Keizan Jokin
Keizan Jokin
1264 – 1325
Keizan Jokin, the fourth patriarch of Japanese Soto Zen, is sometimes called "the Great Popularizer" to complement Dogen's role as the school's philosophical founder. He lived from around 1264 to 1325 and was instrumental in making Soto practice accessible to a broad population, including laypeople and those outside the educated elite. He founded Sojiji Temple, which became one of the two head temples of Soto Zen in Japan, the other being Dogen's Eiheiji.
Keizan's Denkoroku (Transmission of the Lamp) records the awakening stories of each of the Indian and Chinese patriarchs, making the lineage narratively vivid for Japanese practitioners. He also integrated practices from esoteric Buddhism, including rituals for the protection of the state and memorial ceremonies for ancestors, into the Soto monastic framework. This integration made Soto Zen intimately connected with the social and ritual life of Japanese communities and contributed enormously to its eventual spread as the largest Buddhist school in Japan. His teaching emphasized the accessibility of awakening to all beings regardless of capacity.
Names
Teachers
Teachings
- dialogueThe Transmission to Mahakashyapa
Once on Vulture Peak, the World-Honored One held up a flower before the assembly. All were silent. Only Mahakashyapa broke into a broad smile. The World-Honored One said, 'I possess the treasury of the true Dharma eye, the marvelous mind of nirvana, the true form of the formless, the subtle Dharma gate. It does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside the scriptures. I entrust it to Mahakashyapa.' Thus the lamp of the Dharma was transmitted for the first time. You must understand: what was transmitted was not something that can be put into words, nor is it something separate from words. Mahakashyapa's smile was not a sign of understanding—it was the thing itself.
- sermonZazen Yojinki: Notes on What to Be Aware of in Zazen
Zazen is not something you learn to do. It is simply sitting in the awareness that is already here. Do not try to become a buddha—you already are one. Do not try to get rid of delusions—they are already empty. When sitting, let body and mind fall away naturally. Do not follow thoughts, and do not push them away. Just sit, upright and alert, like a great mountain that cannot be moved. Breathe naturally. Whether thoughts come or go, whether the mind is clear or cloudy, just continue sitting. This sitting itself is the gateless gate of liberation.
- sayingAwakening Is Accessible to All Beings
This Way is not the possession of the learned or the gifted. It does not belong to monks alone, nor to those of high birth. Any person, whether man or woman, whether wise or simple, can realize this great matter. The Buddha-nature makes no distinctions. A farmer in the field, a woman drawing water—each one possesses the same luminous nature as the Buddha himself. This is why we must open the gate of practice wide, so that all beings may enter.
Master Record Sources
1264-1325
Keizan Jokin
Soto
Tettsu Gikai (Shakyamuni Buddha and the Two Founders)