Wisdom - Eshi

A monk from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period in China. He was the teacher of Zhiyi, the founder of the Tendai sect. His secular surname was Li. He was born on November 11, 14th year of the Tianjian era of the Liang dynasty, in Wujin County, Yuzhou, Henan Province. He became a monk at the age of 15, and at the age of 20, he read the Myosho Jokyo Sutra and learned the importance of meditation. He visited Zen masters in various places to practice Zen, and it is said that he met Huiwen of the Northern Qi dynasty and attained the Lotus Sutra. At the age of 34, he was poisoned by a hostile monk due to a dispute in Yanzhou, Henan Province, and thereafter suffered many persecutions. At the age of 41, he entered Dasu Mountain in Guangzhou (Henan Province) and transmitted the teachings to Zhiyi during that time. In the second year of the Guangda era of the Chin Dynasty (568), he entered Nanyue in Hunan Province with over 40 disciples and devoted himself to lecturing on zazen (seated meditation), so he is called Nanyue Daishi. His posthumous name was Shida Osho. His written works include "Nangaku Shida Zen Master Nanyue's Established Vows" and "The Dharma Method of Absence of Disputes in All Phenomena" in two volumes.

[Rouen Ikeda January 19, 2017]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、南北朝時代の僧。天台宗の開祖智顗(ちぎ)の師。俗姓は李(り)氏。梁(りょう)の天監(てんかん)14年11月11日、河南省予州武津(ぶしん)県に生まれる。15歳で出家し、20歳のときに『妙勝定経(みょうしょうじょうきょう)』を読んで禅定(ぜんじょう)のたいせつさを知り、諸方の禅匠を訪ねて禅を修めたが、北斉(ほくせい)の慧文(えもん)に会見して法華三昧(ほっけざんまい)を会得したといわれる。34歳のとき、河南省兗州(えんしゅう)での論争が原因で、敵意をもつ僧から毒害を受けるなど、その後しばしば法難にあった。41歳のとき、光州（河南省）大蘇山(だいそざん)に入り、この間に智顗に法を伝えた。陳の光大2年（568）に弟子40余人と湖南省の南岳(なんがく)に入って坐禅(ざぜん)講説に努めたので南岳大師といわれる。諡号(しごう)は思大和尚(しだいおしょう)。著書に『南岳思大禅師立誓願文(なんがくしだいぜんじりっせいがんもん)』『諸法無諍三昧(むじょうざんまい)法門』2巻などがある。

［池田魯參　2017年1月19日］

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