Zen Buddhism Final Study Guide - People

Dōgen

• founder of the Sōtō school in Japan, known for his profound teachings and emphasis on zazen and shikantaza

• authored the Shōbōgenzō, a collection of essays that is one of the most important philosophical works in Japanese Zen

• his teachings focus on the oneness of practice and enlightenment, emphasizing that everyday activities are expressions of Buddha nature

Bodhidharma

First Patriarch

• arrived from India in 5th/6th century

• credited with introducing the principles of Zen, including meditation, and was associated with the practice of “Wall Gazing”

  • teachings emphasize direct transmission beyond scriptures

• authored the Treatise on Two Entrances and Four Practices

Huineng

Sixth Patriarch

• maybe didn’t exist??

• known for his teachings on sudden enlightenment and intrinsic Buddha nature

  • contrasted with gradual approach

  • greatly influenced development of Chan/Zen Buddhism

• a central figure in the Platform Sutra

  • mind-to-mind transmission, non-duality of nature

Śākyamuni

• Siddhāartha Gautama, a prince that is known as “The Buddha”

Hongren

Fifth Patriarch

• known for his teachings that emphasized the inherent Buddha nature in all beings

• gave his robe and patriarch title to Huineng instead of Shenxiu

  • believed Huineng was more attuned to enlightenment and actually understood it

Mazu Daoyi

• known for his teachings on the significance of daily life and the irrelevance of meditation

• his direct and sometimes unconventional methods (“Shock Therapy”), including shouting and striking, were pivotal in the development of the Hongzhou school of Chan

  • first empire-wide school

• teachings also influenced later Chan/Zen traditions

  • esp Linji/Rinzai school

Hongzhi

• known for his teachings on silent illumination (mozhao)

  • objectless meditation

  • Caodong/Sōtō Zen tradition

• studied with Kumu (“dead wood”)

  • sat so still in meditation that he looked like dead wood

Shenxiu

• often associated with the Northern School of Chan

  • taught gradual enlightenment

• defamed by Huineng’s disciple Shenhui

  • still a prominent leader of metropolitan Chan according to Dunhuang manuscript

  • summoned to the court of Chang’an by Empress Wu

Zhaozhou

One Who would have Saved the Cat

• Nanquan’s disciple

• well-known koan: “Does a dog have Buddha Nature?”

  • responded “NOT” (“mu/wu”)

• he favored short, impactful statements over striking his students

Dongshan

• contemporary of Linji, co-founder of the Caodong (Sōtō) school

  • poetic style

  • concerned with Buddha Nature of inanimate objects

• distinct teaching style: balancing philosophical depth & practical meditation

Huike

Second Patriarch

• key disciple of Bodhidharma, known for his deep dedication and understanding of Zen

• legendary for offering his arm to Bodhidharma to demonstrate his sincerity

  • symbolizing extreme commitment to learning enlightenment from Bodhidharma and seeking the truth

Nanquan

One who Killed the Cat

• Mazu’s disciple, known for his profound and sometimes enigmatic teachings, including the famous cat-cutting kōan

• used everyday activities as opportunities for awakening, blending humor and insight

• teachings greatly influenced development of kōan literature and Zen pedagogy

Zhuangzi

• a Daoist sage that had the butterfly dream

  • explores the themes of death and knowledge

  • advocates acceptance of change

Eisai

• a Japanese Buddhist monk who introduced Rinzai Zen to Japan in 12th century, after studying in China

• known for promoting Zen practices along with the tea ceremony, integrating principles into Japanese culture and daily life

Hakuin

• 18th-century Japanese Zen master, credited with reviving the Rinzai school and emphasizing rigorous kōan practice

• known for a dynamic teaching style, artwork, and calligraphy, and for introducing the system of kōan introspection

  • influence reshaped Rinzai Zen, stressing the importance of deep kōan practice combined with daily life activities for enlightenment

Shenhui

• played a pivotal role in promoting Huineng’s teachings, the unilineal mono-succession from the Buddha though Bodhidharma to Huineng, and the concept of sudden enlightenment

• known for his public debates critiquing the “Northern School” of Chan, advocating the legitimacy of Huineng’s “Southern School”

Mahākāśyapa

• the second successor to Sakyamuni Buddha

  • during the Buddha’s lecture, he raised a flower and he was the only one who just smiled and laughed

Linji

• Huangbo’s diciple, founder of the Linji/Rinzai school, known for its dynamic teaching methods including shouts and physical gestures; famously said “kill the Buddha”

• his teachings emphasized sudden awakening and direct encounter with one’s true nature, influencing Chan and Zen practice

Dahui

• successor to Linji, known for his criticism of silent illumination and his emphasis on gong’an/kōan introspection

• pioneered the use of huatou, the critical phrase of a kōan, as a meditation tool, shaping the Linji/Rinzai practice

Shitou

• known for poem “The Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage”

  • relfects his emphasis on the physical body and integration of Taoist naturalness and Buddhist emptiness

• founded Shitou School of Chan

Huangbo

• Baizhang’s disciple, known for his slaps (shock therapy), and was influential in the development of the Linji (Rinzai) school

• his recorded sayings, notably in “The Zen Teaching of Huangbo,” are considered classics of Zen literature, emphasizing the ineffable nature of Zen experience

Rujing

• a 12th-century Chinese Chan master, pivotal in the transmission of the Sōtō Zen lineage to Japan through his student Dōgen

• known for his strict emphasis on zazen, he greatly influenced Dōgen’s views on practice and enlightenment

Ikkyū

• 15thc-century eccentric Japanese Zen monk, renowned for his unorthodox, often provocative style and deep commitment to Zen practice

• known for his poetry and calligraphy

  • challenged the formalities of institutional Zen and emphasized direct, personal experience

• his life and teachings reflect a rebellious spirit against formalism, highlighting Zen’s capacity to encompass a wide range of human experiences

Sengcan

Third Patriarch

• known from his composition, the Xinxin Ming (Relying on Mind), a key Zen text

• teachings focus on non-duality and inherent Buddha nature, emphasizing a mind free from attachment and aversion

Laozi

• the founder of the Daoist philosophical school

• “Know honor, Yet keep humility, Be the valley of the universe! Being the valley of the universe, Ever true and resourceful, Return to the state of the uncarved block.”

Emperor Wu (Liang Wudi)

• 6th-century emperor of Liang Dynasty in China

• noted for patronage of Buddhism and encounter with Bodhidharma

  • Bodhidharma responds ”I don’t know” to Emperor’s question about the holy truth

    • seminal moment in Zen lore