Ryomokyo-kai
Encyclopedia
Ryōmō Kyōkai was a lay Rinzai Zen Buddhist practice center located in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1875 by Okunomiya Zōsai (奥宮 慥斎 1811-77), a student of Satō Issai. It attracted figures such as Imakita Kōsen
(1816-1892), abbot of the Rinzai monastery
Engakuji, Nakajima Nobuyuki, Kawajiri Hōkin, and Nakae Chomin
(1847-1901). Kōsen was its honorary leader but not its founder.
The rules of the society were as follows:
In this initial form it served as an intellectual society for the discussion of Buddhism and zazen
practice.
Ryōmō Kyōkai was revived in 1925 by Tetsuo Sōkatsu, dharma descendant of Kōsen. The revival was more frequently called "Ryōbō Zen Kyōkai" or "Ryōbō Kai" in Japan, owing to a more modern kanji
reading. A branch was established on Sutter Street in San Francisco after Sōkatsu arrived in America. It attracted lay Buddhists and probably inspired the form of Zen practice centers throughout the Western world. However, the Japanese revival was disbanded after World War II, and the San Francisco branch likely was lost during the Japanese American internment
.
Imakita Kosen
was a Japanese Rinzai Zen rōshi and Neo-Confucianist. As one-time head abbot of Engakuji in Kamakura, Japan, he was known as a government loyalist and is remembered for his support of Emperor Meiji—in the 1870s serving as Doctrinal Instructor for the Ministry of Doctrine. He did his Zen training...
(1816-1892), abbot of the Rinzai monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
Engakuji, Nakajima Nobuyuki, Kawajiri Hōkin, and Nakae Chomin
Nakae Chomin
was the pen-name of a journalist, political theorist and statesman in Meiji period Japan. His real name was . His major contribution was the popularization of the egalitarian doctrines of the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Japan...
(1847-1901). Kōsen was its honorary leader but not its founder.
The rules of the society were as follows:
- Members could discuss anything they wanted except politics and "worldly affairs".
- Meals were limited to rice, sake, and three bowls of vegetables.
- Participants would be honest and polite.
- New participants would be introduced by an existing member and affirm their vows every month.
In this initial form it served as an intellectual society for the discussion of Buddhism and zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
practice.
Ryōmō Kyōkai was revived in 1925 by Tetsuo Sōkatsu, dharma descendant of Kōsen. The revival was more frequently called "Ryōbō Zen Kyōkai" or "Ryōbō Kai" in Japan, owing to a more modern kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
reading. A branch was established on Sutter Street in San Francisco after Sōkatsu arrived in America. It attracted lay Buddhists and probably inspired the form of Zen practice centers throughout the Western world. However, the Japanese revival was disbanded after World War II, and the San Francisco branch likely was lost during the Japanese American internment
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
.