Shosan Suzuki

Shosan Suzuki

Infobox Buddhist biography
name = Shōsan Suzuki


img_size =
img_capt =
landscape =
birth_name =
other_names =
dharma_name =
birth_date = birth date|1579|2|5
birth_place = Japan
death_date = death date and age|1655|7|28|1579|2|5
death_place =
nationality =
denomination = Zen Buddhism
school =
lineage =
title = Samurai
Zen monk
workplace =
education =
occupation =
teacher =
reincarnation_of =
predecessor =
successor =
student =
spouse =
partner =
children =
website =

Shōsan Suzuki (鈴木正三)(February 51579-July 28, 1655), or Suzuki Shōsan, was a Japanese samurai who served under the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Shōsan was born in modern-day Aichi Prefecture of Japan. He participated in the Battle of Sekigahara and the Battle of Osaka before renouncing life as a warrior and becoming a Zen Buddhist monk in 1621.

Shōsan traveled throughout Japan seeking out Zen masters and trained in several hermitages and temples, most notably at Myōshin-ji in Kyoto training under Gudō Toshoku (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 Zen master we know little about, Daigu Sochiku, who allowed Shōsan to keep his original name. Shōsan never actually received "inka" but was one of many in the Tokugawa period to claim Jigo jisho or "self-enlightenment without a teacher." He was a Zen Master who amassed a large following. In 1642, Shōsan, along with his brother, built 32 Buddhist temples in Japan. One was a Pure Land Buddhist temple in which he honoured the Shoguns Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Hidetada. Shōsan went on to write several treatises before his death in 1655 at 76 years old.

Works

* "Banmin tokuyo" ("Right Action for All"), 1661
* "Ninin bikuni" ("Two Nuns"), 1664
* "Ha Kirishitan ("Crush Christianity"), 1642
* "Roankyo" ("Donkey Saddle Bridge"), 1648
* "Moanjo" ("A Safe Staff for the Blind"), 1619
* "Ha Kirishitan ("Crush Christianity"), official government printing 1616

Further reading

*"Warrior of Zen: The Diamond-Hard Wisdom Mind of Suzuki Shosan" by Arthur Braverman


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Suzuki Shōsan — ▪ Japanese Zen priest born Feb. 5, 1579, Mikawa province, Japan died July 28, 1655, Edo [now Tokyo]       Japanese Zen priest.       Suzuki was born of a samurai (warrior) family that had traditionally served the Matsudaira (later Tokugawa)… …   Universalium

  • Royall Tyler (academic) — Infobox Writer name = Royall Tyler imagesize = caption = Photo: Niclas Ericsson pseudonym = birthdate = 1936 birthplace = deathdate = deathplace = occupation = Scholar, translator nationality = period = genre = subject = Japanese literature… …   Wikipedia

  • Mel Weitsman — Sojun Mel Weitsman Sojun Mel Weitsman wielding a hossu. Religion Zen Buddhism School Sōtō Lineage Shu …   Wikipedia

  • 1655 — Year 1655 (MDCLV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10 day slower Julian calendar). Events of 1655 : Titan discovered (image false… …   Wikipedia

  • Kanazōshi — nihongo|Kanazōshi|仮名草子| describes a type of printed Japanese book that was produced primarily in Kyoto between 1600 and 1680. The term literally means “books written in kana ” ( kana being the phonetic Japanese syllabary that is simpler to read… …   Wikipedia

  • Shin'ichi Hisamatsu — Dr. Hosekei Shinichi Hisamatsu (1889–1980) was a philosopher, Zen Buddhist scholar, and Japanese tea ceremony ( sadō or chadō , 茶道, the way of tea ) master. He was also a professor at Kyoto University and received an honorary doctoral degree from …   Wikipedia

  • Arthur Braverman — is an American born author and translator of works from Japanese to English. A Zen Buddhist practitioner who lived in Japan for seven years and studied at Antai ji temple in 1969 training under Kosho Uchiyama. Zen practice with Kosho Uchiyama was …   Wikipedia

  • Mushi dokugo — Mushi dokugo, sometimes called jigo jisho, is a Japanese term used in Zen Buddhism which expresses the phenomenon known as awakening alone, without a master. [1] It is usually considered suspect since the risk of self delusion or fake Zen is… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”