Ingen

Yin Yuan Lung Ch'i (Chinese隐 元 隆 琦, Pinyin Yǐnyuán Longqi, Japanese Ingen Ryuki; * 1592 in Fuzhou, then Fu -ch - in福清, † 1673 in Japan), was a Chinese Zen monk who in Japan, the third major Zen school, the Obaku shū justified.

Journey

Born Lung Ch'i (隆 琦, in the Lin family (林) ). At that time still under the rule of the Ming Dynasty. His father disappeared without a trace. While looking for him Yin Yuan entered a monastery in Nanhai. Yin Yuan is his religious name. He was 29 -year-old student of Chien -yuan (Japanese Kangen Zenji ) in Wan -fu- ssu (万 福寺) on Mount Huang- po (黄 檗 山) in the Chinese province of Fujian. After the death of his master, he was first a student of Fei -yin (Japanese Hiin ), then ruler of the temple. He gained a reputation as a teacher.

In Japan

After repeated invitations resident in Nagasaki Chinese monk Itsunen shoyu (Ch I- jan ) and his lay supporter, he went to an already high for that time the age of 63 in 1654 to Japan. He was accompanied by 20 monks and 10 artisans who fled well before the political chaos of the time. First, he resided in Kōfuku -ji, then in Sofuku -ji. His reputation as a teacher had preceded him, so that soon a number of students began briefing.

After an audience with the Shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna he was allowed in 1658 by the Bakufu, a temple of the branch school Genju -ha (幻 住 派) to restore the Rinzai shū in Uji in Kyoto. For this, the temple received a donation of land and 4,000 koku. This was later the main temple of the Obaku - Shuu: the Mampuku -ji, whose basic structure was completed in 1662. It is named after the example of his native China temple, as the mountain Obaku -san is written with the same characters as the Huang -po. Mu - to followed him as abbot

Yin Yüans calligraphy characterized by a powerful style with powerful curves. He is one of the three artists who are called Obaku no Sampitsu.

He was posthumously awarded the designation Daiko Osho Kokushi -

Yin Yuan is always referred to in Japan as rings, but he is not to be confused with another of the same monks, whose name is written with other kanji, however, be read the same, such as the son of Taira Motohiras院 元(954-1028) or the abbot of Kencho -ji印 元( 1295-1374 ).

Works

Wholly or partly attributable to him are:

• Fushōkokushi koroku
• Goroku Obaku (黄 檗 语录)
• Ōbukusanshi (黄 檗 山 志)
• Ingen Hogo (隐 元 法语)

Literature and sources

• Helen Baroni: Obaku Zen. The Emergence of the Third Sect of Zen in Tokugawa Japan. University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu 2000, ISBN 0-8248-2195-5
• Ramming Martin (ed.): Japan Guide. Berlin 1941, p 243
• Stephen Addiss: Obaku: Zen Paintings and Calligraphy. 1978