Terebess Online
Japanese-English
Glossary of Zen Terms
Compiled by Gábor Terebess
Agura 胡坐
common and easy way of sitting, pulling in both feet under both thighs; loose
cross legged sitting position.
Ajirogasa 網代笠
The large woven bamboo hats worn by monks on pilgrimage and mendicancy.
An 庵
sōan
草庵 ('grass-roofed hut') and hoan 蓬庵 ('thatched
cottage'); a hermitage. I. A small hall built in the
same premises of the graveyard of the founder or an eminent monk of a Zen
temple; tatchu 塔頭. II. A small hall before it is promoted to the
rank of a temple. III. A small hall that belongs to a
large temple.
Anja 行者 abbot’s assistant, “doing
person,” {hōjō anja 方丈行者}
Anju 庵主 A
monk or hermit of a temporary habitation; also, a nun who lives in a hermitage.
Generally, a novice who lives in a small temple.
Ango 安居
Lit., “dwelling in peace” or “peaceful dwelling.”
The summer and winter training seasons, with their origins in the rainy season
meditation retreats (vārsika) at the time of Shakyamuni.
Angya 行脚
Pilgrimage, usually to seek a master. traditional pilgrimage a monk or nun
makes from monastery to monastery, literally translated as "to go on
foot." The term also applies to the modern practice in Japan of an unsui
(novice monk) journeying to seek admittance into a monastery for the first
time. These unsui traditionally wear and/or carry a kasa, white cotton
leggings, straw sandals, a kesa, a satchel, razor, begging bowls (hachi) and
straw raincoat. When arriving the novice typically proffers an introductory
letter and then must wait for acceptance for a period of days called
tangaryō. Upon admittance he undergoes a probationary period known as
tanga zume, "occupying the overnight room". Considered an aspect of
the early monk's training, angya had in ancient times lasted for many years for
some.
Angyaso 行脚僧 An itinerant monk.
Anshō no zen 暗証の禅 ignorant zen, hearsay zen,
unenlightened zen.
Ashi 唖子 A
mute; in Zen, a beginner who is not able to say a word in answer to the
master's question; also, one who has transcended the realm of verbal expression
and, hence, does not say a word.
Ashi no
ha ni nori no hoben 葦の葉に法の方便
'A means of Dharma-conveyance even for a leaf of reed.' Tradition has it that
Bodhidharma (Daruma) came to China from India by crossing the sea by a leaf of
reed; used to describe the usefulness of an apparently useless thing.
Baito 梅湯 A drink made with hot water and pickled plums (umeboshi),
and sweetened with sugar.
Banka 晩課
Evening sutra chanting.
Battan 末單 A lower-ranking unsui.
Benji 弁事
head seat’s attendant, “managing affairs”, Sōtō zen temple position.
Leaving the monastery for a day or less on private business.
Biku 比丘 “bhikshu (‘mendicant’)”
Bikuni 比丘尼 “bhikshuni”, nun.
Bokuseki 墨跡 Lit.,
"ink trace", refers to a form of Japanese calligraphy (書道
shodō) and more specifically a style of Zenga developed by Zen monks.
Bokuseki is often characterized by bold, assertive, and often abstract brush
strokes meant to demonstrate the calligrapher’s pure state of mind. The aim in
making Bokuseki is to represent ones single-moment awareness by brushing each
word or passage with a single breath, ultimately realizing Zen and manifesting
ones Zazen practice into physical and artistic action.
Bonzu 房主 >
Bozu 坊主
Bosatsu-kai 菩薩戒 bodhisattva precepts are a set of
moral codes used in Mahayana Buddhism to advance a practitioner along the path
to becoming a Bodhisattva. In Sōtō Zen, the founder Dōgen
established a somewhat expanded version of the Bodhisattva Precepts for use by both
priests and lay followers, based on both Brahma Net Sutra and other sources.
Butsudan 佛壇 or 仏壇,
literally "Buddha altar". A Buddha-altar isn't only a place to honor
one's ancestors. Within the altar, there is an area where Mt. Sumeru (the
mountain at the center of the Buddhist cosmology) is represented and in the
center of that area the main image is enshrined. In the same way as a temple's
main Dharma Hall, the Buddha-altar is “the temple in the middle of the home”.
Buttan-e 佛誕会 Buddha’s Birthday, April 8.
Bozu 坊主 a resident priest of a
temple; popularly, any priest or a monk.
Buji 無事 I.
No problem; no trouble; without hindrance; free of obstruction. II. Having
nothing to do; having nothing demanding to do before attaining enlightenment;
the state of perfect freedom from troubles; no dealings with secular affairs;
the state of tranquility and non-action; used to describe the state of satori.
Buji-zen 無事禅 "All is well Zen", ”Nothing
to do Zen”, "inactive zen"; frivolous zen; exaggerated zen; no-practice
zen; bravado or excessive self-confidence in the practice of zen. A tendency
attributed to some practitioners, particularly in the Sōtō school, to
convince themselves that since all beings possess the Buddha-nature they are
already enlightened and hence have no need to exert themselves further.
Busshō 仏性 Buddha nature
Busshō 佛餉
Rice offerings placed in front of the buddha images.
Caodong zong (C) 曹洞宗 Sōtō
shū (J).
Chiden 知殿 hall caretaker, “knower of the
(Buddha) hall”.
Chōka 朝課
The morning sutra chanting service.
Chōsoku 調息
Breath
regulation.
Daigo (=daigo tettei 大悟-徹底) "great realization or
enlightenment." Moreover, "traditionally, daigo is final, absolute
enlightenment, contrasted to experiences of glimpsing enlightenment,
shōgo" or kenshō.
Daihonzan 大本山 great head temple, main temples
of a school
Daijiryohitsu 大事了畢
Lit., “to finish understanding the Great Matter”; to
attain full awakening and complete one’s training.
Daruma 達磨 Jap. for Bodhidharma, hence
the occurrence in several terms: Daruma-ki, his date of death (5th day of 10th
month); Darumashū, his school of teaching, hence a name for Zen;
Daruma-sōjō, the authentic transmission of his teaching via
dharma-successors (hassu) and patriarchs in succession (soshigata).
Denbō 傳法 Dharma transmission. The act of designating a dharma heir, thereby "passing on" or "transmitting" (den 傳 ) the "dharma" (hō 法 ) that has previously been inherited from a teacher in a particular dharma lineage.
Densu 殿司
The monk in charge of waking the other monks in the morning, of leading the
sutra chanting and other ceremonies, and of cleaning the ritual halls.
Deshi 弟子 “disciple (of a teacher)”
Dōan 堂行
hall
assistant, “(meditation) hall doing (person),” (short for zendō anja). A
term for person sounding the bell that marks the beginning and end of zazen.
Dōchō rōshi 堂頭老師 “(meditation) hall head,
old/venerable teacher”.
Doge 同夏
Monks who start their monastery careers during the same ango.
Dōjō 道場 Lit.,
"place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to
temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese
dō arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for
students of any Japanese martial arts style to conduct training, examinations
and other related encounters.
Dokusan 獨參
Sanzen on an individual, voluntary basis with the roshi. Most sanzen at Rinzai
monasteries is dokusan. Contrasts with sosan. (A private formal meeting between
a Zen student and master in which the former can discuss his specific
particular meditation problems with the latter thereby displaying the depth and
degree of his attainment. It also gives an opportunity to master to understand
the problems of each student.)
Dōnai 堂内
Lit., “inside the hall”; refers primarily to the monks
residing in the zendō.
Dosan 同參 A term for the group of monks who all trained under the same
certain roshi.
Dōshi 導師
officiant
(leads service and ceremonies), “guiding/leading teacher”.
Dunwu (C) 頓悟
(tongo (J), sudden awaking or sudden enlightenment
Eka 會下 A term for the group of monks who all trained under the same
certain roshi. or at the same temple.
Ekō 回向
The dedication read after recitation of a sutra, to direct the merit gained
from the recitation to a certain person or group.
Ekō henshō 回光返照 Turning the Light Around and Shining Back; “turn around your light and look back on the radiance.”
Enpatsu 遠鉢
Mendicancy done at a long distance from the monastery, usually lasting a full
day or longer.
Ensō 円相 The circle symbolizes the
absolute enlightenment and the void. The circle executed with a single fluid
brushstroke is a popular theme in Zen painting. It is said that only someone
who is inwardly collected and in equilibrium is capable of painting a strong
and well-balanced circle.
Enzu 園頭
The monastery vegetable garden, or the gardener.
Fukuten 副典 assistant to head cook, “assistant
to the ten(zo)”.
Fundoshi 褌
Men's
kimono underwear, wrapped thong style.
Fuke-shū 普化宗
Fukudo 副堂 assistant to the hall assistant
(dōan), “assistant to the hall”. A term for person who strikes the han.
Furoshiki 風呂敷 wrapping cloth to store and carry robes.
Fushō 不生 Lit., unborn; Zen
expression for the absolute, the true reality, in which there is no birth, no death, no becoming nor passing away, and no
time in the sense of before and after.
Fūsu 副寺
;
副司 treasurer, “assistant to the director/temple”, one of the
Sōtō Zen Temple’s six officers (roku chiji 六知事).
In the Rinzai/Obaku sects, the shika is also often appointed as the fusu, who
assists the chief priest and supervises the monks. The temple officer in charge
of financial affairs.
Futon 布団 a term generally referring
to the traditional style of Japanese bedding consisting of padded mattresses
(shikibuton = bottom mattress) and quilts (kakebuton = thick quilted bedcover)
pliable enough to be folded and stored away during the day.
Fuzui 副隨
The fusu’s assistant, in charge of financial affairs and miscellaneous matters.
Gaman 我慢 term of Zen Buddhist origin
which means "enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and
dignity". The term is generally translated as "perseverance" or
"patience". A related term, gamanzuyoi (我慢強い
gaman-tsuyoi), a compound with tsuyoi (strong), means "suffering the
unbearable" or having a high capacity for a kind of stoic endurance. Gaman
is variously described as a "law," a "virtue," an
"ethos," a "trait," etc. It means to do one's best in
distressed times and to maintain self-control and discipline.
Ganbaru 頑張る Lit., ”stand firm”,
also romanized as gambaru, is a ubiquitous Japanese
word which roughly means to slog on tenaciously through tough times. The word
ganbaru is often translated to mean "doing one’s best", but in
practice, it means doing more than one's best. The word emphasizes
"working with perseverance" or "toughing it out." Ganbaru
means "to commit oneself fully to a task and to bring that task to an
end." It can be translated to mean persistence, tenacity, doggedness and
hard work. The term has a unique importance in
Japanese culture
Gasshō 合掌 Lit.,
"palms together". A mudra expressing nonduality: anjali (Skt). The
palms are joined so that the fingertips are at the height of the nose. The
hands are approximately one fist width away from the face. (Hold the palms and
fingers of both hands together. Your arms should be slightly away from your
chest, your elbows should extend outward from your sides in a straight line
parallel with the floor. The tips of your fingers should be approximately the
same level as your nose. This is an expression of respect, faith and devotion.
Because the two hands (duality) are joined together, it expresses “One Mind.”)
Gidan 疑團
The “ball of doubt” that fuels a monk’s drive to practice and to attain
enlightenment.
Geju 偈頌 A verse.
Goannai 御案内
To forcibly take a monk to sanzen in order to help him resolve his kōan.
Godō 後堂 rear hall teacher (head of
training); “rear (seat) of the (meditation) hall”. In a Sōtō
zendō, the monk in charge of the zendō, second to the rōshi.
This is approximately equivelant to the jikijitsu in Rinzai monasteries. (Head
trainer in a traditional Japanese monastery who uses the kyōsaku. The
godō uses the kyōsaku to deliver sharp blows upon the shoulders of
monks found dozing off or loose in their form. Sometimes, the meditator will
request to be hit by the kyōsaku by making a signal to the godō.)
Go-ke 五家 five schools of Zen
Goke-shichishū 五家七宗 (Jap., ‘five-houses, seven-schools’). A
classification of the seven Chʾan Buddhist schools, during the Tʾang
period, which derived from five lineages: (i) Rinzai from Lin-chi I-hsuan
(Jap., Rinzai Gigen); (ii) Igyo from Kuei-shan Ling-yu (Jap., Isan Reiyū)
and from Yang-shan Hui-chi (Jap., Kyōzan Ejaku); (iii) Sōtō from
Tung-shan Liang-chieh (Jap., Tōzan Ryōkai) and from Tsʾao-shan
Penchi (Jap., Sōzan Honjaku); (iv) Ummon from Yün-Men Wen-yen (Jap., Ummon
Bunʾen); (v) Hogen from Fa-yen Wen-i (Jap., Hogen Bunʾeki).
Rinzai then split, to make up seven: (vi) Yōgi from Yang-ch'i Fang-hui
(Jap., Yōgi Hōe); (vii) Ōryō from
Huang-lung Hui-nan (Jap., Ōryō Eʾnan).
Gomai 合米 A type of takuhatsu in which individual monks go to
designated households once a month to receive rice set aside by the family for
the monastic community
Gong’an (C) 公案
kōan (J); public case
Gozan bungaku 五山文學 Japanese Literature of the Five Mountains. The term Five Mountains refers to the principal Zen (禅) monastic centers of the Rinzai sect in Kamakura, Japan and to an additional five in Kyoto. In addition, the term refers to five Zen monastic centers in China in Hangzhou and Ningpo that inspired the religious and cultural organization in Japan. The term "mountain" is a general term for Buddhist monastery. The term Five Mountains literature or gozan bungaku (五山文學) is used collectively to refer to the poetry and prose in Chinese produced by Japanese monks during the medieval period in the 14th and 15th centuries. Included are works by Chinese monks in residence in Japan as well. The period witnessed a widespread importation of cultural influences from Song and Yuan period China that in many ways transformed Japan. In the literature of the Five Mountains informality, sense of humor and sympathy with life's ordinariness were highly prized. A Five Mountains poet might write about anything, in contrast to the proscribed themes of the aristocratic court poets.
Gyojuzaga 行住坐臥
The “four postures” of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down.
Gyosho 曉鐘 The morning ringing of the
large temple bell.
Gyodo 行道 A
way of sutra chanting during ceremonies, in which the monks chant while walking
in line inside the ceremony hall.
Haju 把住 ”Taking
in”; one of the aspects of Zen training, that of strickness or tension. See
also hogyo.
Han 板 Lit., board; a thick rectangular wooden board measuring about
45 x 30 x
”Heed, monks! / Be mindful in practice. / Time flies like an arrow; / It does
not wait for you.”
”Completely freed from yes and no; / great emptiness charged within; / no
questions, no answers; / like a fish, like a fool.”
”Great is the matter of birth and death / Life flows quickly by / Time waits
for no one / Wake up! Wake up! / Don’t waste a moment!”
Handai 飯台
The long, low tables used when eating meals in the jikido.
Handaikan 飯台監 Every formal meal is served by
assigned servers, called handaikan. Han literally is "meal", dai is
"table", and kan to "oversee".
Hanka fuza 半跏趺坐
The half-lotus sitting position.
Hashin kyuji 把針灸治
Lit., “to grasp the needle, to treat with moxa.”
Hashin kyuji are days before sesshin during which the unsui can rest, repair
clothes, and treat illnesses.
Hassu 法嗣 ‘dharma-successor’, a Zen
Buddhist pupil who has reached at least the same level of attained
enlightenment as his master, and who is therefore given the seal of recognition
(inka-shōmei). He can then become a dharma-successor.
Hōdōshi 法幢師 Dharma flag teacher (non-abbot
leading a practice period). (Sōtō)
Hōjō 方丈 “ten square feet” (abbot’s
room, named after Vimalakirti’s room).
Hōjō-e 放生 Liberating Life (animal release) in August.
Hokkai-jōin 法界定印 “cosmic mudra“– the
positioning of the hands during traditional zazen practice. To perform the
cosmic mudra, the left-hand rests on the right-hand, with the tips of the
thumbs lightly touching. (Place your right hand, palm-up, on your left foot,
and your left hand palm-up on your right palm. The tips of your thumbs should
be lightly touching each other. This is called Cosmic Mudra (hokkai-join). Place
the tips of your thumbs in front of your navel, and your arms slightly apart
from your body.)
Hokku 法皷
The large temple drum beaten to signal the beginning of teisho or a ceremony.
Hokushū Zen 北宗禅 Northern school of Zen
Honshi 本師} “original/primary teacher”
Honzon 本尊 The main image of
Sōtō Zen School is the founder of Buddhism, Shakyamuni Buddha.
Shakyamuni Buddha taught us the best way in which to live our lives and is
enshrined within the Buddha-altar. In principle, all that is needed is the image
of Shakyamuni Buddha. However, if you have a scroll with the images of
Shakyamuni Buddha and the two founders of Sōtō Zen School in Japan,
Dōgen Zenji and Keizan Zenji, then it is fine to hang that in the center
of the Buddha-altar. If there is already an image of Shakyamuni Buddha, then
hang the scroll behind that image.
Hōrin 法輪
The wheel of the law.
Houi-kake 御法衣掛
Robe hanger.
Horo 法臘
The length of time since tokudo; one’s career as a monk.
Hossu 払子 short staff of wood or bamboo
with bundled hair (of a cow, horse, or yak) or hemp wielded by a Zen Buddhist
priest. Often described as a "fly swatter" or "fly shooer",
the stick is believed to protect the wielder from desire and also works as a
way of ridding areas of flies without killing them. The hossu is regarded as
symbolic of a Zen master's authority to teach and transmit Buddha Dharma to
others, and is frequently passed from one master to the next.
Hōtō 法燈 Dharma lamp. A metaphorical expression, which likens the dharma (hō 法 ) to the "flame of a lamp" (tō 燈 ) which can be passed to another lamp (i.e. from master to disciple) and thus be kept burning forever. In the Zen tradition, the transmission of the formless, ineffable buddha mind (busshin 佛心 ) down through the lineage of ancestral teachers (soshi 祖師 ) is referred to metaphorically as "transmission of the flame" (dentō 傳燈 ).
Huatou (C) 話頭
watō (J); critical phrase or head word
Hyoseki 評席 A senior monk who serves as one of temple officers: the
shika, jikijitsu, and jisha. Roughly synonymous with yakui.
Ichige 一夏
Lit., “one summer”; synonymous with ango.
Ichijitsu nasazareba,
ichijitsu kuwarazu. 一日不作、一日不食
"A day without work, a day without eating." Baizhang Huaihai (百丈懷海
Hyakujō Ekai, 720-814).
Ichimi-Zen 一味禅 (Jap., ‘one taste Zen’). The authentic Zen of the Buddha and the
patriarchs (soshigata), which consists in the experience of no distinction (‘one
taste’) between form and emptiness. Its opposite (within Zen) is zen which
relies on different types or goals of meditation (five ways of Ch'an/Zen),
known as gomi (-no)-zen.
Idaten 韋駄天
The tutelary diety of the temple kitchen and kuri.
Igi-soku-buppō 威儀即仏法 Dignified
forms (deportments) are themselves buddha (awakened) dharmas (forms).
Emphasizing in Sōtō Sect of Zen.
Ikko hanko 一箇半箇
Lit., “one man or half a man,” the term for the true
successor that every Zen master is duty-bound to produce.
Iku 衣矩 Ruler for folding koromo (衣たたみ用定規).
Inji 隱侍
The master’s attendant.
Inka 印可
The seal of enlightenment; a master’s certification of a disciple’s completion
of training.
Inka (-shōmei) 印可証明 The legitimating seal of
recognition, in Zen Buddhism, that authentic enlightenment has been attained,
and that a pupil has completed his training.
Inkin 引磬
The handbell used by the jikijitsu to signal the beginning and ending of
meditation, and for other miscellaneous purposes. (An inkin is a small handheld
bowl-shaped bell mounted on a handle which the ino (chant leader) strikes with
a metal striker at intervals to signal the beginning of bowing prostrations or,
toward the end of ceremonies, to signal that it is time to gassho in the
direction of the altar.)
Ino 維那 hall manager, “overseeing
karmadāna (‘giver of assignments’)”, one of the Sōtō Zen Temple’s
six officers (roku chiji 六知事). Formerly, the monk in
charge of supervising the work duty; at present, the monk who leads chanting
during a service. At sesshin, the ino is in charge of any matter that involves
the mouth. “Rector” (ino 維那): a hybrid compound (also read ina
and inō) that combines the Chinese wei 維, “supervisor,” with the
graph na 那, thought to represent the final syllable of the
transliterated Sanskrit term karmadāna.
Inryo 隱寮
The roshi’s living quarters.
Intoku 陰徳
Good works performed in secret.
Issoku-hanpo 一息半歩 walking
half step with breathing in and out - kinhin in Sōtō zen.
Isshu 揖手 Folding hands at walking and
standing. This is also called shashu. In Rinzai tradition the left hand covers
the right hand.
Isshu 一炷
The length of time it takes to burn one stick of incense; hence, one period of
zazen.
Jakugo 着語 ; 箸語 Capping
phrase.
Jianwu (C) 漸悟
gradual awakening
Jihatsu 持鉢
The name of the nesting set of bowls with which Rinzai unsui eat. A monk’s own
bowls (the standard 5 bowl Rinzai zen monk set), wrapped in cloth for
carrying around. During a meal, they will be unwrapped, used, cleaned, and
wrapped back up again.
Jikidō 食堂 The
room where meals are eaten in a Rinzai monastery.
Jikidō 直堂 hall monitor, “keeping in
order the (meditation) hall”. Officiant in the Sōtō temple zendō
in charge of keeping time. The jikidō signals the start and end of sitting
periods by sounding the han and kesu (large bell).
Jikijitsu 直日 In
a Rinzai zendō, the monk in charge of meditation in the zendō, second
to the rōshi. This is approximately equivelant to the godō in
Sōtō. (The timekeeper for a sesshin or for any meditation gathering.
All matters having to do with time are the responsibility of the
"jiki", provided the decisions do not conflict with the activities or
wishes of the rōshi. The jiki usually leads kinhin as well.)
Jikō 侍香 incense attendant, “serving
incense”.
Jinjū ”Steward of purity”, the sanitation steward at
a Zen monastery, responsible for keeping the latrines clean.
Jisha 侍者
abbot’s attendant, “serving person”. The head monk in charge of caring for the
monks of the zendō; his duties include maintaining the zendō’s main
image (usually Manjusri), serving tea, and caring for sick monks. (The
rōshi's attendant during sesshin. Those attending a sesshin are most aware
of the jisha's role as the person who directs dokusan; the jisha announces when
dokusan begins and guides students in and out.)
Jiriki 自力 ”Self Power”, seeking
enlightenment through one’s own merit and religious practice.
Jizoku 寺族 ”priest’s wife” in
Sōtō temple life.
Jōdō 上堂 Convocation. Literally, to "go up" (jō 上 ) to the "hall" (dō 堂 ). The reference here is to a dharma hall (hattō 法堂 ), where all the residents of a monastery (and outside visitors as well) gather to hear the abbot give a sermon or engage members of the assembly in debate (mondō 問答 ). It is not clear whether the verb "go up" refers to the entire assembly that enters a dharma hall, or just the abbot, who mounts a high seat (kōza 高座 ) on the Sumeru altar in a dharma hall for the occasion. In Chinese Buddhist monasteries of the Song dynasty and the medieval Japanese Zen monasteries that were modeled after them, convocations in a dharma hall were among the most solemn, formal observations held on a regular basis. The words of the abbot, who was understood to speak in the capacity of a flesh-and-blood buddha, were recorded for posterity. Abbots belonging to the Zen lineage were often asked to comment on "old cases" (kosoku 古則 ) (i.e. koans), or raised such cases themselves to test their followers in the audience.
Joju 常住
The administrative section of the monastery, as opposed to the zendō, or
donai.
Jokei 助警 A junior officer in the monastery. In most Rinzai
monasteries there are two.
Jōnin
浄人
meal
server, “pure person”.
Josaku 除策
Lit., “removing the keisaku”; a free day of rest in
the monastery.
Juban 襦袢 A
waist-length underkimono.
Jūji
住持} “abiding and maintaining”.
Jukai 受戒 Lay ordination. Zen public
ordination ceremony wherein a lay student receives certain Buddhist precepts. Ceremony
of receiving (ju) the Buddhist Precepts (kai). This is a formal initiation into
Buddhism, making one a member of the Buddha's family.
Junkei 巡警
The patrolling of the zendo with the keisaku.
Junkō 巡香 meditation patrol (carries
kyōsaku): “round of incense”.
Jūshoku 住職
“abiding
director”.
Juzu 数珠 Rosaries come in three forms: 108
beads, 54 beads, and 27 beads. All have at their base either
a manji (swastika), representing the primal movement of the spirit within the
heart; or a pagoda, representing the storehouse of the scriptures, which the
turning of the rosary causes to be revolved; or a fish biting an iron ball
which it can neither swallow nor spit out; or a tassel or pair of tassels,
representing the roots of the Lotus, the symbol of enlightenment, with its
roots in the mud of human suffering. No matter what may be at the base
of the rosary, it is always a symbol of activity and movement, whether the
movement of the heart, i.e. the manji; the turning of the scriptures, i.e. the
pagoda; the struggle of the kōan, i.e. the fish with the iron ball; or the
nourishment of enlightenment from suffering, i.e. the tassel. Immediately above
this symbol are three beads representing the Three Refuges: Homage to the
Buddha, Homage to the Dharma, Homage to the Sangha. A 108 bead rosary is
divided into 6 groups of 18 with a divider between each. A 54 bead one has 6
groups of 9 with a divider between each, and a 27 bead one, 2 groups of 6 and 1
of 15 divided by 2 dividers. All divider beads in a rosary represent points of
pause for silent meditation, the putting of the hands in gasshō while
holding the rosary, or the putting of the brain, as it were, into gasshō.
Kafu 家風
Lit., house wind”; the customs and “atmosphere” of a
certain monastery.
Kaichin 開枕 Bedtime
at the monastery, marked by a short sutra-chanting and the unrolling of the
kashiwabuton. (Kaichin is a Zen expression for laying out on one’s bed and
going to sleep. When the kaichin bell is rung in a Zen monastery, monks or nuns
run to get their bedding in the sōdō (monk’s hall). Traditionally,
monastics are supplied with one mattress and no pillow. In a traditional
setting no blankets are permitted, either. This results in the monks and nuns
rolling up into the mattresses themselves to keep warm for the night.)
Kaidan 戒壇 Ordination platform.
Kaihan 開板
Striking of the wooden han. (Kaihan is the striking of an instrument made from
a thick wood plank, the han, struck with a wooden mallet or hammer to announce
various ceremonial times. Traditionally, this is done three times to announce
the various intervals throughout the day. Roughly translated, kaihan means “opening
the han.”)
Kaijo 開靜
Morning wake-up at the monastery.
Kaiko 開講
The occasion of the first teisho of the ango.
Kaimyo 戒名
One’s
precept name (sometimes called dharma name), given to them during a Jukai
Ceremony. This is often a unique Buddhist name which
may at times express certain qualities the master has observed in his or her
disciple.
Kaisandō 開山堂 Founder’s Hall in a
traditional Zen monastery. The size may range in scope from a single room to
its own building.
Kaisei 解制 ”Unbinding
rules”, closing practice period, about August 15. The monastic off-season.
Roughly synonymous with seikan.
Kaishi 戒師 “precept teacher”.
Kaiyoku 開浴
Monastic bath time. (Kaiyoku is the ceremony of “Opening the Bath.” In common
usage, kaiyoku refers to going to the baths in a Japanese Zen monastery. In a
traditional monastery setup, monastics bathe about every five days, with dates
with the number four or nine in them.)
Kanban bukuro 看板袋
The bag used by the monks during menicancy. The name of the monk’s temple is
usually written on the front of the bag.
Kanchō 管長 The head abbot
Kanhua chan (C) 看話禪
kanna-zen (J); ”introspecting the kōan Zen”
Kankin 看經 “sutra reading” or “sutra
recitation”—sometimes even “sutra study.”
Kanna Zen 看話禪
kan hua chan (C), kōan Zen; ”introspecting the kōan Zen”.
Kansei 閑栖 A retired priest.
Kanshō 喚鐘
The small hanging bell rung by the monks to signal entrance to the master’s
room during dokusan. It has thus come to be synonymous with sanzen itself.
Kasa 笠 any of several sorts of
traditional hats of Japan. When preceded by a word specifying the type of hat,
the word becomes gasa: 網代笠 ajiro-gasa; 托鉢笠
takuhatsu gasa.
Kashaku 掛錫 To
formally enter a monastery for training.
Kashiwabuton 柏蒲団
The large square-shaped futon used for sleeping in the monastery. The futon is
folded in half, and the unsui sleeps inside. In the morning the futon is rolled
up and stored for the day.
Katan 加擔 To
help with work, either in general or at another temple.
Kato 掛搭 To
formally enter a monastery for training. See kashaku. (Kato is a Japanese Zen
expression which means “hanging up at the hook.” In a traditional Japanese
monastic environment, a newly admitted postulant hangs his or her robes and
clothing on a hook above their mat, which will from then on be where he sleeps
and lives.)
Katsu 喝 Traditional Zen belly shout; used to
cut off discriminative thinking.
Kechimyaku 血脈 "blood line", heritage
of the Law. A list of the unbroken lineage of teaching from Master to disciple,
from Shakyamuni Buddha to the present, graphically depicted as an endlessly
flowing, circular red line, The keeping of the Precepts is called "the
Blood of Buddha".
Keisaku 警策
The “warning stick,” used to encourage monks during zazen. (Rinzai)
Keisu 磬子 Bowl-shaped gong used in chanting
services. It is struck on the rim by a small padded club or mallet. It
punctuates the chanting of the sutras.
Kekka fuza 結跏趺座
The full lotus sitting position.
Kenge 見解
The response to a koan, presented during sanzen.
Kenshō 見性 ”To
see self nature;” seeing one’s own true nature; an experience of
awakening. Kenshō is roughly
synonymous with satori, although the latter is generally regarded as indicating
a deeper experience. (Has the same meaning as satori, but is customary
used for an initial awakening experience.)
Kentan 檢單
The formal checking of the sitting monks in the zendo by the roshi or the
jikijitsu.
Kesa 袈裟
The Buddhist liturgical robe usually translated as “surplice.” Monk’s robe.
(Lit., decayed colored [robe]). It is the stylized
form of the original Indian Buddhist robe, kaṣāya (Skt), worn around
the body, over the left shoulder and under the right shoulder. Symbolic robe of
the transmission from a master to a disciple.
Kesa bunko 袈裟文庫
The luggage bundle carried by unsui during their angya, containing their kesa,
razor, jihatsu, sutra book, and rain poncho (kesa bukuro, kesa gōri)
Kessei 結制 Opening Practice Period (”binding
rules”), about May 15.
Ki 氣 vital energy
Kiku 規矩
The monastic regulations.
Kimono 着物 The traditional Japanese
kimono has wide, half-way sewn sleeves. There is no
seam between the top and the skirt, and there are no pleats in the skirt. Pure
cotton kimonos lose length during washing. A fold in the waist areas allows for
lengthening. Kimonos are ankle length, For ceremonial use white cotton. For
everyday use grey fabric.
Kinhin or kyōgyō 經行 Walking
meditation. Literally, "to go straight". When doing kinhin in
Sōtō zen style, walk clockwise around the room, holding your hand in
shashu position. From the waist up, your posture should be the same as that in
zazen. Take the first step with your right foot. Advance by taking only half
step for each full breath (one exhalation and inhalation). (= Issoku-hanpo 一息半歩
”walking half step with breathing in and out”. Walk slowly and smoothly as if
you were standing in one place. Do not drag your feet or make noise. Walk
straight ahead, and when turning, always turn to right. The word kinhin means
to go straight. When you finish kinhin, stop and bow. Then walk at a normal
pace around the room until you return to your seat.
Kirigami 切り紙 literally refers to "paper
strips" on which Sōtō masters transmitted esoteric
interpretations of kōans with cryptic sayings, formulas, and diagrams.
See also shōmono (抄物).
Kitan ryushaku 起單留錫
The occasion at the end of the training period when a monk notifies the
monastery whether he will be staying for the next training period or leaving to
continue his angya.
Kōan
公案 gong’an (C); ”public case”, ”public
announcement”, or ”precedent for public use”. A fundamental practice in Zen
training, challenging the pupil through a question, or a phrase or answer to a
question, which presents a paradox or puzzle. A kōan cannot be understood
or answered in conventional terms: it requires a pupil to abandon reliance on
ordinary ways of understanding in order to move into or towards enlightenment.
The origins of kōan are uncertain, but predate Nan-yüan Hui-yung (d. 930
CE) to whom the first use is attributed. The earliest surviving collection is
in the writings of Fen-yang Shan-chao (Fen-yang lu; Jap.,
Funʾyōroku), including a series of 100 kōan questions
(chieh-wen; Jap., kitsumon). Fen-yang was of the Rinzai school, and the use of
kōans is particularly associated with Rinzai (kanna zen), but is not
exclusive to it. Under Fen-yang's successor, Shih-shuang, Li Tsu-hsü produced
Tenshō Kōtōroku, one of the five foundation chronicles of Zen in
the Sung period, containing many kōans. Among Shih-shuang's pupils, Wu-tsu
Fa-yen extended the short, sharp kōan to its height. Fa-yen's main pupil,
Yüan-wu K'o-ch'in (1036–1135) was a vital figure in developing kōan method
in this period, completing the Blue Cliff Record (Chin.,
Pi-yen-lu; Jap., Hekigan-roku). The second largest collection of the Sung
period is Ts'ung-jung lu (Jap., Shōyōroku),
assembled by Wan-sung Hsing-hsiu (1166–1246). It was followed (1229) by the
Wu-men-kuan (Jap., Mumonkan), edited by Wu-men
Hui-k'ai (1183–1260). About 1,700 kōans survive, of which about 600 are in
active use. At the end of one’s formal training one works in depth with the
Jūjūkinkai, a series of koans on the 16 Buddhist precepts.)
In Rinzai, five types of kōan are identified: (i)
hosshin-kōan, to create awareness of identity with buddha-nature (bussho);
(ii) kikan-kōan, to create ability nevertheless to discern distinctions
within non-distinction; (iii) gonsen-kōan, creating awareness of the deep
meaning of the sayings of the masters; (iv) nantō-kōan, grappling
with the hardest to solve; (v) go-i-kōan: when the other four have been
worked through, the insight gained is tested once more.
Koban 香盤
The incense holder in which sticks of incense are burned by the jikijitsu
during zazen.
Kōden 香典
· 香奠 To
offer incense.
Koji 居士 “residence/dwelling man”,
layman
Koji kyumei 己事究明
”The investigation and clarification of the self.” The purpose of zazen.
Kokuho 告報 An
announcement by the head monk to the community, usually setting out the
schedule for that day.
Kokyō 挙経 chant leader, “celebrating/initiating
the sutra”.
Komusō 虚無僧 ”Monk of emptiness”.
Member of the Fuke sect. Komusō were half-monks and half-laymen, neither
shaving their heads, nor wearing ordinary monk’s robes. They lived a mendicant
life, begging for alms and playing the shakuhachi, a bamboo flute. Komusō
were characterised by the straw basket (a sedge or reed hood named a tengai)
worn on the head, manifesting the absence of specific ego.
Konshō 昏鐘
The evening ringing of the large temple bell.
Koromo 衣 Monastic robe
(worn by ordained monks only).
Kosoku 古則 A synonym for "koan".
Kotai 交代 The changing
of monastic duties at the end of the training period.
Kotan 高單 A senior monk.
Kotsu 骨 Lit.,
"bone; relic". In some schools of Zen like Sanbō Kyōdan,
the ceremonial scepter of a rōshi is called kotsu instead of nyoi.
Koza 講座 A lecture by the roshi to the monks. See teisho.
Kufū 功夫 To
maintain one’s practice during stillness and movement. In the Zen monastery it
has generally come to mean something like something like “creative
inventiveness” during work.
“Pursued the way with concentrated effort” (bendō kufū 辨道功夫):
An expression used often in the Shōbōgenzō, also in reverse
syntax, “make concentrated effort in pursuit of the way” (kufū bendō 功夫辨道).
Kuri 庫裡
The monastery kitchen, or, more generally, the living quarters.
Kyahan 脚半 leg protectors
Kyogai 境界
The state of mind, usually expressed in a person’s actions and presence,
attained through training.
Kyōsaku 教策
"Encouragement stick" waking stick in Sōtō; called keisaku
in Rinzai. A flattened stick at one end, 75 to
Kyūhai
九拝
ninefold
prostration.
Linji zong (C) 臨済宗 Rinzai-shū
(J).
Makyō 魔境 Unpleasant or distracting
thoughts or illusions that occur during zazen.
Menpeki or Mempeki 面壁 (Jap.,
‘facing the wall’). Zen description of the nine years (menpeki-kunen 面壁九年),
which Bodhidharma (菩提達摩) spent ‘facing the wall’,
i.e. in profound meditation in a mountain cave near Shaolin Temple (少林寺).
It became a virtual synonym for zazen.
Missan 密参
secret study, ”The student might even keep a written record of the
transmission, a missan notebook (missanchō), preserving the details of the
encounters in which he received the teacher's secret instruction on a
particular koan or series of kōans.” (Peter Haskel)
Missan-roku 密参録
records of secret interviews; oral transmission (a book which describes the Zen
questioning and answering carried out between Zen priests)
Missanchō 密参?
esoteric commentary on kōans; records of kōan interviews; missan
notebook
Mitsumitsu sanketsu 密密参決
resolution through meticulous instructions
Mokugyo 木魚 A
wooden drum carved from one piece, to set the rhythm for chanting. (Lit., wooden fish. An elaborately carved wooden drum struck
with a padded wooden stick during chanting services. Fish, since they never
sleep, symbolize the alertness and watchfulness needed to attain Buddhahood.)
Mokushō Zen 黙照禪
mozhao chan (C), ”silent illumination Zen”, ”serene reflection Zen”; Zen
meditation that does not use koans. Contrasted with kanna Zen.
Mondō 問答
wenda (C); ‘Question and answer’, a term used in Japanese zen practice to refer
to a discussion or interview between master and student in which a religious
theme is addressed obliquely rather than in the form of a debate or lecture.
Normally the student raises a problem in connection with doctrine or practice and
the master attempts to provide an answer without recourse to theoretical or
analytical explanations. The records of these exchanges are often preserved as
kōans for use by subsequent students.
Monjin 問訊 The act of bowing from the
waist with hands in gasshō. Bow to front side person 対坐問訊
(taiza-monjin), either side person 隣位問訊
(rin-i-monjin).
Munen musō 無念無想 ”no-thought
and no-image“
Mushi-dokugo 無師独悟 Sometimes called 自悟自証 jigo-jishō (self-enlightened and self-certified), is a Japanese term used in Zen Buddhism which expresses the phenomenon known as "awakening alone, without a master."
Mushin 無心 No
superfluous thought, no mental fabrication.
Nakatan 中單 A middle-ranking unsui.
Narashimono 鳴物
The various sound-producing implements (bells, clappers, gongs) used in a
monastery to signal the times for various activities.
Nentei 拈提 To
meditate upon a koan.
Nibanza 二番座
The “second sitting” at mealtimes, attended by monks whose duties kept them away
from the first sitting.
Nichi nichi kore
kōjitsu. 日日是好日
"Everyday is a good day." Yunmen Wenyan (雲門文偃
Ummon Bun'en, 864-949).
Nisshitsu 入室 To
enter the roshi’s sanzen room for meditation instruction
Nitten sōji 日天掃除
The daily cleaning done inside and outside the monastery.
Niutou zong (C) 牛頭宗 Gozu
shū (J); Ox-Head School. Niutou
Farong (C) 牛頭法融 (594-657), Gozu Hōyū (J)
is the founder of the The Ox-Head School of Chan Buddhism. The name
"Ox-Head" (Niutou, Gozu) come from the Mount Niutou (Niutou shan,
Gozusan) where Farong lived. He is also known as Niutou Mountain
[Temple/School] First Patriarch Chan master Farong. The Ox-Head School is
considered not belonging to the orthodox line of Chan. This line of Chan sect is
also known as Niutou Zen.
Niwazume 庭詰
The period in which a postulant at a Zen monastery must sit in the monastery
entrance hall (genkan) in a bowing posture, asking for admission, usually for a
period of two days. See also tangazume.
Niya sanjitsu 二夜三日
Lit., “two nights and three days”; the maximum period
of time for which a monk may be absent from the monastery without having to
receive permission for zanka.
Nōsō 納僧 “patch-robed monk”.
Nyoi 如意 ruyi (C); Wooden scepter, about
Ōbaku shū 黃檗宗
Obi 帯 sash for traditional Japanese
kimono.
Ōryōki 應量器(おうりょうき)The
Sōtō 4 bowls set; begging bowl; (ooki, ooryooki 應量器
応量器, hatsu, Sanskrit: paatra). Also called Iron Bowl (鉄鉢
tetsubachi, teppatsu) or Buddha Bowl (仏鉢 buppatsu)
Oshiku 大四九
The fourteenth of every month and the last day of every month, when the monks
sleep late, then shave heads, do a major cleaning, and, during the afternoon,
rest.
Oshō 和尚 Japanese reading of the
Chinese he shang (和尚), meaning a high-ranking Buddhist monk or
highly virtuous Buddhist monk. It is also a respectful designation for Buddhist
monks in general and may be used with the suffix -san, it is originally derived
from the Sanskrit upadhyaya, meaning "master" in the sense of
"teacher".
Raihai 禮拝 Prostration before the altar or the
roshi. The Zen student is taught that in raihai one throws everything away.
Normally done in a set of three, these are bows that lead immediately into a
kneeling position and then quickly into a position with one's forehead gently
touching the floor. The hands, palms upwards, are raised in a gesture symbolic
of lifting the Buddha's feet over one's head. An act of respect and gratitude.
"As long as bowing lasts Buddhism will last. When bowing ceases, Buddhism
is destroyed" (Manzan Dohaku, 1636-1715)
Rakusu 絡子
The smallest style of kesa, shaped like a bib and worn around the neck.
The smallest of the Buddhist robes, the rakusu is made of five strips of cloth
which are sewn together and suspended from the neck by a cloth halter. It is
worn by monks, nuns, and lay persons. It is received during the jukai ceremony.
The rakusu is symbolic of the Buddha's patched robe. In Suzuki rōshi
lineage custom, blue rakusu are sewn for lay ordination, black for priest
ordination, and brown for those with Dharma transmission; but these colors vary
in other Zen lineages.
Rintan 隣單
The monk who sits next to one in the zendo.
Rinzai-shū 臨済宗 Linji zong
(C); Zen sect emphasizing koan study; named for master Linji.
Rōhatsu 臘八
The severest sesshin of the monastic year, commemorating the enlightenment of
the Buddha. It is usually held from December 1st until the morning of December
8th, during which period the monks are not allowed to lie down to rest.
Roku chiji 六知事 Sōtō Zen
Temple’s six officers, “six knowers/managers of affairs”: 1. director
{tsūsu 都寺} “capital temple,” {kansu 監寺} “watching
over temple”, 2. treasurer {fūsu 副寺} “assistant to the director/temple”,
3. hall manager {ino 維那} “overseeing karmadana (‘giver of
assignments’)”, 4. head cook {tenzo 典座} “celebration/ceremony
seat”, 5. work leader {shissui 直歳} “keeping in order the vicinity”,
6. guest manager {shika 知客} “knower of guests” (traditionally
asst. director)
Rōshi 老師 Lit., "old
teacher" or "elder master", Zen monastic master. In the
Sōtō organization roughly synonymous with shike; “venerable
(spiritual) teacher”.
Saba 生飯
The few grains of rice offered at the beginning of meals to the hungry ghosts.
Saihō 裁縫 sewing Buddhist garments.
Saiza 斎座
Lunch, the main meal of the monastic day.
Sampai 三拝 Threefold [san] prostration [hai];
expression of veneration through prostration customary in Zen, in which
otherwise there is a dearth of ceremonial forms. Sampai was probably originally
an expression of veneration toward the Three Treasures. Under certain
circumstances, also ninefold prostration (kyūhai 九拝) is
practised. See also Raihai.
Samu 作務
Manual labor in the monastery, a part of training equally important to zazen.
Samue 作務衣
Working or everyday clothes for a male Zen Buddhist monk.
Sando 參堂 To
formally enter the zendo as a new member of the monastic community following
the completion of niwazume and tangazume.
Sanno 三應 A synonym for inji.
Sanzen 參禪
Formal meditation study with a Zen master. More specifically, the private
meetings between master and disciple in which the master instructs the disciple
in meditation.
Sarei 茶礼
Occasions when tea is served, both on formally and informally.
Satori 悟り; 覚り [さとり] the experience of awakening, enlightenment.
Seichū 制中
The monastic training season. Roughly synonymous with ango.
Seidō 西堂 west hall teacher (senior
teacher), “west (seat) of the (meditation) hall”.
Seikan 制間
The monastic off-season. Roughly synonymous with kaisei.
Seiza 正座 Lit.,
"proper sitting", is the Japanese term for the traditional formal way
of sitting in Japan. A sitting position where one kneels and sits back onto the
heels. This is the standard position for chanting during service.
Senmon dōjō 專門道場
A formal Zen training monastery, at which a monk can
gain qualification for priesthood. Roughly synonymous with sōdō.
Sesshin 攝心
Meditation retreats, generally lasting one week. Samu is replaced by additional
meditation.
Setsu ango 雪安居
The winter training season.
Shakuhachi 尺八 a Japanese end-blown flute.
It is traditionally made of bamboo. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school
of Zen Buddhism in the practice of suizen (吹禅, blowing meditation).
Shamon 沙門 “shramana (‘contemplative’)”
Shashu 叉手 Hand position used when walking
or standing in the zendō. Put the thumb of your left hand in the middle of
the palm and make a fist around it. Place the fist in front of your chest.
Cover the fist with your right hand. Keep your elbows away from your body
forming a straight line with both forearms.
Shichido garan 七堂伽藍
The classical layout of the Zen monastery with seven buildings. The Sanmon 山門
(Mountain Gate), Butsuden 佛殿 (Buddha Hall), Hatto 法堂
(Dharma Hall), and Hojo 方丈 (Abbot’s Quarters) are aligned on a
north-south axis, with the Yokushitsu 浴室 (Bath House) and Kyozo 経蔵
(sutra library) to the east and the Sōdō 僧堂 (Monk’s
Hall) to the west.
Shichijō kesa 七條袈裟 Seven-piece robe.
Shigu-seigan 四弘誓願 Four universal vows.
Shihō 嗣法 Dharma transmission. The
act by which a master affirms that a students’ training is complete and that he
or she is ready to begin to teach the Dharma independently.
In Sōtō Zen Buddhism refers to a series of ceremonies wherein which a
priest receives full transmission, inheriting the Dharma from his/her master
and becoming empowered to transmit the precepts and lineage to others. A shiho
ceremony can last anywhere from one to three weeks, with the final ceremony
consisting of two specific segments. The first is transmission of the precepts
from master to disciple, known as denkai, where the master confirms that the
student is actualizing the precepts in his/her day to day life. In this
ceremony the student "...become[s] the blood of
the Buddha." The second, denpo, is the Dharma transmission ceremony where
the student inherits the Dharma and is empowered to transmit the lineage. In
the denpo ceremony, the student becomes an ancestor of the tradition and
receives a robe and bowl, among other objects. Also during the denpo ceremony
the student receives a Shoshike certificate (which grants the power to perform
Jukai) and also the documents known as the "three regalia of transmission":
shisho (inheritance certificate), odaiji (a diagram symbolizing the Great
Matter) and shoden kechimyaku (bloodline of Dharma transmission). The
Sōtō school also confers inka shōmyō (or inshō) upon
students—meaning "'[granting] the seal of approval to a realization of
enlightenment'"—and the student must undergo a shiho ceremony to receive
Dharma transmission. Following completion of these ceremonies the teacher
becomes independent.
Shiji zazen 四时坐禅 Four hours' zazen; four periods of sitting meditation: 1) 后夜坐禪 goya zazen = dawn ; 2) 早晨坐禪 sōshin zazen = midmorning; 3) 晡时坐禪 hoji zazen = afternoon; 4) 黄昏坐禪 kōkon zazen = evening
Shijo 止靜
The time between the beginning and end of a period of meditation, when silence
must be maintained and no moving is permitted. ( the Cease and be Quiet
bell, about
Shika 知客 guest manager, “knower of guests”
(traditionally asst. director), one of the Sōtō Zen Temple’s six
officers (roku chiji 六知事). The head monk in charge of the
administrative section of the monastery, and whose duties involve meeting
guests.
Shikantaza 祗管打坐 “just
sitting”; a state of attention that is free from thoughts, directed to no
object, and attached to no particular content.
Shike 師家
The master of a monastery. Shike is roughly synonymous with roshi.
Shikunichi 四九日
Days which contain a “
Shin’igi 眞威儀
The formal wear used by unsui during ceremonies.
Shinjin datsuraku 身心脱落
"Body
and mind dropped off." Casting off [both] body and mind. (Dōgen's
words describing his enlightenment)
Shinkin 嚫金
Money received by the monks from the monastery.
Shinrei 振鈴 The wake-up bell, hand bell rung in the morning to awaken everyone in the temple.
Shinsu 辰司 wake-up bell ringer, “morning
officer”.
Shinto 新到 A new monk; usually refers to monks in their first year at
the monastery.
Shippei 竹箆 bamboo staff which curves
slightly, approximately half a metre long, which is used as a "symbol of a
Zen master's authority" in Zen Buddhism. In contrast to the keisaku, the
shippei was often used as a disciplinary measure for meditating monks. It can
often be found at the side of a Zen master in a zendo and is also "one of
seven items that make up a Zen monk's equipment." The shippei is made from
a split piece of bamboo, which is bound with wisteria vine and then lacquered.
Sometimes curved in the shape of an S, the shippei may be elaborately decorated
with a silk cord or have carvings.
Shissui 直歳 work leader, “keeping in order
the vicinity”, one of the Sōtō Zen Temple’s six officers (roku chiji 六知事).
Shitsunai 室内
Lit., “inside the room”—an term for the meditation
instruction that takes place between the master and disciple in the sanzen room
of the master.
Shokan 初關
Lit., “the first barrier”; the first koan received by
a monk.
Shōken 相見 A formal meeting with a Zen master. (The first personal
interview between the roshi and a student; lit.,
seeing one another.)
Shōmono 抄物
complex
body of commentaries on traditional kōan collections and recorded sayings
texts by late medieval and early modern Sōtō priests. See also
kirigami (切り紙).
Shoshin 初心 is a concept in Zen Buddhism
meaning "beginner's mind". It refers to having an attitude of
openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even
when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would.
The term is especially used in the study of Zen Buddhism and Japanese martial
arts. The phrase is also used in the title of the book Zen Mind, Beginner's
Mind by the Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki, who says the following about the
correct approach to Zen practice: ”In the beginner's mind there are many
possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.” (Shoshin also means
"correct truth" and is used to denote a genuine signature on art
works or to refer to any thing or person that is genuine.)
Shō shuso 請首座
Appointing
shuso.
Shōten 鐘点
bell
ringer, “(bonshō) bell dotting/turning on”.
Shugyōsha 修行者 “(spiritual) practice person”,
practitioner.
Shukin 手巾 The cord that monks wear
around their waist.
Shukkejin 出家人 “left-home person /
homeleaver”.
Shuso 首座 head student, “head seat”.
Shuso hossenshiki 首座法戰式
Term
used in zen Buddhism to describe an encounter or exchange between two
practitioners as a means of expressing and deepening their understanding of the
nature of reality. The exchange may be verbal or involve gestures or movements,
or a combination of all three. The exchange is not a philosophical debate so
much as a manifestation or disclosure of each individual's intuitive apprehension
of religious truth. The activity shares certain similarities with the practice
of mondo. During the shusso hossen ceremony, the head monk (shuso) is verbally
tested in public by other students and teachers on their knowledge of Buddhist
teachings.
Shutto 出頭
Participation in a ceremony.
Shuya 守夜
The evening fire-watch at the time of kaichin, when one or two monks make the
rounds of the monastery buildings and properties to make sure that all fires
are out.
Sōdō 僧堂 A formal Zen training monastery, at which a monk can gain
qualification for priesthood. Roughly synonymous with senmon dōjō.
(In traditional monasteries there is a building called the monks’ hall,
sōdō, in which practitioners sleep, eat, and practice zazen together.
In the sōdō, there is a platform called a tan which is about two feet
high. Each person has a space of one straw mat (tatami) on which to eat, sleep,
and sit. Manjushri Bodhisattva, the symbol of wisdom, is enshrined in the
center of the hall.)
Sōku 送供
head
server, “sending off the meal offering”.
Sonshuku 尊宿 An
older priest or an eminent priest.
Sorin 叢林
Another term for sōdō.
Sōryo 僧侶
monk/priest,
“sangha companion”.
Sōsan 総參
Formal sanzen held on the first, fourth, and seventh evenings of a sesshin, and
during which the shika rings the kansho and the monks meet the roshi in order
of rank. All monks must participate. Contrasts with dokusan.
Soshigata 祖师谷 The elders or patriarchs in Chʾan/Zen
Buddhism, the great masters, practitioners, and teachers who stand in lines of
direct transmission of dharma—ultimately, from the Buddha Shākyamuni.
Sōtō-shū 曹洞宗 Caodong zong (C);
one of two dominant sects of Zen in Japan, the other being Rinzai. Sōtō Sect of Zen emphasizing shikantaza
as the primary mode of practice.
Sozarei 総茶禮
A formal sarei that all monks are required to attend.
Usually held before important affairs.
Suikai 埀誡
Instructions or warnings from the master or superior monks.
Suizen 吹禅 a Zen practice consisting of
playing the shakuhachi bamboo flute as a means of attaining self-realization.
The monks from the Fuke sect of Zen who practiced suizen were called
komusō (虚無僧; literally "emptiness monks").
Sūsokukan 数息観
“observation
of breath count”; preliminary meditation of counting breaths. (You may choose
to count the exhale, inhale or both. Count the exhale when you are sleepy;
count the inhale when the mind is distracted. If you are very sleepy and
distracted count both exhale and inhale.)
Suzu 鈴 Small hand bell rung through the
halls (of a monastery, or at sesshin) as a wakeup call.
Tabi 足袋 Split-toe ankle socks.
Taiki seppō 對機說法 Speaking to
the caliber of a listener.
Taku 柝木
Wooden clappers, two pieces of hard wood, about 5 x 5 x
Takuhatsu 托鉢
Mendicancy; monastic begging rounds.
Tan 単 (Trad. 單)
A meditation platform in a zendo. Usually there are three or four: the
jikijitsu tan (the tan to the left as you enter the front of the zendo), tanto
tan (the tan to the right as you enter the front of the zendo), naka tan (an
auxilliary tan between the jikijitsu tan and the tanto tan), and sometimes a
gaitan (an auxilliary tan outside the main zendo room). The word tan can also
indicate a person’s place on the tan, and hence his place in the monastery
hierarchy.
Tanbuton 單蒲団
The large cushion upon which Rinzai monks sit during zazen.
Tangaryō 旦過寮 A
period of waiting for admission into a Zen monastery at the
gate, lasting anywhere from one day to several weeks—depending on the quality
of one's sitting. Refers to the room traveling monks stay in when visiting, or
await admittance into the sōdō.
Tangazume 旦過詰
The period in which a postulant at a Zen monastery must sit alone in a small
room (called the tangaryō) facing the wall, usually for a period of five
days. See also niwazume.
Tatchu 塔頭 A subtemple located in the precincts of a larger temple.
Tantō 単頭 Lit.,
"head of the tan." Platform head (assistant to head of training); “(sitting)
platform head”. In a Zen temple, the tantō is one of two officers (with
the godō) in charge monks' training. (One of the main leaders of a
sesshin, the tantō is in charge of the smooth running of the zendō.
The tantō is usually an experienced senior student who is familiar with
the roles of the other leaders and thus is able to offer guidance if any
confusion arises.)
Teihatsu 剃髪 shaving the head.
Teishō 提唱
The rōshi’s dharma lecture, usually on a kōan, a Zen text, or a
sutra. Rather than an explanation or exposition in the traditional sense, it is
intended as a demonstration of Zen realisation. (Lit.,
recitation offering, presentation; in Zen the presentation of Zen realisation
by a Zen master (rōshi) during a sesshin. The word is derived from tei,
carry, offer, show, present, proclaim and shō, recite, proclaim. The
rōshi offers the teishō, which generally has a kōan or an
important passage in Zen literature as its theme to the buddha in the presence
of the assembly of practitioners. It is not an explanation, commentary or
exposition in the usual sense and certainly not a lecture in the academic
sense. Thus the frequent translation of teishō as lecture is misleading,
and presentation is more accurate. No-one is being lectured here, and
purveyance of factual knowledge is not the point. The rōshi’s offering is
nondualistic and free from everything conceptual. It is an immediate
demonstration of his genuine insight into the theme treated and for that reason
can touch the deepest mind of its hearers. Teishō is distinguished from
dharma talk, which is an ordinary lecture on some Buddhist topic.
Tenjin 点心 A meal served to the unsui at the home of a believer. The
monks often receive tenjin at the end of the morning takuhatsu rounds.
Tenken 点検 attendance taker, “attendance taker,
inspector”.
Tenzo 典座 head cook, “celebration/ceremony
seat”, one of the Sōtō Zen Temple’s six officers (roku chiji 六知事).
The monastery kitchen; also the head cook for a monastery or sesshin.
Traditionally the role of tenzo was a position of high honor in zen
monasteries. Similarly today, a tenzo is often considered to be one of the main
leaders for sesshin.
Toki 湯器
The container for hot water.
Tokudo 得度 To
be ordained as a monk.
Tsūsu 都寺
director,
“capital temple,” {kansu 監寺} “watching over temple”, one of the
Sōtō Zen Temple’s six officers (roku chiji 六知事).
Unpan 雲版
Lit., “cloud plate”; a flat, cloud-shaped gong used to
signal mealtimes.
Unnō 雲納 “cloud patches”, monk.
Unsui 雲水
Lit., “clouds and water”; a Zen monk in training.
Unsui or kōun ryūsui (行雲流水) in full, is a
term specific to Zen Buddhism which denotes a postulant awaiting acceptance
into a monastery or a novice monk who has undertaken Zen training. Sometimes
they will travel from monastery to monastery (angya) on a pilgrimage to find
the appropriate Zen master to study with. The term unsui comes from a Chinese
poem which reads, "To drift like clouds and flow like water."
Wagesa 輪袈裟 "circular kesa". A form
of kesa further simplified from the rakusu. A wagesa is a strip of cloth with
its ends connected by a decorative knot, worn around the neck.
Waraji 草鞋 Straw rope sandals which are
mostly worn by monks.
Watō 話頭
(Jap., ”word-head”). The key point, line, or word in a
kōan; critical phrase, crucial phrase, punch line or head word; huatou (C).
Yako Zen 野狐禪
Lit., “wild fox Zen”; false Zen.
Yakuseki 藥石
Lit., “medicine stone”; the Zen monastic supper. In
Buddhism it was originally forbidden to eat after noon. However, in China,
where Zen developed, it was cold in the winter, so the monks would put heated
stones against their abdomens to assuage the pangs of hunger. These stones were
called "medicine stones." Later a light meal, consisting of the day’s
leftovers, came to be served, and this was named after the stones used to ease
hunger.
Yaza 夜坐
Lit., “night sitting”; private zazen done after
kaichin.
Yukata 浴衣 Unlined kimono-like garment for
summer use, usually made of cotton, linen, or hemp. Yukata are strictly
informal, most often worn to outdoor festivals, by men and women of all ages.
They are also worn at onsen (hot spring) resorts, where they are often provided
for the guests in the resort's own pattern.
Yokuju 浴頭
The monk that prepares the bath. (Rinzai)
Yokusu 浴主 bath manager, “bath master”.
(Sōtō)
Yulu (C) 語録
recorded sayings
Zabuton 座布団 Cushion for sitting. The zabuton
is generally used when sitting on the floor, and may also be used when sitting
on a chair. Ordinarily any place in Japan where seating is on the floor will be
provided with zabuton, for sitting comfort. A typical square zabuton measures
50–70 cm on a side and is several centimetres thick when new.
Zafu 座蒲
Round
pillow for zazen. Za (座) means "seat", and fu (蒲) means
reedmace or cattail (Typha spp.). A zafu is a seat stuffed with the fluffy,
soft, downy fibres of the disintegrating reedmace seed heads. The Japanese zafu
originates in China, where these meditation seats were originally filled with
reedmace down. An alternate translation of zafu is "cushion for
sitting" or "sitting cushion", where za means
"sitting" or "sit" and fu means "cushion".
Zagen 座元 “sitting leader”,
full-fledged priest (after being shuso).
Zagu 坐具
The rectangular “sitting cloth,” used during ceremonies at the time of ritual
prostrations. Piece of cloth carried by monk on which bowing is done. (It is
crisply folded and worn by the ordained over the left wrist.)
Zaikejin 在家人 “staying-home person /
householder”, layman.
Zanka 暫暇 A permitted absence from the monastery longer than three
days and two nights. It is often used at present to indicate the termination of
a monk’s sōdō training.
Zanmai 三昧
Samadhi.
Zazen 坐禅
zuo chan (C), seated meditation; sitting practice of Zen; upright sitting with
no mental fabrication. (The most outstanding advocate of zazen was the 13th-century
Zen master and founder of the Sōtō sect in Japan, Dōgen. He
considered zazen not only to be a method of moving toward enlightenment but
also, if properly experienced, to constitute enlightenment itself.) The bell is
rung to signal the beginning and end of zazen. When zazen
begins, the bell is rung three times (shijōshō 止静鐘).
When kinhin begins, the bell is rung twice (kinhinshō). And when kinhin is
finished, the bell is rung once (chukaishō). Also, when zazen is finished,
the bell is rung once (hozenshō). Finishing zazen: when the bell is rung
twice to signal kinhin or once to signal the end of zazen, relax your body as
explained above, and get down from the tan. Face the seat and adjust the
shape of your zafu. Then, bow toward your seat. Next, turning around to the
right, bow to the people on the opposite side as you did before sitting. If
there is no kinhin, leave your seat and walk to the
entrance of the hall with your hands in the shashu position. Bow in gassho
toward Manjushri Bodhisattva and leave the hall. Step out with your right foot
this time. When you do kinhin, start to do it right away. Keep an equal
distance between you and the people behind and in front of you. At the end of
kinhin the bell is rung once. Stop and bow in shashu. Then walk at a normal
pace following the person in front of you. Walk around the hall until you
return to your seat. At this point you may go to the toilet if you wish. The
next period of zazen will begin shortly. (”Noisy thought is not your enemy (不思慮
fushiryo). Being with noisy thought (非思慮 hishiryo).”
Zazenkai 坐禅会 One-day retreat.
Zen 禅 (Trad. 禪) meditation. The Japanese word “Zen”, or “禅” (“ぜん”),
is a deformation, through Chinese (“禪”, pronounced “chan2” in Mandarin),
of the Sanskrit “dhyāna” (“ध्यान” in the
original script), meaning “meditation”.
Zendō 禅堂 A Zen meditation hall. (The place where zazen is practiced.
In Japanese monasteries the monks/nuns live in the zendō. The zendō
officers live in small individual rooms which at times they share with their
support staff.) Hold your hands in shashu position and step forward with your
left foot at the left side of the entrance. When leaving the zendō, step
out with your right foot at the same side of the entrance. Only the abbot of
the monastery may enter the hall from the middle of the entrance. After
entering the hall, bow in gasshō toward the altar and go to your seat. As
a sign of respect, you should refrain from walking in front of the statue of
Manjushri Bodhisattva. Rather, you should walk around behind the image. When
walking, keep your hands in the shashu position. When you arrive at your seat,
face the seat and bow in gasshō. This is a greeting to the people who are
about to do zazen with you at the seats on either side of you. The people sitting
next to you also bow. This is called rini-monjin. Then, turn around to the
right until your seat is behind you, and bow again to those sitting at the
opposite side of the hall. This is a greeting to the people across the hall and
is referred to as taiza-monjin. Sit down on your zafu, turn around to the
right, and sit facing the wall. In the sōdō, there is a wooden meal
board (jōen 上演) at the edge of the platform (tan 単)
on which bowls are set during meals. Do not place your buttocks or feet on the
jōen.
Zenji 禅師 Lit.,
Zen master [ji = shi, master]; honorific title having the sense of great [or
renowned] Zen master. It is a title that is generally conferred posthumously;
several masters, however, received this title during their lifetime.
Zenpan 禅板
Chin rest.
Zenshū 禅宗 Chan zong (C); Zen Sect,
Zen School.
Zōri 草履
Flat
and thonged sandals made of rice straw, typically worn with formal kimono.
Zuihan 隨意飯 An
informal meal.
Zuisokukan 随息観 Breath watching (literally,
following) meditation. (Without counting we become one with breathing. When
inhaling, become inhaling. When exhaling, become exhaling.)
Zuiyoku 隨意浴
An informal bath.
Zuiza 隨意坐
Informal sitting in the zendo, with no shijo.
Zuochan (C) 坐禪 zazen (J); sitting
meditation.
Zutabukuro 頭陀袋
A monks bag hung around the neck, used to keep
personal effects.