The Religion of the Samurai: A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and JapanNukariya, Kaiten
Religion
The Religion of the Samurai: A Study of Zen Philosophy and Discipline in China and Japan
Nukariya, Kaiten
Buddhism -- China; Buddhism -- Japan; China -- Religion; Human beings -- Origin; Japan -- Religion; Zen Buddhism
[FN#68] Zen was first introduced into Japan by Do sha (629-700) as
early as 653-656, at the time when the Fifth Patriarch just entered
his patriarchal career. Do-sho went over to China in 653, and met
with Huen Tsang, the celebrated and great scholar, who taught him the
doctrine of the Dharma-laksana. It was Huen Tsang who advised Do-sho
to study Zen under Hwui Man (E-man). After returning home, he built
a Meditation Hall for the purpose of practising Zen in the Gan-go
monastery, Nara. Thus Zen was first transplanted into Japan by
Do-sho, but it took no root in the soil at that time.
Next a Chinese Zen teacher, I Kung (Gi-ku), came over to Japan in
about 810, and under his instruction the Empress Danrin, a most
enthusiastic Buddhist, was enlightened. She erected a monastery
named Dan-rin-ji, and appointed I Kung the abbot of it for the sake
of propagating the faith. It being of no purpose, however, I Kung
went back to China after some years.
Thirdly, Kaku-a in 1171 went over to China, where he studied Zen
under Fuh Hai (Buk-kai), who belonged to the Yang Ki (Yo-gi) school,
and came home after three years. Being questioned by the Emperor
Taka-kura (1169-1180) about the doctrine of Zen, he uttered no word,
but took up a flute and played on it. But his first note was too
high to be caught by the ordinary ear, and was gone without producing
any echo in the court nor in society at large.
[FN#69] The three divisions of the Buddhist canon, viz.:
(1) Sutra-pitaka, or a collection of doctrinal books.
(2) Vinaya-pitaka, or a collection of works on discipline.
(3) Abhidharma-pitaka, or a collection of philosophical and
expository works.
[FN#70] The great monastery erected in 788 by Sai-cho (767-822), the
founder of the Japanese Ten Dai Sect, known as Den Gyo Dai Shi.
After visiting holy places and great monasteries, he came home,
bringing with him over thirty different books on the doctrine of the
Ten-Dai Sect.[FN#71] This, instead of quenching, added fuel to his
burning desire for adventurous travel abroad. So he crossed the sea
over again in 1187, this time intending to make pilgrimage to India;
and no one can tell what might have been the result if the Chinese
authorities did not forbid him to cross the border. Thereon he
turned his attention to the study of Zen, and after five years'
discipline succeeded in getting sanction for his spiritual attainment
by the Hu Ngan (Kio-an), a noted master of the Rin Zai school, the
then abbot of the monastery of Tien Tung Shan (Ten-do-san). His
active propaganda of Zen was commenced soon after his return in 1191
with splendid success at a newly built temple[FN#72] in the province
of Chiku-zen. In 1202 Yori-iye, the Shogun, or the real governor of
the State at that time, erected the monastery of Ken-nin-ji in the
city of Kyo-to, and invited him to proceed to the metropolis.
Accordingly he settled himself down in that temple, and taught Zen
with his characteristic activity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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