Jakushitsu Genkō

Jakushitsu Genkō (寂室 元光, June 23, 1290 – September 25, 1367) was a Japanese Rinzai master, poet, flute player, and first abbot of Eigen-ji (constructed solely for him to teach Zen). His poetry is considered to be among the finest of Zen poetry. He traveled to China and studied Ch'an with masters of the Linji school from 1320 to 1326, then returned to Japan and lived for many years as a hermit. It was only toward the end of his life that he decided to teach Zen to others.^[1]

See also

• Buddhism in Japan
• List of Rinzai Buddhists

Notes

References

• Keown, Damien (2003). A Dictionary of Buddhism. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-860560-9. 
• Ury, Marian (1992). Poems of the Five Mountains: An Introduction to the Literature of the Zen Monasteries. Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan. ISBN 0-939512-53-X. 

Further reading

• Braverman, Arthur (2000). A Quiet Room: The Poetry of Zen Master Jakushitsu. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0-8048-3213-7.