Muyan

Mu - to Hsing'tao (Chinese木 庵 性 瑫, Pinyin: Muan Xingtao, Japanese Mokuan Shoto; * 1611 Chinchiang, † 1684), was one of the three founding fathers of Chinese Obaku shū, Zen Buddhism, according to the Japan came.

Under his leadership, the organization of the school grew rapidly, and it managed to win many supporters, despite the hostility of the Rinzai establishment.

Journey

Mu - belonged to Hsing'tao as his teacher Yin Yuan, whom he succeeded in 1655 to Nagasaki, the Lin -chi tsung (Chinese临济 宗pinyin Linji Zong ) of the Chinese Chan Buddhism, which unlike its Japanese Zen offshoot non-sectarian abschottete against new influences, but during the Yuan and Ming dynasties syncretic also elements of the Pure Land with recorded. However, this contemptuously called by Japanese dogmatists of the Rinzai school as Nembutsu Zen style exerted a great attraction.

As every alien was initially denied traveling in the country during the seclusion of Japan, he took care of the Fukusai -ji to the interests of the Chinese community in Nagasaki. As Yin Yuan Nagasaki left, took over Mu - almost all of his students. After he had received in 1660 from the Bakufu permission to travel, he followed his teacher, who gave him as well as 14 others had already been granted in China inka (印 可) to confirm his enlightenment, in the Fumon -ji.

Mu to 1664 supervised the control of the structure of Mampuku -ji, which is the main temple of the sect today. Mu - on there was the second abbot to 1679th case of several visits to Edo, he succeeded to the promotion of the Bakufu to insure. He received in 1667 by the shogun Tokugawa Ietsuna 20,000 ryō gold and teak to build. With its good links to the nobility of the sword he succeeded, exemptions relating to restrictions against the re-establishment of temples ( jiin hatto ) to obtain, so consider him 24 Temple as their founder. The most significant of these is the main temple in Edo, the Zuishō -ji.

The eight-day ritual of ordination Obaku ( sandan kaie ) was held for the first time in 1674 under his leadership in Zuishō -ji. Whether, as alleged in his biography were actually 5,000 people, 3,000 of which the bodhisattva vows took off, must be questioned.

Mu - appointed on 46 Dharma successor, of whom 43 were born in Japan. He founded two secondary lines (ha) within the school, Manju -ha -ha and Shiun, which were continued by his successors in eleven branches (ge). As abbot him Hui -lin Hsing -chi ( 1609-81 ) was followed by, which belonged to the group of monks who had accompanied Yin Yuan.

The calligraphy Mu - to 's are highly valued as that of his master. He is one of three artists who are called Obaku no Sampitsu. He should not be confused with the Zen painters of the Kamakura period, Mokuan canals (黙 庵 霊 渊).

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