Yasutani Hakuun
Yasutani Hakuun
1885 – 1973
Yasutani Hakuun was a student of Harada Daiun Sogaku who founded the Sanbo Kyodan (Three Treasures Association), a Zen lineage that integrated Soto and Rinzai methods and became one of the most important vehicles for the transmission of Zen to the West. His book The Three Pillars of Zen (compiled by Philip Kapleau) introduced countless Western readers to the practice of Zen meditation.
Yasutani broke with many conventions of Japanese institutional Zen. He offered koan practice to lay students, taught in an accessible style that emphasized the universality of awakening, and encouraged his students to bring Zen practice into their daily lives rather than confining it to the monastery. His dharma heir Yamada Koun continued this mission, and through their combined efforts the Sanbo Kyodan became one of the most internationally influential Zen lineages, with teachers across the Americas, Europe, and the Philippines.
Names
Teachers
Teachings
- proverbNo Shortcuts
There are no shortcuts in Zen. If you want to walk, you must take every step yourself. No one can walk for you.
- proverbThrow Yourself Into It
You must throw yourself into practice with your whole body and mind. Half-hearted practice produces half-hearted results.
- sermonIntroductory Lectures on Zazen Practice
The aim of zazen is to awaken to your True-nature. What is this True-nature? It is the Buddha-nature inherent in every sentient being. Through zazen you can directly experience and validate the truth that each of you is an embodiment of Buddha. Zazen that leads to Self-realization is neither a technique of meditation nor a means of tranquilizing the mind. It is practice that brings the mind to maturity, and it is the actualization of the supreme Way. To practice zazen with the expectation of a reward, even enlightenment, is to sow a seed of delusion. Simply sit with your whole being, pouring all your energy into this sitting.
- sayingOn Kensho and the Importance of Initial Awakening
Without kensho, your Zen is nothing but the empty shell of a peanut. Kensho is the first opening of the mind's eye, the first glimpse into one's True-nature. It is not yet full enlightenment—it is only the beginning—but without this initial awakening, you are groping in the dark. Even a shallow kensho transforms your understanding completely. After kensho, you know for yourself that the world of emptiness is not separate from the world of form. Then real practice begins.
- sayingThe Three Essentials of Zen Practice
For the practice of Zen, three things are essential: great faith, great doubt, and great determination. Great faith is the unwavering conviction that all beings are endowed with Buddha-nature and that through zazen one can realize this truth directly. Great doubt is the burning questioning that drives you forward—not intellectual doubt, but the doubt that grips your entire being like a red-hot iron ball stuck in your throat. Great determination is the fierce resolve never to give up, no matter what obstacles arise. Without any one of these three, your practice will be incomplete.
Master Record Sources
1885-1973
Yasutani Hakuun
Sanbo-Zen
Harada Daiun Sogaku