The is a lineage of the

Rinzai school The Rinzai school (, zh, t=臨濟宗, s=临济宗, p=Línjì zōng), named after Linji Yixuan (Romaji: Rinzai Gigen, died 866 CE) is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism, along with Sōtō and Ōbaku. The Chinese Linji school, Linji s ...

Zen Zen (; from Chinese: ''Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka phil ...

(a form of

Japanese Buddhism Buddhism was first established in Japan in the 6th century CE. Most of the Japanese Buddhists belong to new schools of Buddhism which were established in the Kamakura period (1185－1333). During the Edo period (1603–1868), Buddhism was cont ...

). It was founded by

Nanpo Shōmyō Nanpo Shōmyō ( Japanese: なんぽしょうみょう, Kanji: 南浦紹明; 1235 – 9 February 1309), imperial name Entsū Daiō Kokushi, was a Japanese Zen monk of Rinzai school during the Kamakura period, and the founder of the Ōtōkan-lin ...

(1235–1308), who received

dharma-transmission In Chan and Zen Buddhism, dharma transmission is a custom in which a person is established as a "successor in an unbroken lineage of teachers and disciples, a spiritual 'bloodline' ('' kechimyaku'') theoretically traced back to the Buddha him ...

in China in 1265 from

Xutang Zhiyu {{short description, Chinese Chan monk Xutang Zhiyu 虚堂智愚 (Japanese Kido Chigu, nickname Sokkō) (1185–1269) was a Chinese Chan-monk who gave dharma-transmission to Nanpo Shōmyō (1235–1308), the founder of the Japanese Rinza-Zen Ōtōk ...

. It is centered at the temple complexes of

Myōshin-ji is a temple complex in Kyoto, Japan, which serves as the head temple of the associated branch of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. The Myōshin-ji School is by far the largest school in Rinzai Zen, approximately as big as the other thirteen branches combined: ...

(founded by

Kanzan Egen (1277–1360) was a Japanese Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk, founder of Myōshin-ji Temple and a principal member of the extant Ōtōkan lineage, from which all modern Rinzai Zen derives. Centuries later, Emperor Meiji conferred the posthumous ...

(1277–1360), the third patriarch) and

Daitoku-ji is a Rinzai school Zen Buddhist temple in the Murasakino neighborhood of Kita-ku in the city of Kyoto Japan. Its ('' sangō'') is . The Daitoku-ji temple complex is one of the largest Zen temples in Kyoto, covering more than . In addition to ...

(founded by Daito Kokushi ( Shuho Myocho) (1283–1338), the second patriarch) in

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

, and sometimes referred to as the "Myōshin-ji lineage" accordingly. It now consists of two main lines, the Inzan line and the Takujū line, which date to circa 1800.

History

The name ''Ōtōkan,'' traditionally written 應燈關, in modern Japanese written 応灯関, is a compound of ''ō-tō-kan,'' and is derived from the names of the first three patriarchs: * the "ō" of Daiō Kokushi 大應國師 (

(南浦紹明?) (1235–1308) * the "tō" of Daitō Kokushi 大燈國師 ( Shuho Myocho) (1283–1338) * and the "kan" of

關山慧玄 (1277–1360) The Otokan lineage was founded by Nanpo Shōmyō, who received transmission in China from the monk

虚堂智愚 (Japanese ''Kido Chigu,'' 1185–1269) in 1265, and returned to Japan in 1267. It was then spread by his student Shuho Myocho (second generation) and Kanzan Egen (third generation), who made it an influential school. It is today the only surviving lineage in the Rinzai school,What is Zen? - History: The Transmission of Zen to Japan
Official Website of Rinzai and Ōbaku Zen and is historically the most influential. It is the lineage to which

Hakuin Ekaku was one of the most influential figures in Japanese Zen Buddhism, who regarded bodhicitta, working for the benefit of others, as the ultimate concern of Zen-training. While never having received formal dharma transmission, he is regarded as th ...

belonged, from whom all contemporary Rinzai lineages descend. It is also the lineage of the

Ōbaku Ōbaku Zen or the Ōbaku school () is one of three main schools of Japanese Zen Buddhism, in addition to the Sōtō and Rinzai schools. The school was founded in Japan by the Chinese monk Ingen Ryūki, who immigrated to Japan during the Manch ...

sect, which is closely related to Rinzai. Other Rinzai lineages previously existed, but no others survived the 19th century.

Lineage

The lineage is as follows. Direct inheritance is given, with side branches (that have since died out) generally not given. This lists the lineage from Nanpo Shōmyō (first Japanese) through Hakuin Ekaku (fountainhead of all extant Rinzai lineages) and his immediate disciples, branching with Inzan Ien and Takujū Kosen. Note that Shoju Rojin did not grant Hakuin Ekaku permission to teach, but today Hakuin is considered to have received

dharma transmission In Chan and Zen Buddhism, dharma transmission is a custom in which a person is established as a "successor in an unbroken lineage of teachers and disciples, a spiritual 'bloodline' ('' kechimyaku'') theoretically traced back to the Buddha him ...

from Shoju, since Hakuin himself regarded Shoju Rojin's influence in his understanding of Zen. #

南浦紹明 (1235–1308), posthumous name Enzu Daiō Kokushi 圓通大應國師, usually simply Daiō Kokushi 大應國師 #

Shūhō Myōchō , aka Daitō Kokushi (大燈國師), was a Japanese Zen master of the Rinzai school. He was the second patriarch of the Ōtōkan-lineage, and founder and first abbot of the Daitoku-ji (大德寺) in Kyōto, one of Japan's most important te ...

宗峰妙超 (1282–1337), usually known as Daitō Kokushi 大燈國師, founded

#:Tettō Gikō (1295–1369) #:Gongai Sōchū (1315–1390) #

關山慧玄 (1277–1360), founder of

# Juō Sōhitsu (1296–1380) # Muin Sōin (1326–1410) # Tozen Soshin (Sekko Soshin) (1408–1486) # Toyo Eicho (1429–1504) # Taiga Tankyo (?–1518) # Koho Genkun (?–1524) # Sensho Zuisho (?–?) # Ian Chisatsu (1514–1587) # Tozen Soshin (1532–1602) # Yozan Keiyō (?–?) #

Gudō Toshoku Gudō Toshoku (1577–1661) was a Japanese Rinzai school zen monk from the early Tokugawa period. Biography He was a leading figure in the Ōtōkan lineage of the Myōshin-ji, where he led a reform movement to revitalize the practice of Rinzai. He ...

(1577–1661) # Shidō Bu'nan (1603–1676) # Shoju Rojin (Shoju Ronin, Dokyu Etan, 1642–1721) #

白隠慧鶴 (1686–1769), very influential revivalist #

Gasan Jitō Gasan Jitō was a Zen master in the Japanese Rinzai school. He received Dharma transmission from Rinzai teacher Gessen Zen'e, before meeting Hakuin. Deeply impressed, he started koan-study with Hakuin, completing it under Tōrei Enji tutelage. G ...

峨山慈棹 (1727–1797) At this point the lineage splits in two: * Inzan Ien 隱山惟琰 (1751–1814) * Takujū Kosen 卓洲胡僊 (1760–1833) Further generations are extensive,Hakuin School of Zen Buddhism
b

/ref> including all current Rinzai masters; some examples are listed below. Takujū: # Ryochu Nyoryu 良忠如隆 (1793–1868), abbot of

Manpuku-ji is a Buddhist temple located in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, approximately a 5-minute walk from Ōbaku Station. It is the head temple of the Japanese Ōbaku Zen school, and named after Wanfu Temple in Fujian, China. The mountain is likewise named ...

Schools

The two main schools today are Takujū and Inzan. These have a few differences in practice: * Takujū works through the three major works of

Mumonkan ''The Gateless Barrier'' (Mandarin: 無門關 ''Wúménguān''; Japanese: 無門関 ''Mumonkan''), sometimes translated as ''The Gateless Gate'', is a collection of 48 Chan (Zen) koans compiled in the early 13th century by the Chinese Zen maste ...

, Kattō-shū, and Hekiganroku in that order, while Inzan mix the works, but still in a prescribed order. * Takujū uses

jakugo , or of a ''kōan'' is a proof of solution of the case riddle, but not the solution itself. In Zen Buddhism, kōan is used both as a meditation device and as an expression of – a radical experiential insight into the nature of things and t ...

(capping phrase) for all kōans, while Inzan uses it for most, but not all

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Otokan Rinzai school