Tiger training - Kokan Shiren

A Rinzai sect priest from the Kamakura and Nanboku-cho periods. He was from Kyoto. At the age of eight, he became a monk under Tozan Tansho (1231-1291) at Sansho-ji Temple in Yamashiro (Kyoto Prefecture), and after Tozan's death, he studied under Kian Soen (1261-1313) at Nanzen-ji Temple. He then went to Kamakura, where he studied under Tokei Tokugo (1240-1307), Zozan Junku (1233-1308), Muishogen (1245-1311), Issan Ichinei and others, learning Buddhist scriptures, Zen books, Confucian texts, poetry and prose, and mastering the arts and learning of the Southern Song scholar-officials. He was a representative early Five Mountains monk of literature, and was compared to the Eight Schools of Tang and Song. With the inspiration of Issan, he also attempted to compile the first comprehensive history of Buddhism in Japan, completing the 30-volume "Genko Shakusho" in 1322 (Genko 2). He also received instruction in Tomitsu and Taimitsu, and was a Zen practitioner who practiced esoteric Buddhism himself. He initially taught at Kankiko-ji Temple in Kawahigashi, Kyoto, Saihoku-an Temple in Shirakawa, and Honkaku-ji Temple in Iga, but in 1332 (Ganko 2) he was admitted to Tofuku-ji Temple, and in 1339 (Engen 4, Ryakuo 2) he was promoted to Nanzen-ji Temple, and in 1341 he retired to Kaizo-in Temple at Tofuku-ji Temple, so he was called Kaizo Osho. The following year, in 1342, he was given the special title of Hongaku Kokushi. He passed away on July 23, 1346. His other works include books on the composition of four-six style prose and rhyming essays such as "Zengi Gemonshu" and "Shubun Inryaku," collections of poems and sayings such as "Saibokushu" and "Juzenshiroku," as well as many other works such as "Buddha's Word of the Heart" and "Zen Wakumon."

[Rikizan Ishikawa July 19, 2017]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉・南北朝時代の臨済(りんざい)宗聖一(しょういち)派の僧。京都の人。8歳のとき山城(やましろ)（京都府）三聖寺の東山湛照(とうざんたんしょう)（1231―1291）のもとで出家し、東山の寂後は南禅寺の規庵祖円(きあんそえん)（1261―1313）に学んだ。ついで鎌倉に行き、桃渓徳悟(とうけいとくご)（1240―1307）、蔵山順空(ぞうざんじゅんくう)（1233―1308）、無為昭元(むいしょうげん)（1245―1311）、一山一寧(いっさんいちねい)などに師事し、仏典や禅籍、儒書、詩文を学んで南宋士大夫(なんそうしたいふ)の学芸を身につけ、初期の代表的五山文学僧として唐宋八家に比された。また一山の啓発により日本最初の総合仏教史の編纂(へんさん)を企て、1322年（元亨2）『元亨釈書(げんこうしゃくしょ)』30巻を完成した。さらに東密(とうみつ)や台密(たいみつ)の相承(そうじょう)も受け、自らも密法を修する兼習禅者でもあった。初め京都・河東の歓喜光寺(かんぎこうじ)、白河の済北庵(さいほくあん)、伊賀の本覚寺を兼帯したが、1332年（元弘2）東福寺に入院、1339年（延元4・暦応2）南禅寺に昇住、1341年に東福寺海蔵院に退居したので海蔵和尚(おしょう)とよばれる。翌1342年本覚国師の号を特賜された。1346年7月23日示寂。著書はほかに、『禅儀外文(げもん)集』『聚分韻略(しゅうぶんいんりゃく)』のような四六文の作法や韻書、『済北(さいほく)集』『十禅支録(じゅうぜんしろく)』などの詩文集や語録のほか、『仏語心論』『禅余或問(わくもん)』など多数ある。

［石川力山　2017年7月19日］

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