The Rinzai school (, zh, t=臨濟宗, s=临济宗, p=Línjì zōng), named after

Linji Yixuan Japanese painting of Linji Linji Yixuan (; ''Rinzai Gigen''; died 866 CE) was a Tang dynasty (618-907) Chinese monk and teacher of the Hongzhou school of Chinese Chan (Zen). Linji was the leading figure of Chan Buddhism in the Tang, and the '' ...

(Romaji: Rinzai Gigen, died 866 CE) is one of three sects of

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 ...

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 ...

, along with

Sōtō Sōtō Zen or is the largest of the three traditional sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (the others being Rinzai school, Rinzai and Ōbaku). It is the Japanese line of the Chinese Caodong school, Cáodòng school, which was founded during the ...

and

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 ...

. The Chinese Linji school of

Chan Buddhism Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit '' dhyāna'' (meaning " meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming especially popular during the Tang and Song ...

was first transmitted to

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Myōan Eisai was a Japanese Buddhist priest, credited with founding the Rinzai school, the Japanese line of the Linji school of Zen Buddhism. In 1191, he introduced this Zen approach to Japan, following his trip to China from 1187 to 1191, during which he w ...

(1141 –1215). Contemporary Japanese Rinzai is derived entirely from the

Ōtōkan The is a Lineage (Buddhism), lineage of the Rinzai school of Zen (a form of Japanese Buddhism). It was founded by Nanpo Shōmyō (1235–1308), who received dharma-transmission in China in 1265 from Xutang Zhiyu. It is centered at the temple com ...

lineage transmitted through

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 ...

(1686–1769), who is a major figure in the revival of the Rinzai tradition.

History

Rinzai is the Japanese line of the

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

Linji school The Línjì school () is a school of Chan Buddhism named after Linji Yixuan (d. 866). It took prominence in Song dynasty, Song China (960–1279), spread to Japan as the Rinzai school and influenced the nine mountain schools of Korean Seon. Hi ...

of Chan Buddhism, which was founded during the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

(Japanese: Rinzai Gigen).

Kamakura period (1185–1333)

Though there were several attempts to establish Rinzai lines in Japan, it first took root in a lasting way through the efforts of the monk

. In 1168,

traveled to China, where he studied

Tendai , also known as the Tendai Dharma Flower School (天台法華宗, ''Tendai hokke shū,'' sometimes just ''Hokkeshū''), is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition with significant esoteric elements that was officially established in Japan in 806 by t ...

for twenty years. In 1187, he went to China again, and returned to Japan to establish a Linji school of Chan Buddhism, which is known in Japan as Rinzai. Decades later, (1235–1308), who also studied Linji teachings in China, founded the Japanese

lineage, the most influential and only surviving branch of the Rinzai school of Zen. Rinzai Zen was established in Japan as the

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

rose to power. Along with early imperial support, Rinzai came to enjoy the patronage of this newly ascendant warrior class.

Muromachi (or Ashikaga) period (1336–1573)

During the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

, the Rinzai school was the most successful of the Zen schools in Japan because it was favoured by the ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

''. The school may be said to have truly flowered and achieved a distinctly Japanese identity with

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 ...

(aka

Daitō Kokushi Daitō may refer to: * Daitō (long sword) * An alternate reading of the 84-stroke Japanese character Taito (kanji), taito People and characters *, Japanese baseball player * Toshiro Yoshiaki, a character in ''Ready Player One'' whose OASIS pers ...

1283–1337) and

Musō Soseki was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk and teacher, and a calligrapher, poet and garden designer. The most famous monk of his time, he is also known as , an honorific conferred on him by Emperor Go-Daigo.''Musō Soseki'', Kyoto University His mother ...

(1275–1351), two influential Japanese Zen masters who did not travel to China to study.

Five Mountain System

In the beginning of the Muromachi period, the system was fully worked out. The final version contained five temples of both Kyoto and Kamakura, presided over by

Nanzen-ji , or Zuiryusan Nanzen-ji, formerly , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. Emperor Kameyama established it in 1291 on the site of his previous detached palace. It is also the headquarters of the Nanzen-ji branch of Rinzai Zen. The precinct ...

. A second tier of the system consisted of Ten Temples. This system was extended throughout Japan, effectively giving control to the central government, which administered this system. The monks, often well educated and skilled, were employed by the ''shōgun'' for the governing of state affairs.

Rinka-monasteries

Not all Rinzai Zen organisations were under such strict state control. The Rinka monasteries, which were primarily located in rural areas rather than cities, had a greater degree of independence. The Ōtōkan lineage, which centered on

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 ...

, also had a greater degree of freedom. It was founded by Nanpo Shōmyō, Shūhō Myōchō, and Kanzan Egen. A well-known teacher from Daitoku-ji was

Ikkyū was an eccentric, iconoclastic Japanese Zen Buddhist monk and poet. He had a great impact on the infusion of Japanese art and literature with Zen attitudes and ideals.Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan, entry "Ikkyū" by James H. Sanford He is p ...

. Another Rinka lineage was the Hotto lineage, of which

Bassui Tokushō was a Rinzai Zen Master born in modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture who had trained with Sōtō and Rinzai Zen-masters. Bassui was tormented by the question "Who is the one that sees, hears, and understands?" This question was also central in his te ...

is the best-known teacher.

Tokugawa (1600–1868) - Hakuin and his heirs

By the 18th century, the Rinzai school was challenged by the newly-imported Obaku-lineage, and by the waning of support from the ruling elites.

(1686–1769), with his vigorous zeal for

koan A ( ; ; zh, c=公案, p=gōng'àn ; ; ) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement from Chinese Chan Buddhist lore, supplemented with commentaries, that is used in Zen Buddhist practice in different ways. The main goal of practice in Z ...

-practice and his orientation towards common people, became the hero of a revigorized tradition of koan-study and an outreach to a lay-audience, and most Rinzai lineages claim descent from him, though his engagement with formal Rinzai-institution was minimal. When he was installed as head priest of Shōin-ji in 1718, he had the title of ''Dai-ichiza'', "First Monk": Hakuin considered himself to be an heir of Shōju Rōnin (Dokyō Etan, 1642–1721), but never received formal dharma transmission from him. Nevertheless, through Hakuin, all contemporary Japanese Rinzai-lineages are considered part of the

lineage, brought to Japan in 1267 by Nanpo Jomyo, who received his dharma transmission in China in 1265.

Tōrei Enji (8 May 1721 - 10 April 1792) was an eminent Japanese Zen Buddhist monk, teacher, author, painter and calligrapher. He was the chief disciple and heir of famed Japanese Rinzai master Hakuin Ekaku (1685–1786).Joskovich, Erez Hekigan. ''The Inexh ...

(1721–1792), who had studied with Kogetsu Zenzai, was a major student of Hakuin and an influential author, painter and calligrapher.Joskovich, Erez Hekigan. ''The Inexhaustible Lamp of Faith: Faith and Awakening in the Japanese Rinzai Tradition.'' Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 42/2:319-338. Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture. He is the author of the influential ''The Undying Lamp of Zen'' (''Shūmon mujintō ron''), which presents a comprehensive system of Rinzai training.Cleary, Thomas (2010). ''The Undying Lamp of Zen: The Testament of Zen Master Torei,'' Shambhala Publications, p. viii. Through Torei's student

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 ...

(1727–1797) Hakuin's approach became a focal point in Japanese Rinzai Zen. Before meeting Hakuin, Gasan 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 Rinzai teacher Gessen Zen'e, who had received dharma transmission from Kogetsu Zenzai. Gasan is often considered to be a dharma heir of Hakuin, despite the fact that "he did not belong to the close circle of disciples and was probably not even one of Hakuin's dharma heirs." Gasan's students Inzan Ien (1751–1814), who also studied with Gessen Zen'e,terebess.hu
''隱山惟琰 Inzan Ien (1751–1814)''
/ref> and Takujū Kosen (1760–1833) created a systematized way of koan-study, with fixed questions and answers. In 1808 Inzan Ien became abbott of Myoshin-ji, one of the main Rinzai temples in Japan, where he served for a short time, while Takujū Kosen was appointed as head abbott of Myoshin-ji in 1813.terebess.hu
''卓洲胡僊 Takujū Kosen (1760–1833)''
/ref> All contemporary Japanese Rinzai-lineages, and their methods and styles of koan-study, stem from these two teachers, though at the end of the Tokugawa-periond his line was at the brink of extinction.

Meiji Restoration (1868–1912) and Imperial Expansionism (1912–1945)

During the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

(1868–1912), after a coup in 1868, Japan abandoned its feudal system and opened up to Western modernism.

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

became the state religion, and Buddhism adapted to the new regime. Within the Buddhist establishment the Western world was seen as a threat, but also as a challenge to stand up to. A Rinzai university was founded in 1872,

Hanazono University is a private university in Kyoto, Japan that belongs to the Rinzai sect (specifically the Myōshin-ji temple complex, which it is next to). The university and the neighborhood are named for Emperor Hanazono, whose donated his palace to make Myōs ...

, initially as a seminary for those entering the priesthood. Hanazono University has grown to become the major Rinzai higher education institution in Japan.

Post-war (1945–present)

Modern Rinzai Zen is made up of 15 sects or branches, the largest being the Myoshin-ji line. Some influential modern Rinzai figures include Ōmori Sōgen (大森曹玄, 1904–1994),

Sōkō Morinaga The traditional Chinese calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms (节气/節氣). ''Shuāngjiàng'', ''Sōkō'', ''Sanggang'', or ''Sương giáng'' () is the 18th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 210 ...

(盛永宗興, 1925–1995), Shodo Harada (原田正道), Eshin Nishimura (西村惠信; born 1933), Keidō Fukushima (福島慶道, 1933 – 2011) and D.T. Suzuki (鈴木大拙貞太郎, 1870–1966).

Literary sources

Rinzai is a

Mahayana Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...

Buddhist tradition that draws from the various Indian

Mahayana sutras The Mahayana sutras are Buddhist texts that are accepted as wikt:canon, canonical and authentic Buddhist texts, ''buddhavacana'' in Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhist sanghas. These include three types of sutras: Those spoken by the Buddha; those spoke ...

(like the ''

Diamond Sutra The ''Diamond Sutra'' (Sanskrit: ) is a Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Buddhist sutra from the genre of ('perfection of wisdom') sutras. Translated into a variety of languages over a broad geographic range, the ''Diamond Sūtra'' is one of th ...

'' and the ''

Heart Sutra The ''Heart Sūtra'', ) is a popular sutra in Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhism. In Sanskrit, the title ' translates as "The Heart of the Prajnaparamita, Perfection of Wisdom". The Sutra famously states, "Form is emptiness (''śūnyatā''), em ...

'') and shastras (treatises) of the Indian masters. Rinzai also closely follows the works of the

Chinese Chan Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit '' dhyāna'' (meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming especially popular during the Tang and Song d ...

tradition, particularly that of the masters of the

(d. 866) and

Dahui Zonggao Dahui Zonggao (1089–10 August 1163) (; Wade–Giles: Ta-hui Tsung-kao; Japanese: Daie Sōkō; Vietnamese: Đại Huệ Tông Cảo) was a 12th-century Chinese Chan (Zen) master. Dahui was a student of Yuanwu Keqin (Wade–Giles: Yuan-wu ...

(1089–1163) and various traditional records of that school, like the ''

Transmission of the Lamp ''The Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp'' (), often referred to as ''The Transmission of the Lamp'', is a 30 volume work consisting of putative biographies of the Chan Buddhist and Zen Buddhist patriarchs and other prominent Buddhist ...

,'' and the ''Línjì yǔlù'' (臨濟語錄; Jp: ''Rinzai-goroku'', ''the Record of Linji'')''.'' Important Japanese sources of the Rinzai school include the works of

and his student

. Torei's ''Undying Lamp of Zen'' (''Shūmon mujintō ron'') offers a comprehensive overview of Hakuin's Zen and is a major source for Rinzai Zen practice. A more modern overview of Japanese Rinzai praxis is

Omori Sogen was a Japanese Rinzai Rōshi, a successor in the Tenryū-ji line of Rinzai Zen, and former president of Hanazono University, the Rinzai university in Kyoto, Japan. He became a priest in 1945. Biography Ōmori Sōgen was a teacher of Kashi ...

's ''Sanzen Nyumon (An Introduction to Zen Training).''

Japanese Rinzai practice

Contemporary Japanese Rinzai Zen is marked by its emphasis on ''

kenshō Kenshō (Rōmaji; Japanese and classical Chinese: 見性, Pinyin: ''jianxing'', Sanskrit: dṛṣṭi- svabhāva) is an East Asian Buddhist term from the Chan / Zen tradition which means "seeing" or "perceiving" ( 見) "nature" or "essence" ...

'' (見性, "seeing one's/ self nature" or "to see clearly into the

buddha-nature In Buddhist philosophy and soteriology, Buddha-nature ( Chinese: , Japanese: , , Sanskrit: ) is the innate potential for all sentient beings to become a Buddha or the fact that all sentient beings already have a pure Buddha-essence within ...

") as the gateway to authentic Buddhist practice.Moore (2018), pp. 9-10. Rinzai also stresses the importance of post- kensho spiritual training that actualizes awakening for the benefit of all beings. The student's relationship with a Zen teacher is another central element of Rinzai Zen practice. This includes the formal practice of ''

sanzen , aka , means going to a Zen master for instruction. In the Rinzai school, it has the same meaning as '' dokusan'', which is specifically a private interview between student and master,Fischer-Schreiber 1989, pg. 306 often centering on the studen ...

'', a private interview between student and master and various methods of "direct pointing" that are used by Rinzai masters to guide the student to the experience of kensho. Formal Rinzai training focuses on

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 ...

(seated meditation). Practices such as different forms of breath meditation ( breath counting,

diaphragmatic breathing Diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing, or deep breathing, is a breathing technique that is done by contracting the Thoracic diaphragm, diaphragm, a muscle located horizontally between the thoracic cavity and abdominal cav ...

and tanden, breath cultivation),

kōan A ( ; ; zh, c=公案, p=gōng'àn ; ; ) is a narrative, story, dialogue, question, or statement from Chan Buddhism, Chinese Chan Buddhist lore, supplemented with commentaries, that is used in Zen Buddhism, Buddhist practice in different way ...

introspection, wato, and

mantra A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...

practice (such as using the mantric syllable Ah) are used in zazen. Other practices include

walking meditation Walking meditation ( Chinese: 經行; Pinyin: ''jīngxíng''; Romaji: ''kinhin'' or ''kyōgyō''; Korean: ''gyeonghyaeng''; Vietnamese: ''kinh hành'') is a meditation practice done while walking common in Buddhism. It can be done as a standalo ...

(Jp. ''kinhin''),

ōryōki is a set of nested bowls and other eating utensils for the personal use of Buddhist monks. Ōryōki also refers to a meditative form of eating using these utensils that originated in Japan and emphasizes mindfulness awareness practice by abiding ...

(a meditative meal practice), and samu (physical work done with

mindfulness Mindfulness is the cognitive skill, usually developed through exercises, of sustaining metacognitive awareness towards the contents of one's own mind and bodily sensations in the present moment. The term ''mindfulness'' derives from the Pali ...

). Chanting (''okyo'')

Buddhist sutras Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth- ...

or dharanis is also a major element of Rinzai practice. Kōans are a common object of meditation when engaged in formal zazen. ''

Shikantaza is Dogen's Japanese translation of the Chinese phrase ''zhǐguǎn dǎzuò'' (), "focus on meditative practice alone", although many modern Western practitioners have interpreted this very differently. The phrase was used by Dogen's teacher R ...

'' ("just sitting") is less emphasized in Rinzai, but still used. This contrasts with Sōtō practice, which has de-emphasized kōans since Gentō Sokuchū (circa 1800), and instead emphasizes shikantaza. The Rinzai school developed its own formalized style of ''

'' introspection and training. This includes a standardized curriculum of '' kōans'', which must be studied and "passed" in sequence. This process may include standardized questions (''sassho'') and common sets of "capping phrases" (''

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 ...

'') or poetry citations that are memorized by students as answers. A student's understanding of a kōan is presented to the teacher in a private interview (''

dokusan Some Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. Below are given a number of important Buddhist terms, short definitions, and the languages in which they appear. In this list, an a ...

'', ''daisan'', or ''sanzen'') and the teacher's job is to guide the student to kensho, in part by judging the student's '' kyōgai''. Kōan-inquiry may be practiced during ''

'' (sitting meditation)'',

kinhin Walking meditation (Chinese language, Chinese: 經行; Pinyin: ''jīngxíng''; Romanization of Japanese, Romaji: ''kinhin'' or ''kyōgyō''; Korean language, Korean: ''gyeonghyaeng''; Vietnamese language, Vietnamese: ''kinh hành'') is a meditati ...

'' (walking meditation), and throughout all daily activities. In general, the Rinzai school is known for the rigor and severity of its training methods. The Rinzai style may be characterized as somewhat martial or sharp (following in the spirit of

). Since the adoption of Rinzai Zen by the

Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of '' shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this perio ...

in the 13th century, some Rinzai figures have even developed the

arts (''

budō is a Japanese language, Japanese term describing modern Japanese martial arts. It is commonly translated as "Martial Way", or the "Way of Martial Arts". Etymology is a compound of the root ( or ; ), meaning "war" or "martial"; and ( or ; ), ...

'') within a Zen framework. One influential figure was the Rinzai priest

Takuan Sōhō was a Japanese Buddhist prelate during the Sengoku and early Edo Periods of Japanese history. He was a major figure in the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. Noted for his calligraphy, poetry, tea ceremony, he is also popularly credited with the in ...

who was well known for his writings on Zen and ''

'' addressed to the

class (see ''

The Unfettered Mind is a three-part treatise on Buddhist philosophy and martial arts written in the 17th century by Takuan Sōhō, a Japanese monk of the Rinzai sect. The title translates roughly to "The Mysterious Records of Immovable Wisdom". The book is a series ...

''). In this regard, Rinzai is often contrasted with another sect of Zen deeply established in Japan,

, which has been called more gentle and even rustic in spirit. A Japanese saying reflects these perceptions: "Rinzai for the

Shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

, Sōtō for the peasants" (臨済将軍、曹洞土民, ''Rinzai Shōgun, Sōtō Domin''). The Rinzai school also adopted certain Taoist energy cultivation practices. They were introduced by

Hakuin 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 t ...

(1686–1769) who learned them from a hermit named Hakuyu. These energetic practices are called ''naikan.'' They are mainly based on focusing the mind and one's vital energy ('' ki'') on the '' tanden'' (a spot slightly below the navel). Certain Japanese

arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creativity, creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive ...

such as

painting Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

gardening Gardening is the process of growing plants for their vegetables, fruits, flowers, herbs, and appearances within a designated space. Gardens fulfill a wide assortment of purposes, notably the production of Aesthetics, aesthetically pleasing area ...

, and the

tea ceremony Tea ceremony is a ritualized practice of making and serving tea (茶 ''cha'') in East Asia practiced in the Sinosphere. The original term from China (), literally translated as either "''way of tea''", "''etiquette for tea or tea rite''",Heiss, M ...

are also often used as methods of Zen cultivation in Rinzai.

is famously known for his ''sumi-e'' (ink and wash) paintings as well as for his

is said to have popularized green tea in Japan and the famed master of Japanese tea,

Sen no Rikyū , also known simply as Rikyū, was a Japanese tea master considered the most important influence on the ''chanoyu'', the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of '' wabi-cha''. He was also the first to emphasize several key aspect ...

(1522–1591), was also trained in Rinzai.

Contemporary Rinzai schools

Rinzai Zen in Japan today is not a single organized body. Rather, it is divided into 15 branches (or 16, if Ōbaku is included), referred to by the names of their head temples, of which half are based 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 ...

(8, plus Ōbaku). The largest and most influential of these is the

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: ...

branch, whose head temple was founded in 1342 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). Other major branches include

and

Tenryū-ji , formally known as , is the head temple of the Tenryū-ji branch of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, located in Susukinobaba-chō, Ukyō Ward, Kyoto, Japan. The temple was founded by Ashikaga Takauji in 1339, primarily to venerate Gautama Bud ...

(both founded by

(founded by

), and

Tōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto, Japan. Tōfuku-ji takes its name from two temples in Nara, Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji.Japan ReferenceTōfuku-ji/ref> It is one of the Kyoto ''Gozan'' or "five great Zen temples of Kyoto". It ...

(founded by Enni Ben'en, 1202–1280). These branches are purely organizational divisions arising from temple history and teacher-student lineage, and do not represent sectarian divides or fundamental differences in practice. There are nevertheless small differences in the way kōans are handled. These head temples preside over various networks, comprising a total of approximately six thousand temples, forty monasteries, and one nunnery. The Myōshin-ji branch is by far the largest, approximately as big as the other branches combined: it contains within it about three thousand five hundred temples and nineteen monasteries.

Japanese Rinzai schools

The 15 branches of Rinzai, by head temple, are: *

Kennin-ji is a historic Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan, and head temple of its associated branch of Rinzai Buddhism. It is considered to be one of the so-called Kyoto ''Gozan'' or "five most important Zen temples of Kyoto". History Kennin-ji was ...

(1202) *

(1236, founded by Enni Ben'en, 1202–1280) *

Kenchō-ji Kenchō-ji (建長寺) is a Rinzai Zen temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, which ranks first among Kamakura's so-called Five Great Zen Temples (the ''Kamakura Gozan'') and is the oldest Zen training monastery in Jap ...

(1253) *

Engaku-ji , or Engaku-ji (円覚寺), is one of the most important Zen Buddhist temple complexes in Japan and is ranked second among Kamakura's Five Mountains. It is situated in the city of Kamakura, in Kanagawa Prefecture to the south of Tokyo. Founded ...

(1282) *

(1291, founded by

) *

Kokutai-ji , originally , is one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen, founded in 1300 by the monk Jiun Myoi in Toyama, Japan. In 1327 Emperor Go-Daigo gave the temple the name Kokutai-ji, and Jiun Myoi became Seisen Zenji. ...

(1300) *

(1315, founded by

) *

Kōgaku-ji , originally Kōgaku-an, is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. located in the city of Kōshū, Yamanashi, Japan. It is the head temple of one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school. Its main image is ...

(1380) *

(sect founded 1337, temple founded in 1342 by

) *

(1339, founded by

) *

Eigen-ji is a Buddhist temple in the Eigenji-Takano neighborhood of the city of Higashiōmi, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It is the head temple of one of the 14 autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen History Eigen-ji was founded in 1361 b ...

(1361) * Hōkō-ji (1384) *

Shōkoku-ji , formally identified as , is a Buddhist temple in northern Kyoto, first founded in 1382 by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, with the existing temple complex having undergone several periods of extensive reconstruction and rebuilding in the succeeding eras. ...

(1392) * Buttsū-ji (1397, affiliated with Tenryū-ji until 1905) * Kōshō-ji (1603) 興聖寺上京区の史蹟百選，区民誇りの木／興聖寺，ケヤキ
(100 Selected Historic Sites of Kamigyō ward, Ward Citizen's Pride Trees/Kōshō-ji, Keyaki)

Western Rinzai

A number of Rinzai lines have been transplanted from Japan to Europe, the Americas, and Australia, and non-Japanese practitioners have been certified as teachers and successors of those lineages. Rinzai temples, as well as practice groups led by lay practitioners, may now be found in many nations. North American Rinzai centers include Rinzai-ji founded by

Kyozan Joshu Sasaki , Roshi (April 1, 1907 – July 27, 2014) was a Japanese Rinzai Zen teacher who lived in Los Angeles, United States since 1962. He was one of the most influential but also controversial Zen masters in America, "coercing hundreds of tudentsint ...

Roshi and the Pacific Zen Institute founded by John Tarrant Roshi in California, Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji established by Eido Shimano Roshi and Soen Nakagawa Roshi in New York,

Chozen-ji Daihonzan Chozen-ji (大本山超禅寺) is a Rinzai Zen temple located in Kalihi Valley on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. It was established in 1972 by Omori Sogen and Tenshin Tanouye. History In 1970 Omori Sogen and Tenshin Tanouye met in Jap ...

founded by Omori Sogen Roshi in Hawaii,

Daiyuzenji Daiyuzenji is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple located on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Daiyuzenji began in 1982 as the Illinois ''betsuin'' (branch temple) of Daihonzan Chozen-ji, a Rinzai Zen headquarters temple found ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

and

Korinji So'tekizan Korinji (祖的山光林寺), or simply Korinji, is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monastery (''sodo'') near Reedsburg, Wisconsin, United States. It opened in 2017. The monastery is additionally a center for Shingon and Shugendo practice, an ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

both founded by dharma heirs in

Roshi's line, and Chobo-Ji founded by Genki Takabayashi Rōshi in Seattle, Washington. In Europe there is

Havredal Zendo Havredal Zendo (English: Oats Vally Zendo) - Cho-An is a Buddhist temple, in the Rinzai Zen tradition, founded by Choan Denko Mokudo Bertelsen (Egmund Sommer / Denko Møller / John Mortensen). Cho-An is the first Zen temple building to be establ ...

established by a Dharma Heir of Eido Shimano, Egmund Sommer (Denko Mortensen).

Related Japanese Zen schools

Obaku

Aside from Rinzai and Sōtō, there is a third tradition of Zen present in Japan, the

Zen sect. It was brought to Japan in the 17th century, and shows significant influence from the

Pure Land Pure Land is a Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhist concept referring to a transcendent realm emanated by a buddhahood, buddha or bodhisattva which has been purified by their activity and Other power, sustaining power. Pure lands are said to be places ...

school. This reflects the syncretistic tendencies that developed in Chinese Buddhism in the centuries after the earlier Rinzai lines had been transmitted to Japan. Ōbaku is also descended from the Chinese Linji school, and so technically may be considered a part of the Japanese Rinzai movement; further, its abbots are now part of the same

lineage as Rinzai branches, though they were not so originally (instead following a more recent Chinese lineage). While

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 ...

, the Ōbaku headquarters temple, is considered one of the 15 Rinzai branches mentioned above, Ōbaku Zen is administratively separate from the other 14 branches and continues to maintain its own distinct identity.

Fuke

A final Japanese Zen sect that self-identified as descending from the Linji school was the Fuke sect; Fuke Zen was suppressed with the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

in the 19th century and no longer exists. Its influence on the development of music for the

shakuhachi A is a Japanese longitudinal, end-blown flute that is made of bamboo. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the .

(bamboo flute), however, has been great.

Ichibata Yakushi Kyodan

Ichibata Yakushi Kyodan (properly written Ichiba Yakushi Kyōdan 一畑薬師教団) is today generally considered an independent school of Buddhism, though it was previously associated with Myōshin-ji (and before that

), and may still be considered part of Rinzai, though its practices and beliefs have little in common with Rinzai. It places great importance in faith in Yakushi (Medicine Buddha), and is known as a destination for healing.

Cultural influence

Remarkable results of the early relationship between Rinzai Zen and the ruling classes were a strong Rinzai influence on education and government, and Rinzai contributions to a great flowering of Japanese cultural arts such as

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desig ...

design,

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

and even

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

. A perhaps unanticipated result is that Soto Zen temples, with their connection and appeal to commoners, eventually came to outnumber Rinzai temples.

References

Sources

;Printed sources * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;Web-sources

External links

Official site of The Joint Council for Japanese Rinzai and Obaku Zen (both Japanese and English language)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rinzai School