YOUSAI (a.k.a. EISAI / Rinzai Zen)

The founder of Zen in Japan.

Yousai (a.k.a. Eisai 1141 – 1215) is the the founder of Rinzai Zen.
He went to Sung Dynasty to learn advanced doctrine and reform Japanese Buddhism.
Then he learned ZEN, and he brought it to Japan (He is the founder of ZEN in Japan).
Rinzai Zen had been followed by many Samurai.

What’s Zen?

In Europe and America, talking of Zen, it’s regarded as single system, but actually, Zen have two systems.
One is Rinzai Zen, Another is Soto Zen.

Yousai [founder of Rinzai Zen]
– Myozen [pupil of Yousai]
– Dogen [pupil of Myozen, founder of Soto Zen]

Roughly speaking, idea itself is the same, the way of practice is different.
The hallmark of Rinzai Zen is “Kouan (Zen Mondou)”. Stop general thinking, and he can understand it with metaphorical expression only (Soto Zen is “sit singlemindedly (Zazen)” without thinking. Daily life itself is practice (very hard)).

Rinzai Zen head temple
Rinzai Zen head temple is Kennin-ji at Kyoto, Japan. It’s one of the largest temple.
Nowadays, this temple is central temple of Zen and Zen cultute.

Originally, Kennin-ji had had original Fujin Raijin by Tawaraya Sotatsu (now National musium is having it).

Other main temples.
Tofuku-ji, Kencho-ji, Engaku-ji, Nanzen-ji, Myoshin-ji, Tenryu-ji, Shokoku-ji and so on…

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