1. Although Zen was
first favoured by the Ho-jo Regency and chiefly prospered at Kama-kura, yet it
rapidly began to exercise its influence on nobles and Emperors at Kyo-to. This
is mainly due to the activity of En-ni, known as Sho-Ichi-Koku-Shi (1202-1280),
who first earned Zen under Gyo-yu, a disciple of Ei-sai, and afterwards went to
China, where he was Enlightened under the instruction of Wu Chun, of the
monastery of King Shan. After his return, Michi-iye (Fuji-wara), a powerful
nobleman, erected for him To-fuku-ji in 1243, and he became the founder of a
sub-sect of the Rin Zai, named after that monastery. The Emperor Go-saga
(1243-1246), an admirer of his, received the Moral Precepts from him, One of
his disciples, To-zan, became the spiritual adviser of the Emperor Fushi-mi
(1288-1298), and another disciple, Mu kwan, was created the abbot of the
monastery of Nan-zen-ji by the Emperor Kame-yama (1260-1274), as the founder of
a sub-sect of the Rin Zai under the same name.
Another
teacher who gained lasting influence on the Court is Nan-po, known as
Dai-O-Koku-Shi (1235-1308), who was appointed the abbot of the monastery of
Man-ju-ji in Kyo to by the Emperor Fushi-mi. One of his disciples, Tsu-o, was
the spiritual adviser to both the Emperor Hana-zono (1308-1318) and the Emperor
Go-dai-go. And another disciple, Myo-cho, known as Dai-To-Koku-Shi (1282-1337),
also was admired by the two Emperors, and created the abbot of Dai-toku-ji, as
the founder of a sub-sect of the Rin Zai under the same name. It was for
Myo-cho's disciple, Kan-zan (1277 1360), that the Emperor Hana-zono turned his
detached palace into a monastery, named Myo-shin-ji, the head temple of a
sub-sect of the Rin Zai under the same name.
1. The event is
detailed at length in a life of So-shun, but some historians suspect it to be
fictitious. This awaits a further research.
2.
As we have already mentioned, Do-gen, the founder of the Japanese So To Sect,
shunned the society of the rich and the powerful, and led a secluded life. In
consequence his sect did not make any rapid progress until the Fourth Patriarch
of his line, Kei-zan (1268-1325) who, being of energetic spirit, spread his faith with
remarkable activity, building many large monasteries, of which Yo-ko-ji, in the
province of No-to, So-ji-ji (near Yokohama), one of the head temples of the
sect, are well known. One of his disciples, Mei ho (1277-1350), propagated the
faith in the northern provinces; while another disciple, Ga-san (1275-1365),
being a greater character, brought up more than thirty distinguished disciples,
of whom Tai-gen, Tsu-gen, Mu-tan, Dai-tetsu, and Jip-po, are best known.
Tai-gen (died 1370) and big successors propagated the faith over the middle
provinces, while Tsu-gen (1332-1391) and his successors spread the sect all
over the north-eastern and south-western provinces. Thus it is worthy of our
notice that most of the Rin Zai teachers confined their activities within
Kamakura and Kyo-to, while the So To masters spread the faith all over the
country.
1. So-seki
(1276-1351) was perhaps the greatest Zen master of the period. Of numerous
monasteries built for him, E-rin-ji, in the province of Kae, and Ten-ryu-ji,
the head temple of a sub-sect of the Rin Zai under the same name, are of
importance, Out of over seventy eminent disciples of his, Gi-do (1365-1388),
the author of Ku-ge-shu; Shun-oku (1331-1338), the founder of the monastery of
So-koku-ji, the head temple of a sub-sect of the Rin Zai under the same name;
and Zek-kai (1337-1405), author of Sho-ken-shu, are best known.
2
Myo-shin-ji was built in 1337 by the Emperor Hana-zono; Ten-ryu-ji was erected
by Taka-uji, the first Shogun of the period, in 1344; So-koku-ji by
Yosh-imitsu, the third Shogun, in 1385; Kin-Kaku-ji, or Golden Hall Temple, by
the same Shogun, in 1397; Gin-kaku-ji, or Silver Hall Temple, by Yoshi-masa,
the eighth Shogun, in 1480.
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