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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gesshū Sōko
Title Zen Master
Personal
Born1618
Died1696
Religion Buddhism
School Sōtō

Gesshū Sōko (1618–1696) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and a member of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan. He studied under teachers of the lesser known, and more strictly monastic, Ōbaku School of Zen and contributed to a reformation of Sōtō monastic codes. As a result, he is sometimes given the title "The Revitalizer". [1]

He is known for his calligraphy [2] as well as his poetry, including his death poem:

Inhale, exhale
Forward, back
Living, dying:
Arrows, let flown each to each
Meet midway and slice
The void in aimless flight --
Thus I return to the source. [3]

Gesshū Sōko passed Dharma transmission to Zen Master Manzan Dōhaku who went on to restore the strong master-disciple bond in Sōtō Zen. [1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Still Point - Newsletter of Dharma Rain Zen Center". XXV (1). Portland, Oregon. January–February 2000. {{ cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= ( help)
  2. ^ Stevens, John. Sacred Calligraphy of the East, third edition.
  3. ^ Hoffmann, Yoel (1986). Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death. Tuttle Publishing.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gesshū Sōko
Title Zen Master
Personal
Born1618
Died1696
Religion Buddhism
School Sōtō

Gesshū Sōko (1618–1696) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and a member of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan. He studied under teachers of the lesser known, and more strictly monastic, Ōbaku School of Zen and contributed to a reformation of Sōtō monastic codes. As a result, he is sometimes given the title "The Revitalizer". [1]

He is known for his calligraphy [2] as well as his poetry, including his death poem:

Inhale, exhale
Forward, back
Living, dying:
Arrows, let flown each to each
Meet midway and slice
The void in aimless flight --
Thus I return to the source. [3]

Gesshū Sōko passed Dharma transmission to Zen Master Manzan Dōhaku who went on to restore the strong master-disciple bond in Sōtō Zen. [1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Still Point - Newsletter of Dharma Rain Zen Center". XXV (1). Portland, Oregon. January–February 2000. {{ cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= ( help)
  2. ^ Stevens, John. Sacred Calligraphy of the East, third edition.
  3. ^ Hoffmann, Yoel (1986). Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death. Tuttle Publishing.

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