Saint Barishiba
Tenth Zen Buddhist Teacher
Keizan Zenji records in The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light, that after leaving the palace to become a profound ascetic, Shakyamuni Buddha discovered the middle way – the path of no extremes. It was at this time that he propounded the Four Noble Truths. These four truths are 1.) The Truth of Suffering, 2.) The Truth of the Origin of Suffering, 3.) The Truth of the Extinction of Suffering, and 4.) The Truth of the Path that Leads to the Extinction of Suffering. This path is found by practicing Right Understanding, Thought, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration. The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light records the line of ancestors in the Zen Buddhist tradition back to Shakyamuni Buddha.
The Preservation of the Lineage
It was the Great Master Keizan Zenji who realized that the lineage of the Zen Ancestors could be lost if it were not recorded. He began writing The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light in the 14th century with a special emphasis on preserving the moment that each of the Zen Ancestors received enlightenment.
Master Keizan Zenji entered the monastery Eiheiji at a very young age. He was born in Fukui Prefecture in 1267 and entered as a young boy. Learning from two great contemporaries of his time – Koun Ejyo and Tettsu Gikai, he has become one of the most beloved Zen Masters.
Writing many works in his life, he is best known for having originated and written most of the religious ceremonies utilized today in Soto Zen Buddhism, but he is also credited with the Sankon-Zazen-Setsu and Denkoroku.
Fifty Two Patriarchs
It was not an easy task to do, but Master Keizan Zenji recorded the moment of transmission between Master and Disciple for each of the Fifty Two Patriarchs. These Patriarchs are most often referred to as the Ancestors of Zen, and in Buddhism there is a great deal of respect accorded to the sequence of the teachings. It is not unlike the Apostolic Succession in Catholic Christianity.
Saint Barishiba, The Tenth Ancestor
“Barishiba faithfully attended on Fudamitta for three years without ever resting. One day Fudamitta was reciting a Scripture and lecturing on the UNBORN; upon hearing this, Barishiba realized enlightenment.” The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light.
Barishiba’s name means ‘He Whose Ribs Remain Upright.’ He was from Central India and was originally known as Nansho or ‘He Whose Birth was Difficult.’ His father had an auspicious dream before his birth wherein he dreamed of a jeweled white elephant with an ornamental seat on its back. In the center of the seat lay a beautiful and perfect pearl which emitted light. That light awakened monks, laity, male and female. The moment he awoke from this auspicious dream, he learned of his new son’s birth.
Barishiba had been called ‘He Whose Birth was Difficult’ because he had ‘been in the womb for 60 years’ and was a very old man when he began to seek enlightenment. It is likely that ‘being in the womb’ at the time meant that he lived in his parents home. When told he was much too old to become a monk, he was heard to say, “I have left home to become a monk; until I have thoroughly studied and mastered the Three Treasure Houses of the Canon and have realized the three types of spiritual clarity, I will not let my ribs touch my mat.” Thus leading the way for him to receive his new name (‘He Whose Ribs Remain Upright.’)
“Turning page after page,
oh how many volumes of Scripture there are!
Dying here, being born there,
Is but chapter and verse.”
Keizan Zenji summarizes the teaching of Barishiba
Sources: The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light – Keizan Zenji, Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery
Mount Shasta
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