Saint Tozan Ryokai

Thirty Eighth Zen Transmission of Light

Nov 6, 2008

Shasta Abbey's late Abbess, Jiyu Kennett, often said that the long sentences used in Zen would likely annoy American readers.

It is not necessarily a well-known point that the originator of all Buddhism and the Soto Zen Buddhist line of Patriarchs and Ancestors, Shakyamuni Buddha himself, received the teachings and the transmission of the Way through others who came before him also seeking the Way. But it is in the writings of the Buddha where this practice of long sentences used to capture indefinable concepts seems to have originated in Zen. It is said in The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light, written by the Master Keizan Zenji, that it is a mistake to look upon Shakyamuni Buddha as standing out from the rest of humanity in his realization of enlightenment. Although the Buddha’s incarnation marks the beginning of the formal religion and scriptures of Buddhism, ascetics sought the way from beginningless time. Through the practice of extremes in wealth and subsequent asceticism, he was able to awaken to the middle way which is the foundation stone of all Buddhism.

Keizan Zenji and Reverend Master Abbess Jiyu Kennett

When Shasta Abbey Zen Buddhist Monastery decided to undertake the task of translating The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light recorded by the Great Master Keizan Zenji in the 1300’s, they assumed the average person would not understand it. It was initially intended for members of the Zen Buddhist priesthood engaging in serious and intensive training of the mind. It was understood that some of these Zen Aphorisms would make no sense to a Western born reader. It would require a penetration of sorts into the true core of what Zen is.

Master Keizan Zenji, born in Fukui Prefecture in 1267, would probably have been surprised to find his work administered in many languages to a lay population. The Sankon-Zazen-Setsu, Denkoroku are just two of the great works attributed to the Master Zenji. Most of the religious ceremonies still used today in Soto Zen tradition were penned by him.

The Moment of Enlightenment

The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light has the profound task of keeping for all eternity the records of the moment between Master and Disciple wherein the Master and current ancestor prepares the new disciple to take the torch of the Way to the next generation. Each moment is unique and profound.

Saint Tozan Ryokai, The Thirty Eighth Ancestor

“Whilst training under Ungan, Tozan asked him, ‘Who can hear the teaching of the Dharma by the non-sentient?’ Ungan replied, ‘The NON-SENTIENT can hear the teaching of the Dharma by the non-sentient.’ Tozan said, ‘Reverend Priest, do you hear it?’ Ungan said, ‘If I could hear it, you would not be able to hear my teaching of the Dharma.’ Tozan said, ‘If that is the way things are, then I, Ryokai, indeed do not hear the Reverent Priest’s teaching of the Dharma.’ Ungan said, ‘If you have not yet heard my teaching of the Dharma, how you possibly expect to hear the teaching of the Dharma by the NON-SENTIENT?’ Thereupon Tozan had a great awakning to his TRUE SELF and presented Ungan with a poem,

Ungan gave his approval to this.” The Denkoroku: The Record of the Transmission of Light.

Tozan Ryokai’s name meant ‘The Good Servant’ and was of the Yu clan in Shoryu from Kaikei.

The copyright of the article Saint Tozan Ryokai in Buddhist History is owned by Marilynn Hughes. Permission to republish Saint Tozan Ryokai in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.