Digital Dictionary of Buddhism

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榮西

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: Eisai

Senses:

  • Also read Yōsai; Japanese Zen monk (1141–1215); considered to be the founder of the Rinzai school 臨濟宗 in Japan, as well founder of the Senkō Branch 千光派, one of the twenty-four transmissions of Zen 禪宗二十四流 that reached Japan, and thus he is also known as Senkō Kokushi 千光國師. Born into a family of the Shintō priesthood, Eisai began to study Buddhism at a young age, mainly the Tendai 天台宗 teachings of Mt. Hiei 比叡山. There, he became disillusioned with the venal agendas of the leading priests, and sought to travel to Song China to encounter the true teachings. He stayed less than a year, but receiving a strong impression, returned to Mt. Hiei carrying a large volume of Tendai texts. He later moved to Kyushu to teach and practice, but again traveled to the Song at the age of 47 (1187). This time he also attempted to travel further to India, but was unsuccessful due to political hindrances. During this second period, Eisai met Xu'an Huaichang 虛庵懷敞, a master of the Huanglong 黃龍 branch of Linji Chan and became his student. Four years later (1191), after received certification of his enlightenment from Huaichang, Eisai returned to Japan, where he established the first Zen temple in Japan, the Shōfukuji 聖福寺. He was able to work again in the Kyushu area, but due to the insecurities of the Mt. Hiei establishment he was prevented from teaching in the capital. Eisai responded by moving to Kamakura, where the newly founded Shogunate welcomed the prospect of a new, unsullied religious tradition, offering their full patronage, and supporting him in the construction of Kenninji 建仁寺 in Kyoto. Eisai passed away at 75, after the completion of one more temple, the Jufukuji 壽福寺, in Kamakura 鎌倉. He is credited with the introduction of tea cultivation in Japan, writing a book on the topic, called Kissa yōjōki 喫茶養生記 (An Account of the Health Benefits of Drinking Tea), which addressed the medicinal virtues of tea-drinking. Other works include the Bodaishinron kōketsu 菩提心論口訣, Kōzengokoku ron 興禪護國論, Shukke daikō 出家大綱, in addition to works on Tendai 天台 and Mikkyō 密教. See a translation of his Kōzen gokokuron in: Welter, Albert. 1999. “Eisaiʼs Promotion of Zen for the Protection of the Country”. In Religions of Japan in Practice, edited by G. J. J. Tanabe. Princeton N.J: Princeton University Press. pp. 63–70. [Charles Muller, Michel Mohr, Thomas Newhall; source(s): Ui, JEBD, Yokoi, Iwanami]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 1082, 89

    Bulgyo sajeon 596a

    Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.) 82b, 1250a

    Iwanami bukkyō jiten 68, 816

    A Glossary of Zen Terms (Inagaki) 48, 55, 437

    Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 51a/56

    Japanese-English Zen Buddhist Dictionary (Yokoi) 112

    Fo Guang Dictionary 5818

    Bussho kaisetsu daijiten (Ono) ⑫63d*/⑫64a*

    Index to the Bussho kaisetsu daijiten (Ono) 51

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)253b,997a,3444a,4669b,4930a,4977b

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 128-3

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 1997-09-15

    Updated: 2019-12-15