Eisai | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Title | Zen Master |
| Personal life | |
| Born | 27 May 1141 |
| Died | 1 August 1215(1215-08-01) (aged 74) |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | Rinzai |
 |
| Part ofa serieson |
| Zen Buddhism |
|---|
 |
Teachings The "essence" The way The "goal" Background |
Indian Mahayana texts
Chinese texts |
Traditions |
Persons Chán in China Classical
Post-classical Contemporary Zen in Japan Seon in Korea Thiền in Vietnam Western Zen Category: Zen Buddhists |
| Part of a series on |
| Japanese Buddhism |
|---|
 |
History & Origins
|
Philosophy & Schools
|
Practices & Rituals
|
Important Figures Historical Figures
Cultural & Modern Thinkers
|
Sacred Spaces & Arts
|
Cultural Influence
|
Modern Influence
|
Myōan Eisai/Yōsai (明菴栄西, 27 May 1141 – 1 August 1215) was a JapaneseBuddhist priest, credited with founding theRinzai school, the Japanese line of theLinji school ofZen Buddhism.[1] In 1191, he introduced this Zen approach to Japan, following his trip to China from 1187 to 1191, during which he was initiated into theLinji school by the master Hsü an. It is also said that he popularizedgreen tea in Japan, following this same trip. He was also the founding abbot of Japan's first Zen templeShōfuku-ji andKennin-ji. He is often known simply asEisai/Yōsai Zenji (栄西禅師), literally "Zen master Eisai".
Born inBitchū Province (modern-dayOkayama, Okayama), Eisai was ordained as a monk in theTendai sect. Dissatisfied with the state of Buddhism at the time, in 1168 he set off on his first trip toMount Tiantai in China, the origin of the sect, where he learned of the primacy of theChan (later known in Japan asZen) school inChinese Buddhism of the time. He spent only six months in China on this first trip, but returned in 1187 for a longer stay as a disciple ofXuan Huaichang, a master in theLinji (Rinzai) line, at Jingde Si (Ching-te-ssu, 景德寺) monastery.[2][3]
After his certification as a Zen teacher, Eisai returned to Japan in 1191, bringing with him Zen scriptures andgreen tea seeds.[1] He immediately founded theShōfuku-ji inKyūshū, Japan's first Zen temple. The prayer rituals and recitation of sutras that Eisai integrated into his monastic routines can be traced back to theRules of Purity established during the ChineseSong dynasty.[4]
Eisai set about slowly propagating the new faith, trying to gain the respect of both the Tendai school and the Imperial court through careful diplomacy. Faced with the sometimes violent opposition of traditional schools of Buddhism such asTendai,Shingon andPure Land, Eisai finally left Kyoto for the north-east toKamakura in 1199, where theshōgun and the newly ascendant warrior class enthusiastically welcomed his teachings.Hōjō Masako, Yoritomo's widow, allowed him to buildJufuku-ji, the first Zen temple in Kamakura. Eisai foundedKennin-ji inKyoto in 1202 on land gifted to him by Yoritomo's son, the second KamakurashōgunMinamoto no Yoriie.[5] Eisai died in 1215 at the age of 74, and is buried in Kennin-ji's temple grounds.
One feature of Eisai's activity not often noted is his continued eclecticism. He never renounced his status as a Tendai monk, and until the end of his life continued to engage in Tendai esoteric practices. Though he is credited with transmission of the Rinzai line to Japan, it remained for later teachers to establish a distinctly Japanese Zen free of admixture with the teachings of other schools. Among his notable disciples was EiheiDōgen, who himself traveled to China and returned to found theSōtō school of Zen in Japan.
Eisai is also credited with the beginning of the tea tradition in Japan, by bringing green tea seeds from China, back from his second trip in 1191, and writing the book 喫茶養生記,Kissa Yōjōki (in English,Drinking Tea forHealth). Legend says that he planted the seeds "in the garden of the Ishigamibo at Seburiyama in Hizen".
In addition to his book, Eisai also garnered attention from another act involving his tea; using it as treatment forshōgun Sanetomo. This is a record of his treatment from theAzuma Kagami:
Eisai was more focused on the medicinal aspects than anything else, and the main reason for this was the common conception of the time that the world was inmappō, the Latter age of the Dharma, which was considered by many to be a time of decline. Eisai lived through an era of heavy fighting in Japan, somappō played a big role in his promotion of tea, as he thought it was a cure for many ailments and hence would help people get through this perceived difficult time.
InKissa Yōjōki, the beginning bulk of text after the prefaces concern the alignment of the five elements of Chinese science (earth, fire, water, wood, and metal) with five major organs (the liver, lungs, heart, spleen, and kidneys) and the respective five flavors that each major organ preferred (acidic, pungent, bitter, sweet, and salty). Eisai claimed that the standard Japanese fare of the time contained abundant amounts of each, except for the bitter flavor, which was the cause of the many heart diseases the Japanese suffered from. He asserted that his green tea was essential for providing the bitter flavor, and thereby keeping the heart healthy.[6]
During the Nara and Heian periods in Japan, Buddhism was used as a tool to unify the country. Eisai was a firm believer that it should be Zen Buddhism to aid the protection of the country. He identified previously established schools of Buddhism as responsible for contributing to Japan's struggles.[7]
During this time, three major scriptures were used to promote this idea of a unified Buddhist Japan: theLotus Sutra,Golden Light Sutra, and theHumane King Sutra (Ninnōkyō). Eisai's famous written piece,The Promotion of Zen for the Protection of the Country (興禅護国論,Kōzen gokokuron), was heavily influenced by theHumane King Sutra, which states, "The preservation of Buddhism is inextricably bound to the preservation of their own country".[8] TheKōzen gokokuron was written with the intention to correct established schools of Buddhism by giving them examples of moral practice and to convince the Minamoto military rulers to support Zen Buddhism and a Zen government. The writing promotes the Zen ideals to bring Buddhism back to its morals and practices.[7]
Eisai's writing depends heavily on the idea that Buddhism is critical for a functioning society. TheKōzen gokokuron is often regarded as nationalistic propaganda, and due to the compromises he made when working to install Zen Buddhism in Japan, people disregard the significance of theKōzen gokokuron when reading it from a "pure" Zen perspective.[9]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Other | |
