Suzuki Shōsan
Shōsan Suzuki | |
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Title | Zen Buddhism |
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Zen Buddhism |
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Suzuki Shōsan (鈴木正三, February 5, 1579 – July 28, 1655) was a
Zen training
Shōsan traveled throughout Japan seeking out
(1577–1661). In 1636 Shōsan created a Zen booklet entitled Fumoto no Kusawake (or, Parting the Grasses at the Foot of the Mountain).Shōsan trained under a little-known Zen master,
Niō Zen
Suzuki Shōsan developed his own style of Zen, Niō Zen “仁王不動禪”, or Guardian King Zen. Shōsan instructed his students to meditate on the
Shosan's dedication to bringing Buddhism to people from all segments of society intensified as he grew older. He believed that the virtue of Buddhism depended on its usefulness to one's country and people in the real world. Shosan taught that true enlightenment comes during one's daily tasks. Whether one is "tilling fields, or selling wares, or even confronting an enemy in the heat of battle, direct enlightenment will occur at key moment's of one's day to day life".[2] Shosan saw true enlightenment in an untraditional way by discarding the belief that enlightenment can only occur in matters of direct recluse or the renouncement, and therefore true Buddhism has nothing to do with "gentle piety or theory, even though most monks were taught to practice in this manner".[citation needed] Sometimes he asked learners to physically emulate the postures of the Niō, as well as other warrior deities like Fudo and Bishamonten, to aid them in concentration. The energy gained by thinking about the Niō was purported to help learners develop a warrior's fortitude, and to overcome the evil energies that inhibited them from progressing towards enlightenment.[3]
Works
- Mōanjō (盲安杖, "A Safe Staff for the Blind"), 1619
- Fumoto no Kusawake ("Parting the Grasses at the Foot of the Mountain"), 1636
- Ha Kirishitan (破切支丹, "Crush Christianity"), 1642
- Roankyō (驢鞍橋, "Donkey Saddle Bridge"), 1648
- Ninin Bikuni (二人比丘尼, "Two Nuns"), 1664
- Banmin Tokuyō (萬民徳用, "Right Action for All"), 1661
References
- ^ Braverman, Arthur. The Warrior of Zen. New York: Kodansha International, 1994.
- ^ The Samurai Zen of Suzuki Shosan, King Winston L, Asian Humanities Press, 1986
- ISBN 978-0-8239-2240-6. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
Further reading
- Warrior of Zen: The Diamond-Hard Wisdom Mind of Suzuki Shosan by Arthur Braverman
- Nakamura Hajime, Johnston, William (1967). Suzuki Shōsan, 1579-1655 and the Spirit of Capitalism in Japanese Buddhism, Monumenta Nipponica 22 (1/2), 1-14 – via JSTOR (subscription required)
External links
- Suzuki Shōsan memorial hall (in Japanese)