''Shōichi-kokushi Hōgo'' (聖一国師法語) is Japanese Buddhist work.

Authorship and date

''Shōichi-kokushi Hōgo'', a Japanese Buddhist work in one volume, was composed in the late

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

by the monk Enni.

Title

Alternative titles for the work include ''Shōichi-kokushi Kana Hōgo'' (聖一国師仮名法語), ''Tōfukuji Kaisan Shōichi-kokushi Hōgo'' (東福寺開山聖一国師法語), ''Shōichi-kokushi Zazen-ron'' (聖一国師坐禅論), and ''Zazen-ron'' (坐禅論).

The work is of '' kana hōgo'' (仮名法語) genre, a '' hōgo'' written in colloquial Japanese, and was written by Enni to introduce

Kujō Michiie Kujō Michiie (九条道家) (28 July 1193 — 1 April 1252) was a Japanese regent in the 13th century. He was the father of Kujō Yoritsune and grandson of Kujō Kanezane (also known as Fujiwara no Kanezane). He was the father of Norizane an ...

to ''

zazen ''Zazen'' is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition. The generalized Japanese term for meditation is 瞑想 (''meisō''); however, ''zazen'' has been used informally to include all forms ...

'' (sitting meditation). It consists of a general introduction and 24 sections expounding on Enni's answers to questions Michiie posed him regarding various aspects of ''zazen''. An appendix dubbed "Kojin Hōgo" (古人法語) elaborates on points to be weary of in the practice of ''zazen''.

Textual tradition and modern editions

Surviving manuscript copies of the work include the ''-bon'', the '' Kyōto Daigaku-bon'' and the '' Ryūkoku Daigaku-bon''. Printed editions were produced in 1646 ( Shōhō 3), 1648 ( Keian 1) and 1829 ( Bunsei 12). It was included in the first volume of the ''Kōtei Senchū Zenmon Hōgo Zenshū'' (校訂箋註禅門法語全集) and the second volume of the ''Zenmon Hōgo Shū'' (禅門法語集).

References

Works cited

External links