Soko Morinaga
Encyclopedia
was a Rinzai Zen
roshi
. He was head of Hanazono University
and abbot of Daishu-in in Kyoto, one of the twenty-four sub-temples of the Daitoku-ji
temple complex.
He began his Zen
training in his early twenties at Daishuin under Goto Zuigan
, formerly abbot of Myoshin-ji
and at that time abbot of Daitoku-ji, after finding himself adrift at the end of World War II
. Later, he became head monk of Daitoku-ji. He was Dharma successor to Oda Sessō
Rōshi, who was also a disciple of Gotō Zuigan
Rōshi and who succeeded him as abbot of Daitoku-ji.
He had a number of Western students, most importantly Shaku Daijo and Ursula Jarand, both students of many years of The Roshi's at Daishu-in in Kyoto. Shaku Daijo was there ordained as a Zen monk in 1979. Together with Ursula Jarand, Daijo built Daishu-in West in Humboldt County in Northern California, which was inaugurated by The Rōshi as a Zen Temple of the Myoshin-ji line in 1996:
See: www.daishu-in-west.org
The Roshi also made annual visits of one or two weeks each Summer to England to teach at the Buddhist Society's annual summer school. In 1984 he ordained Venerable Myokyo-ni, head of the Zen Centre closely affiliated to the London based Buddhist Society. Myokyo-ni was Irmgard Schloegl, an Austrian woman who had trained at Daitoku-ji while he was head monk there and whose own direct teachers (Sessō Rōshi and Sojun Rōshi) were now no longer alive. He also inaugurated her London training place Shobo-an as a Zen Temple, in the Daitoku-ji line, where the teachings of Sōkō, Sessō and Sojun continue to be practiced.
Daishu-in West is the main training place in America where The Roshi's teaching and practice of traditional Rinzai Zen may be followed.
His autobiography, Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity was first published in English in 2002.
In German:
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
roshi
Roshi
is a Japanese honorific title used in Zen Buddhism that literally means "old teacher" or "elder master" and sometimes denotes a person who gives spiritual guidance to a Zen sangha or congregation...
. He was head of Hanazono University
Hanazono University
is a private university located in Kyoto, Japan that belongs to the Rinzai sect, a major competitor of the Sōtō college in Tokyo known as Komazawa University. Despite the university's sectarian affiliation, the school does also accept Soto students as well. The school operates two research centers...
and abbot of Daishu-in in Kyoto, one of the twenty-four sub-temples of the Daitoku-ji
Daitoku-ji
is a Buddhist temple, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. It is located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The "mountain name" , who is known by the title Daitō Kokushi, or "National Teacher of the Great Lamp," that he was given by Emperor Go-Daigo...
temple complex.
He began his Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
training in his early twenties at Daishuin under Goto Zuigan
Goto Zuigan
was a Rinzai master and former chief abbot of Myōshin-ji and of Daitoku-ji, at that time the most important position in Rinzai. One of his students, of fifteen years, was author Huston Smith...
, formerly abbot of Myoshin-ji
Myoshin-ji
is a temple complex in Kyoto, Japan. The Myōshin-ji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism is the largest school in Rinzai Zen. This particular school contains within it more than three thousand temples throughout Japan, along with nineteen monasteries. The head temple was founded in the year 1342 by the...
and at that time abbot of Daitoku-ji, after finding himself adrift at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Later, he became head monk of Daitoku-ji. He was Dharma successor to Oda Sessō
Oda Sesso
Oda Sessō was a Rinzai Rōshi and abbot of the Daitoku-ji in Kyoto, Japan, a Dharma successor of Gotō Zuigan. He was elected abbot of Daitoku-ji upon Goto's retirement from that post in 1955. At Goto's request, Oda opened Daitoku-ji to foreigners...
Rōshi, who was also a disciple of Gotō Zuigan
Goto Zuigan
was a Rinzai master and former chief abbot of Myōshin-ji and of Daitoku-ji, at that time the most important position in Rinzai. One of his students, of fifteen years, was author Huston Smith...
Rōshi and who succeeded him as abbot of Daitoku-ji.
He had a number of Western students, most importantly Shaku Daijo and Ursula Jarand, both students of many years of The Roshi's at Daishu-in in Kyoto. Shaku Daijo was there ordained as a Zen monk in 1979. Together with Ursula Jarand, Daijo built Daishu-in West in Humboldt County in Northern California, which was inaugurated by The Rōshi as a Zen Temple of the Myoshin-ji line in 1996:
See: www.daishu-in-west.org
The Roshi also made annual visits of one or two weeks each Summer to England to teach at the Buddhist Society's annual summer school. In 1984 he ordained Venerable Myokyo-ni, head of the Zen Centre closely affiliated to the London based Buddhist Society. Myokyo-ni was Irmgard Schloegl, an Austrian woman who had trained at Daitoku-ji while he was head monk there and whose own direct teachers (Sessō Rōshi and Sojun Rōshi) were now no longer alive. He also inaugurated her London training place Shobo-an as a Zen Temple, in the Daitoku-ji line, where the teachings of Sōkō, Sessō and Sojun continue to be practiced.
Daishu-in West is the main training place in America where The Roshi's teaching and practice of traditional Rinzai Zen may be followed.
His autobiography, Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity was first published in English in 2002.
Publications
In English:- Pointers to Insight: Life of a Zen Monk (1985)
- The Ceasing of Notions: Zen Text from the Tun-Huang Caves (English translation of the German translation of Ursula Jarand, 1988)
- Novice to Master: An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My Own Stupidity (2002)
In German:
- Dialog über das Auslöschen der Anschauung - Dialogue about the Extinction of Contemplation Jarand, Ursula (translator), Frankfurt am Main: R. G. Fischer Verlag, 1987 - German translation of the Jueguanlun (Zekkanron) and Morinaga Soko Roshi's commentary on this text
- Hui-neng, Das Sutra des Sechsten Patriarchen - Hui-neng: The Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch Jarand, Ursula (translator), München: O. W. Barth Verlag, 1989 - German translation of the Platform sutra and Morinaga Soko Roshi's commentary on this text
External links
- There is no trash an excerpt from Novice to Master.