Everest!'" and had the master
say something about it. The master tried seven or eight
comments, but Shutan didn't agree. Shutan admonished
him, "The way of enlightenment is beyond the reach of
discrimination and emotion; how can it admit of your in-
tellectual calculations or your fancy replies? If you really
want to understand this great matter, you can only do so if
you put down what you have learned by your brilliance."The master now increased his determination, burned all
his notebooks of writings he had studied before, and en-
gaged in investigation with utmost concentration . After
two months he reached the point where he was not aware
of his hands moving or feet walking. One night while he
was walking in the hall, he bumped his head on a pillar
and was suddenly enlightened. He rushed right to the
abbot's quarters; Shutan said, "Rustic Den, your great task
is done." The master bowed.After he had become an abbot, he said to his communi-
ty, "Since I bumped my head on a pillar in my late
teacher's community, the pain has not stopped, even
now." Later he opened Ryuko and Saifuku temples, and
produced two collateral branches of the teaching.
Yohan of Choan
亘天要播 Gōten YōhanThe zen master's initiatory name was Yohan; he was styled
Goten. He came from a Kazusa family of the Taira clan. He
was naturally pure and unattached, uninvolved in the or-
dinary world. He always sat peacefully by the window, re-
laxed and at ease. His parents took him to a local buddhist
temple and let him leave home.He studied and mastered the essentials of the exoteric
and esoteric schools; his thought and conversation was ex-
tremely profound and he was esteemed everywhere for his
lectures on the scriptures. One day he met a zen man who
questioned him closely about meaning, whereupon he re-
pented and shifted his mind to zen meditation. Eventually
he went traveling around and entered Rinzai and Soto zen
monasteries.He called on over one hundred zen teachers in all, be-
fore he finally called on Zokuo at Choan. As Zokuo saw
the master entering the door, he drove him out with loud
shouts. The master stumbled and fell; as soon as he stood
up, he was suddenly vastly and greatly enlightened.
Thereupon he spoke a verse;One shout of the void
And suddenly a corpse revives;
A patch robed monk's gate of entry
Penetrates everywhere.Zokuo gave him the seal of recognition; thenceforth he
changed his robe and followed Zokuo like a shadow or an
echo for seventeen years, day by day going into the myste-
rious profundity.Later, when Zokuo moved to Ryuko, the old worthies at
the temple, along with the patrons, asked the master to
succeed Zokuo at Choan; the master declined, saying he
was not yet refined enough. When they insisted again and
again, he finally assented; those who have the will to lead
a group always have the ability to transcend the teacher.
The master said in the hall, "A golden hen lays an iron
egg; a stone cow embraces a jade calf - here there is some
happening, but how many people can discover their real
potential?"
Shinryu of Choan
大雲神龍 Daiun Shinryū (?-1604)The zen master's initiatory name was Shinryu; he called
himself Big Cloud. No one knew where he came from. He
was a high minded man, given to grandiose talk; every-
where he went he was disliked and ousted by the groups
there . He sought admission to over twenty zen monas-
teries, but none of them allowed him to stay. Finally when
he was about forty he called on zen master Yohan at
Choan; as soon as Yohan saw him he understood Shin-
ryu ' s spirit and admitted him. He tested him with the
story of Zhaozhou checking on the old woman."Shinryu saw that Yohan had the will to lead the com-
munity and deeply believed in him and submitted to him,
with no desire to go anywhere else. He immersed himself
in study with utmost seriousness; he didn't lie down for
years. One day, hauling firewood during general labor, as
he strained to lift a bundle he had a powerful insight; he
hurried to the abbot's room to tell Yohan. Yohan gave him
the seal of recognition and entrusted the teaching and
temple affairs to him.Before long, the patrons and community submitted to
Shinryu, even more than the former teacher; they added
fields and gardens and rebuilt the halls, thereby greatly* There was a woman in north China who lived on the way to
Mt. Wu Tai, a famous holy mountain and place of pilgrimage;
whenever a monk would ask her the way to Mt. Wu Tai, she
would say "Right straight ahead." As the monk set off, she would
say, "A fine priest! He too goes on this way." Someone reported
this to Zhaozhou, the greatest zen master in northern China in
that time; he said, "Wait till I check out that old woman." He
went and asked her the same thing, and she gave the same an-
swer. Zhaozhou said, "I have checked out that old woman for
you." This koan appears in the Wumenguan (Mumonkan) and
Congronglu (Shoyoroku).renovating Choan monastery. Shinryu used to say to the
community, "The important thing in buddhism is to meet
the hammer and tongs of a true teacher; once I heard my
late teacher's instruction, I lost my mouth and ears and
have been cool ever since. Don't pass the years in the
mountains taking it easy."Late in life, after entrusting the teaching to his succes-
sors, he took leave of the community and left - no one
knew where he ended up. The present shrine at Tomikawa
was set up out of respect for his virtue by people of later
times.
Donju of Choan
齡山黁壽 Reizan DonjuThe zen master's initiatory name was Donju; he was styled
Reizan. He was from Awa prefecture. As a youth he left
the dusts of the world and went to Choan monastery to
follow zen master Yohan, where he had his head shaved
and received the precepts. He was extremely brilliant by
nature and fondly occupied himself reading; he studied
widely in the inner (buddhist) and outer (confucian)
classics.One day he sighed to himself, "One who abandons so-
ciety and home regards the fullfillment of buddhahood as
fundamental; who am I, to indulge in reading? The classics
are inexhaustible." At this point he concentrated solely on
meditation. He left to seek certainty everywhere. Again he
lamented, "I have traveled through much of the country
looking for a teacher, wasting my mental energy. What is
the use of traveling around?" Then he returned.Yohan asked him, "How many years have you been
away ?" He said, " Ten years." Yohan said, "Where did you
go?" He said, "Through half the country." Yohan said,
"What did you understand?" Reizan had no reply. Yohan
said , "Give me back the price of your sandals." Reizan
suddenly had insight; afterwards he functioned respon-
sively without trouble, unhindered at all times.When Yohan had Shinryu succeed him, Reizan served as
Shinryu's secretary and kept the same job for ten years.
One day Shinryu said to him, "Since I was cursed by my
late teacher, I will surely grow old in this monastery; now
you too are cursed by me; you should end your life here."
Then he entrusted the teaching to him and left. Then the
patrons and the old worthies combined efforts to keep him
there.The master was always of solitary mien and could not be
presumed upon. Travelers passing through could not be-
come familiar with him for years. At the end he gathered
the community, gave them his last admonitions, wrote a
verse and died sitting. The verse said,Sleeping at night, rushing by day,
For fifty-six years.
When the eyes go blind
I attain this great meditation.
Den'etsu of Choan
The zen master's initiatory name was Den'etsu: he was
長巖田悅 Chōgan Denetsu (?-1610)
styled Chogan. It is not known where he was from. As a
youth he left lay life and entered Choan monastery with
zen master Yohan as his teacher. He was naturally austere
and ascetic; he hauled firewood, drew water, begged for
rice, and made charcoal, for twenty years , working harder
than anyone else. Yohan always called him 'the reincar-
nated ascetic (Mahakasyapa).*Later when Yohan had Shinryu succeed him, Denetsu
served as chief cook for Shinryu, working hard as before.
One day Shinryu, passing the kitchen, found him washing
rice himself; he asked, "What dirt is there in the rice?"
Den'etsu said, "The chaff is endless." Shinryu said, "If it
is endless, how can you wash it away?" Hearing this,
Den'etsu stood transfixed; at that moment secretary Donju,
standing beside Shinryu, said, "Now cook Den'etsu can
really wash the rice." At these words the master was sud-
denly enlightened; he intoned a verse saying,So many years I've washed dirt;
Today I've reached where there is no dust.
The rice filling the bushel
1 see is the original mind.Shinryu joyfully said, "Your teacher is brother Donju; later
you should assist him in the teaching, causing our school
to flourish."Later when Shinryu had secretary Donju assume the ab-
bacy, the master Den'etsu was placed in the senior seat.
After a long time he appeared in the world at Choan;
when he opened the hall and offered incense, he rightly
gave thanks to zen master Donju for the milk of the teach-
ing.* Mahakasyapa, one of the Buddha Gautama's ten foremost
disciples, was most excellent in the practice of asceticism; he is
considered the first patriarch of zen in India , having received the
personal seal of recognition from the Buddha on Vulture Peak
(Grdhakuta, also sometimes 'Spiritual Mountain').
Denjo of Choan
嫡宗田承 Chakushū DenshōThe zen master's initiatory name was Denjo; in the com-
munity he was called the Inheritor of the School as an epi-
thet of praise. There is no record of where he was born.He first called on zen master Denetsu at Choan and
asked, "How should a student use his mind?" Deri'etsu
extended his hands and said, "Bring me your mind."
Denjo was totally at a loss; Den'etsu slapped him on the
face and said, "What mind do you want to use?" At these
words Denjo got the message; thereupon he broke his staff
and stayed there for nineteen years, so earnest that he
never went outside the gate. Then he wrote a verse saying,A thousand miles in search of a teacher
I came to Tomikawa;
With no way to use the mind
At last I meditate in peace.
I don't know how many cushions
I have worn out,
Staying here for nineteen years
At a single stretch.Den'etsu used to say to those around him that Denjo
had attained the true source, so in the community he was
called the Inheritor of the School.* After Denetsu died, the
patrons asked master Denjo to succeed to his seat; the
master declined, saying he had little wisdom, but they in-
sisted again and again, reminding him of the words "he
has inherited my true school." The master shed tears and
couldn't refuse any more. So he set up a portrait of his late
teacher in the abbot's room and bowed to it in the morn-
ing and saluted it at night, just as when he was alive. The
master remained in the 'relative state' for the rest of his
life.*** The word for 'school' or 'sect' basically means 'source.'
** The position of teacher and disciple is likened to 'absolute'
and 'relative.' Denjo never occupied the hojo , or abbot's quarters,
keeping the position of disciple out of reverence for his teacher
Denetsu.
Senteki of Kinryu
巨山泉滴 Kozan Senteki (1561-1641)The zen master's initiatory name was 5enteki; he called
himself The Man of the Ancient Mountain. He was from
Musashi. He left home and society as a boy. A man of
outstanding capabilities, he could see right through
people.He thought to himself, "A monk is someone who is un-
trammelled - why stay by an old tree stump and useless-
ly stick to a small byway?" 50 he became determined to
study zen and went to the famous monasteries in eastern
Japan. Wherever he went he bowled them over with his
talk about the teaching; people recognized him as an ac-
complished student.Finally he called on zen master Denjo at Choan; with
bare feet and head, he pounded rice and hoed the garden
for twenty years at a stretch. One day he heard Denjo say
in the teaching hall, "'Bodhidharma did not come to
China; the second patriarch did not go to India;' herein
there is a silver mountain, an iron wall - when spring
comes the birds call and the flowers bloom." Suddenly he
had insight; he went right to the abbot's room and asked
for approval. Denjo asked, "Later if someone asks about
the vehicle of the school of the To succession, how will
you answer?" He replied, "The white reed flowers have no
different color; white birds alight on a sandbar." Denjo
deeply approved of this; thereupon he warned him, "Our
school will flourish greatly with you, but I fear it will be
hard to find a successor." The master Senteki bowed and
withdrew.When Denjo died he inherited his seat and appeared in
the world at Choan; before long his fame stirred the
monasteries. At that time, the prime minister Hidetada,
hearing of the master's fame in the way, made offerings to
him in Edo (Tokyo), the capital city; the master talked
about the teaching for the minister; delighted, the minister
presented him with rare silks and saw him back to the
mountain. Later the chancellor Toshitsune had a big zen
monastery built at Kanazawa, which he named Tentoku,
'Heavenly Virtue.' As he was looking for a sage to be
abbot there, he asked prime minister Hidetada, who rec-
ommended that he invite the master Senteki to dwell
there. The chancellor sent some knights to urgently invite
him, but the master did not reply. At this point the prime
minister himself told the master that the chancellor's re-
quest was sincere; the master could not refuse, and after
all went to begin teaching there. He greatly revived the
Soto school, and people came from all over the country;
the names in the monastery register numbered over five
thousand.A monk asked, "What is the master's family style?" He
said, "Eating meat, cursing Shakyamuni, drunk on wine,
beating up Maitreya."The master was basically simple and did not like finery
and ostentation. He kept an old horse which he used in-
stead of a carriage; people laughed at him, but he went his
own way. Once he had a slight illness and realized in him-
self that he would never recover, so he sent his bamboo
sceptre to his disciple Kosatsu at Choan with a note say-
ing, "After I die there will be a man beyond measure who
will cause my way to flourish greatly. Hand this noseless
black snake to him in my stead as a token of surety." After
writing this he died sitting upright.
?
鉄心道印 Tesshin Dōin (1593-1680)
Guon of Kinryu
龍睡愚穩 Ryūsui Guon (?-1688)The zen master's name was Guon; he was styled Ryusui.
He called himself by a different name, 'The Old Man of
South Mountain.' He was from Kaga prefecture. As a youth
he had his head shaved at Josho temple in his native prov-
ince. He was naturally open and kind; his face never
showed any anger, and all who saw him felt at ease with
him.During his traveling days he called on seven or eight
teachers and understood their manners and character;
there was no difference in their teachings. Sure of himself,
he appeared in the world at Sosen and Ryumon monas-
teries, giving instructions on request to the groups there
for five to seven years, gaining the status of an abbot.One night the master thought, "If one considers a little
bit to be enough in the investigation of zen, perhaps there
may be something one still has not learned. I hear that zen
master (Ingen) Ryuki of Obaku has come from China to
Japan and is staying in Nagasaki; a perfect man is not far
- I should go knock at his mysterious gate." Then he set
out to go there; but though he entered Ingen's room to
seek and inquire, because of the difference in language
there was a lack of communication and he didn't get
through the difficult, confusing points . He just worked by
himself on scrupulous refinement of meditation, but even
after three years had passed he still had found no way of
entry. He lamented, "My affinity with buddhism in this
life is not yet ripe - what is the benefit of exerting mental
power in the wrong way?" so he took his leave and de-
parted.At that time the abbacy of Tentoku monastery was vac-
ant, and the patrons and community there invited the mas-
ter, who stayed there, going along with circumstances .
One morning when he went into the shrine to bow before
the buddha image, to the east he saw the sunlight shining
on the tree branches; as he suddenly moved his eyes his
insight opened. Thereupon he spoke a verse;For thirty years I have expended my spirit in vain;
Sweeping away useless dust instead became dust itself.
Raising my head, it meets my eyes, without any obscurity -
Myriad forms are especially new.The master also thought, "Realization without making sure
of right and wrong is of dubious benefit." Then he led his
followers to call on zen master Kosatsu at Choan. As soon
as Kosatsu saw him, he received him with an individual
chair , and entrusted the teaching to him according to his
late teacher's will. The master bowed and accepted it, then
returned to his temple.Before long both lay people as well as monks and nuns
gathered there like clouds, just as Senteki had foretold.
One day as the master was going to teach in Kyoto, he
passed by Mt. Obaku on the way and went to see zen
master Ingen Ryuki again; Ryuki greeted him joyfully and
burned incense in a special censer. The next day they had
a meeting of minds and Ryuki presented him with a verse:Wrapped up, carefully stored,
When it is let out in response to the situation
It is totally new.Zen master Shoto of Zozan, who was there at Ryuki's side,
had a verse which said,An iron forehead, a copper crown -
I am glad of this chance meeting;
With tracks like the wind of lightening feet,
He expresses our affinity in action.In 1670 the master saw me, Geppa Doin, at Kanzan; I
met him with proper respect and questioned him closely
about this matter. Our actions and words were in mutual
accord. As I was about to go, the master took my hand and
said, "The time is come; don't keep your hands in your
sleeves (inactive)." Then I knew for the first time I had a
teacher.
End of Biographical Extracts of the Original Stream
In: Timeless Spring, A Soto Zen Anthology,
Weatherhill / Wheelwright Press, Tokyo - New York, 1980, p. 175.
[うしかひ草] Ushikaigusa
by 月波老人 Geppa rōjin [撰] aka 月波道印 Geppa Dōin (1637-1716)
12 illustrations by 湖南隠士観海 Konan inshi kankai [画]
寺町三条下町(京都) : 西田床兵衛, 寛文9[1669]
Teramachi sanjō sagaru machi (Kyōto) : Nishida Shōbee
1冊 ; 26cm
https://www.wul.waseda.ac.jp/kotenseki/html/he13/he13_04182/index.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20140615163902/http://h-kishi.sakura.ne.jp/kokoro-584.htm
<『うしかひ草』の１２の段階>
１、「こころをおこす」
２、「家をいづる」
３、「うしを尋ぬる」
４、「あとを見る」
５、「うしを見る」
６、「うしをうる」
７、「うしをかふ」
８、「うしにのる」
９、「うしを忘るる」
１０、「うし人とともに忘るる」
１１、「いえにかえる」
１２、「いしくらに入る」
禪書うしかひ草 /Zensho Ushikaigusa
禅書うしかひ草
http://www.city.minamiawaji.hyogo.jp.e.ct.hp.transer.com/soshiki/gyokuseikan/h28-ushikaigusa.html
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中村文峰著【一般書店に売ってません＆「うしかひ草」の解説書は現時点でこの本しか存在していないという、超貴重な１冊！】◆江戸時代初期に仮名草子の体裁を借りて、禅の思想を描いた、知る人ぞ知る名著『うしかひ草』の原本に読み下し文と解説を加えた決定版です。「うしかひ草」とは、「人間各自が本来具有する「仏心」に気付かずにいる人が、ふとした機縁により「仏心」を自覚し悟りに至る段階を、飼牛を見失った少年が牛を尋ねあて、飼い馴らして家に連れて帰る過程に置き換えて書かれた本である。同じく、牛を飼い馴らして家に連れて帰る過程を人間の心に当てはめて解説した『十牛図』という名著も有名ですが、『十牛図』が、１０の段階に対して、『うしかひ草』は１２の段階で、最初に少年が「こころをおこし」「いえを出る」段階が加わり、１年１２ヶ月の自然の景色に当て嵌めて仮名混じり文の文章と挿絵で表わして、江戸時代により一般庶民に親しみやすい形で書かれた、自分自身の心を取り戻すまでの物語です。すでに、『十牛図』の解説書などをお読みの方は、より理会が深まりますし、禅にご興味がある方は、是非一度お読みいただきたい名著です！<『うしかひ草』の１２の段階>１、「こころをおこす」２、「家をいづる」３、「うしを尋ぬる」４、「あとを見る」５、「うしを見る」６、「うしをうる」７、「うしをかふ」８、「うしにのる」９、「うしを忘るる」１０、「うし人とともに忘るる」１１、「いえにかえる」１２、「いしくらに入る」
