The tea seller - Baisao

A Zen monk and tea master. His real name was Shibayama Gensho, and he was born in Hasunoike, Hizen (Saga City). At the age of 11, he entered Ryushin-ji Temple, a branch of Manpuku-ji Temple on Mt. Obaku in the same place, and studied under Karin. He later trained at Manpuku-ji Temple in Uji, Yamashiro, and returned to Ryushin-ji Temple, but at the end of the Kyoho era (1716-1736), he abandoned the temple and went to Kyoto after Karin's death. He eventually met Nagatani Soen of Ujitawara, who invented high-quality sencha using the blue tea-making method, and began selling that tea. He changed his name to Kouyugai, but was known to the world as the tea seller. He sold tea not only to support himself, but also to awaken the corrupt society of Zen monks, and wrote about this in many of his poems, but in September 1755 (5th year of the Horeki era), he stopped selling tea due to old age. He wrote "Baizanshuchafuryaku" and collected his poems in "Baishao Gego."

[Murai Yasuhiko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

禅僧、煎茶(せんちゃ)人。俗名柴山元昭といい、肥前蓮池(はすのいけ)（佐賀市）に生まれる。11歳のとき同地の黄檗(おうばく)山万福(まんぷく)寺末の龍津(りゅうしん)寺に入り、化霖に師事した。のち山城(やましろ)宇治の万福寺で修行、龍津寺に戻ったが、享保(きょうほう)（1716～36）末年、化霖の死を契機に寺を捨て京都に上った。やがて青製茶法による良質の煎茶を考案した宇治田原の永谷宗円(ながたにそうえん)と会い、その煎茶を売る生活に入り、名を高遊外(こうゆうがい)と改めたが、世に売茶翁と称された。売茶は自活のためだけでなく、それを通じて腐敗した禅僧社会の覚醒(かくせい)を促すことにあり、それを多数の詩にも詠じたが、1755年（宝暦5）9月、老齢のため売茶の生活をやめている。『梅山種茶譜略』を著し、詩は『売茶翁偈語(げご)』に収める。

［村井康彦］

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