Tessan Shikaku

Tessan Shikaku was a Soto Zen master who maintained the tradition's transmission in Japan. He served in the lineage of teachers responsible for preserving the school's meditative practices and institutional life, contributing to the steady continuity that characterizes the Soto tradition.

Shikaku's role in the Soto succession reflects the tradition's emphasis on unbroken transmission. Each teacher in the chain is responsible not only for their own practice but for the faithful transmission of the Dharma to the next generation, ensuring that Dogen's original insight remains alive and accessible.