| 1 | Rinzai Zen Buddhism |
| 2 | Rinzai Zen Buddhism is one of the Chinese five Houses <sol> seven Schools of Zen ( Rinzai , Igyou , Soto , Unmon , Hogan ) and Gigen RINZAI ( ？ - 867 ) of Tang was its founder . He was known as “ RINZAI of Katu ( meaning to help wake up the sleeping mind ) ” and “ General RINZAI ” , and rose to the top of Chinese Zen with his distinctive style . With its Zen Talks that try to awaken self awareness through study of Koan , it differs from the Silent Zen of the Soto sect , which just does meditation . |
| 3 | Rinzai School in China |
| 4 | As the name implies , Rinzai School started with its founder Gigen RINZAI at the end of the Tang dynasty , after the anti_-_Buddhist movement at the Kaishou era . |
| 5 | RINZAI was the disciple of Kiun OBAKU ; the school grew as a religious movement centered in the province of Hebei , with the support of Changshi WANG of the Hanchin government , but in the confusion that arose around the end of the Tang dynasty , Hebei was at the center of the tumultuous five dynasties and it became difficult to sustain a religious movement . |
| 6 | The central figure around that time was Enshou FUKETSU . |
| 7 | It was in the Northern Song dynasty that Rinzai School became vibrant again , below the gates of Sekiso SOEN , along_with Enan OURYU and Houe YOUGI who came from Jiangxi province and created the two main sectes of Rinzai ( Ouryu and Yougi ) , and swept across all of China . |
| 8 | When it came to the Southern Song dynasty , Soukou DAIE , a disciple of Kokugon ENGO who belonged to the Yougi sect , started the Daikan sect in Zhejiang province , which became a major sect in the Rinzai School . |
| 9 | Rinzai School in Japan According_to doctrine , it was brought over_to China from India by Bodhidharma , the 28th successor of the 10 disciples ( called Kasho ) who directly received the teaching ( enlightenment ) of Siddhartha Gautama . |
| 10 | Later the Rinzai school , which achieved the pinnacle of Zen teaching , was brought to Japan in the Kamakura period by Eisai , who went to China to study in the Southern Song period . |
| 11 | Japan 's Rinzai is one of Zen schools in Japan . It emphasizes the transmission of enlightenment from teacher to disciple . ( Hassu is the disciple who inherited the teaching of the master . ) It calls Sakyamuni the Original Teacher Venerable Sakyamuni Buddha , Bodhidharma the First Ancestor and Great Teacher Bodhidharma , and RINZAI the Founder and Great Teacher Rinzai . |
| 12 | In contrast to the Soto Zen school which spreads through regional clans and the general people , the Rinzai School received support from Samurai families in government , and was esteemed in the politics and culture . |
| 13 | Later , the Rinzai School was rebuilt in the Edo period by Master HAKUIN , and continued to be called Hakuin Zen . |
| 14 | Traditions |
| 15 | Transmission of enlightenment from masters to disciples continues down_to the present day ( Hassu is the disciple who inherited the teaching of the master ) . |
| 16 | The important interaction between the master and disciple is called “ a secret in the room ” and is not to be taken out_of the master 's room and revealed publicly . |
| 17 | What is extracted from the interactions between a master and disciple , or Zen lecture transcripts that record the actions of a master , is called a Koan ( precedent ) and various collections have been compiled since the Song dynasty ; but enlightenment is not something that can be communicated with words , so when people today try to understand the text , the Koan itself refuses them . However , they contain hints that lead people toward enlightenment , and there are a great many Zen books from the beginning down_to the present day . |
| 18 | Also since the Song dynasty , the Zen schools changed to a Kannazen style in which masters give lectures using transcripts of Zen talks and the masters became not to display the same majesty as those in the Tang dynasty including Rinzai . |
| 19 | Although masters choose their successors when they die , the successors have not necessarily attained enlightenment by that time , but that fact is only known to the master and the successor himself . |
| 20 | Even_if the new master had not attained enlightenment , the disciples would have been able to do so if it is within a_few generations from that of the master who gained enlightenment , therefore it is possible to take such a measure . |
| 21 | It is possible for a master to leave behind several new masters , or at his discretion not to leave a successor and bring his line to an end . |
| 22 | Many lines have split , and some have disappeared ; in this way some of those lines have come down from the 7th century to the present day . |
| 23 | Enlightenment |
| 24 | The Zen sects generally emphasize enlightenment over knowledge . |
| 25 | Enlightenment in Zen means that all living things realize the inherent buddha nature they possess . |
| 26 | For this reason , masters in the Tang dynasty struggled to enlightenment through much hardship . However , they began to devise many techniques for gaining enlightenment from the Song dynasty . |
| 27 | These were systematized so_that enlightenment could be gained by performing training such_as Zazen ( not the same as meditation ) , Koan ( understanding stories that surpass intellectual understanding ) , Dokyou ( reading sutras ) , or Samu ( everyday work ) under an already enlightened Zen master . |
| 28 | Enlightenment is thought to pass from the master to the disciple as a candle flame passes to a candle that is unlit ( called Dentou ) . |
| 29 | That is not a transmission based on words ( logos ) . |
| 30 | For this reason , it is considered crucial to choose the right Zen master . |
| 31 | That means not just choosing one who has gained enlightenment , but one who fits with one 's own personality . |
| 32 | Actually , it does not mean that an enlightened Zen master instructs and enables someone to gain enlightenment . |
| 33 | Masters in the Tang dynasty did not learn to get enlightenment from anybody - not to mention Siddhartha Gautama ( Buddha , Shakuson ) , who gained enlightenment without a teacher . |
| 34 | While it is impossible to define enlightenment with words , words are one of many methods that can describe the boundaries of enlightenment . |
| 35 | That is why , especially after it was brought to Japan , enlightenment has been expressed through artistic expression such_as poetry and painting , so_that one can get a taste of its aroma . |
| 36 | Other_than_in art , it is also expressed in deportments such_as tea ceremony and flower arrangement ; and methods to get a taste of the world of enlightenment have also been born . |
| 37 | That is not an intellectual understanding . |
| 38 | The Koan System |
| 39 | The Koan system came together after the Song dynasty , and though they might be fabricated it has made even more enlightenments possible . |
| 40 | Most Koan are made up of conversations between a master and disciple , telling the truth of the moment when the disciple gained enlightenment . |
| 41 | Koan can not be received with logical , intellectual understanding , and are stories beyond logic that can be understood only by completely becoming the Koan itself instead_of thinking . |
| 42 | The Koan system was established by collecting these Koan stories as a method for leading disciples and was composed of 500 to 1900 Koan stories . |
| 43 | Koan system differs according_to the master 's style . |
| 44 | Examples of Koan stories in the beginning . |
| 45 | “ Does a dog have buddha_-_nature ? ” |
| 46 | “ It does not have . ” |
| 47 | As the background , any Buddhist knows that “ all living things have Buddha_-_nature . ” |
| 48 | The Sound of One Hand Clapping |
| 49 | A disciple has to listen to the sound of clapping with one hand and show that to the master . |
| 50 | By intellectual understanding , it is impossible to clap with one hand and make a sound . |
| 51 | Sects |
| 52 | Kenni_-_ji sect |
| 53 | The sect began when Eisai came back from Southern Song China in 1202 . |
| 54 | Eisai was the first to bring the Zen tradition to Japan . |
| 55 | Head temple is Kenni_-_ji in Kyoto . |
| 56 | Kenni_-_ji is the oldest Zen temple in Japan . |
| 57 | Tofuku_-_ji sect |
| 58 | The sect began in Kyoto when Benen ENNI returned from Song China in 1236 . |
| 59 | Head temple is Tofuku_-_ji in Kyoto . |
| 60 | Ekei ANKOKUJI , who was a monk and also acted as a diplomat for the Mori clan in the Warring States period , belonged to this school . |
| 61 | Kencho_-_ji sect |
| 62 | The sect was established by Douryuu RANKEI in 1253 , who was invited from Southern Song China by Tiyori HOJOU , the 5th regent of the Kamakura Shogunate . |
| 63 | Head temple is Kencho_-_ji in Kamakura , founded by Douryuu RANKEI . |
| 64 | Kencho_-_ji was the first Zen temple that opened the first pure Zen training hall in Japan , with more than 1,000 monks training there at one time . |
| 65 | Enkaku_-_ji sect |
| 66 | The sect began in Kamakura in 1282 when Sogen MUGAKU was invited from China . |
| 67 | Head temple is Enkaku_-_ji in Kamakura . |
| 68 | Enkaku_-_ji Temple was passed from Sogen MUGAKU to Kennichi KOUHOU and Soseki MUSOU , and was at one time the center of Japanese Zen . |
| 69 | Famous Zen masters after the Meiji period include Kousen IMAKITA , Souen SHAKU , and Sougen ASAHINA . |
| 70 | Daisetsu SUZUKI who introduced Zen to the West experienced Zen under the two masters , IMAKITA and Souen SHAKU as a lay buddhist . |
| 71 | Also , Soseki NATSUME approached Souen SHAKU and wrote about that experience in The Gate . |
| 72 | Nanzen_-_ji sect |
| 73 | The sect was begun by Fumon MUKAN in 1291 . |
| 74 | Head temple is Nanzen_-_ji in Kyoto . |
| 75 | Kokutai_-_ji sect |
| 76 | The sect was begun by Myoi JIUN around 1300 . |
| 77 | Head temple is Kokutai_-_ji ( Takaoka City in Toyama Prefecture ) , which was rebuilt in the Meiji period by Tesshuu YAMAOKA . |
| 78 | Taninaka_-_no_-_Zenseian , founded by Tesshuu , is a famous temple of the Kokutai_-_ji sect . |
| 79 | Daitoku_-_ji sect |
| 80 | The sect was begun in 1315 by Myouchou SHUUHOU . |
| 81 | Head temple is Daitoku_-_ji in Kyoto . It was razed during the Onin War in the Muromachi period , but Soujun IKKYUU rebuilt it . |
| 82 | Kogaku_-_ji sect |
| 83 | The sect was begun by Tushou BASSUI in 1327 . |
| 84 | Head temple is Kogaku_-_ji in Koushuu City , Yamanashi Prefecture . |
| 85 | Myoshin_-_ji sect |
| 86 | The sect was begun in 1337 by Egen KANZAN . |
| 87 | Head temple is Myoshin_-_ji in Kyoto . |
| 88 | Subsidiary temples include Keishunin , Shunkouin , and Taizouin . |
| 89 | It is the largest sect of the Rinzai School , with more than 3,400 sect temples . |
| 90 | Tenryu_-_ji sect |
| 91 | The sect was begun in 1339 by Soseki MUSOU . |
| 92 | Head temple is Tenryu_-_ji in Arashiyama , Kyoto . |
| 93 | Eigen_-_ji sect |
| 94 | The sect was begun in 1361 by Genkou JAKUSHITSU . |
| 95 | Head temple is Eigen_-_ji in Higashioumi City , Shiga Prefecture . |
| 96 | It has about 150 branch temples mainly in the area of Shiga Prefecture . |
| 97 | Belonged to the Tofuku_-_ji sect until 1880 . |
| 98 | Hoko_-_ji sect |
| 99 | The sect was begun by Gensen MUMON in 1384 . |
| 100 | Head temple is Hoko_-_ji in Inasa Town , Kita_-_ku , Hamamatsu City . |
| 101 | It has about 170 branch temples mainly in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture . |
| 102 | Belonged to the Nanzen_-_ji sect until 1904 . |
| 103 | Shokoku_-_ji sect |
| 104 | The sect was begun by Soseki MUSOU in 1392 . |
| 105 | Head temple is Shokoku_-_ji in Kyoto , established by Yoshimitsu ASHIKAGA . |
| 106 | It has about 100 branch temples nationwide . |
| 107 | Kinkaku_-_ji Temple and Ginkaku_-_ji Temple are affiliated . |
| 108 | Buttsu_-_ji sect |
| 109 | The sect was begun by Shuukyuu GUCHUU in 1397 . |
| 110 | Head temple is Buttsu_-_ji in Mihara City , Hiroshima Prefecture . |
| 111 | It has about 50 branch temples mainly in the area of Hiroshima Prefecture . |
| 112 | Belonged to the Tenryu_-_ji sect until 1905 . |
| 113 | Affiliated Educational Institutions |
| 114 | Hanazono University |
| 115 | Shogen Junior College |
| 116 | Hanazono Middle School <sol> High School |