Understanding Our Lineage
“Within not-a-thing lies infinite treasure!“
Calligraphy by Soen Nakagawa Roshi (from Terebess)
I’ve been thinking a lot about lineage, as a priest ordained by Jun Po Roshi. Zen lore includes a belief that a direct person to person transmission has occurred all the way back to Shakyamuni Buddha himself. While there is no way to confirm this, the direct lineage from the founding patriarch Bodhidharma – 5th Century China to the present seems legitimate. Our evening service is the Hollow Bones Lineage chant that lists 27 Indian patriarchs, 27 Chinese patriarchs and 27 Japanese patriarchs. So I decided I better understand who exactly are all these folks. I’m working my way backwards from the present. This blog will trace our lineage from present time back to Hakuin Ekaku (1686 – 1769), considered the founder of modern day Rinzai Zen.
In his 40s, my teacher ,Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi made his way to Dai Bosatsu Kongo-Ji or Zendo, a delightful Japanese monastery built in the Catskill Mountains of New York in 1976 by the Zen Studies Society of New York. Jun Po Roshi had trained for many years in yoga and other eastern practices before he landed at Dai Bosatsu. Eisho Shimano (1932-2018), the founding Abbot of Dai Bosatsu Kongo-Ji recognized Jun Po as his first dharma heir. Recognition of an heir in Rinzai Zen is through inka, a direct transmission of the dharma in a ritual. Through inka Shomei, the teacher embodies another as a teacher in the lineage, a Roshi, in our tradition. Jun Po Roshi eventually left Dai Bosatsu, due to his teacher Eido Roshi’s ongoing inappropriate behavior with female students (for more information see The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side). Jun Po Roshi founded a lay Zen order in the Rinzai tradition, Hollow Bones Zen.
“Long Life”
Calligraphy by Hakuin Ekaku Roshi
I was ordained in this order as a priest at Dai Bosatsu in 2018, being given the name Ekai Yakuso – Ekai – “Ocean of Generosity,” Yakuso – “Healing Source”. Part of the ordination and inka ceremonies are the designation of a dharma name. Many members of our lineage have several names. I left Hollow Bones Zen to form my own Zen sangha – Shining Bright Lotus Meditation Society. It is not uncommon for Zen teachers to strike out on their own. Interestingly, that doesn’t mean they have not honored the transmission. Transmission and membership in a sangha are not the same thing. Let’s continue to look more closely.
Soen Nakagawa Roshi (from Terebess)
Eido Shimano, came to America in 1960 as the request of his teacher Soen Nakagawa Roshi (1907-1984). Soen Roshi was the abbot of Ryutaku-ji, a Buddhist monastery restored by Hakuin Ekaku, from 1954 through 1984. He is known for his devotion to bringing Zen to the west, traveling the US twelve times. He established Dai Bosatsu-ji in the Catskills as an international sangha. As with many of his predecessors, Soen Roshi wrote poetry, was skillful with calligraphy, and taught many students. Here is one of his haikus:
Drops of fresh dew
Vows renewed
Side by side.
(Endless Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa
Ed. by Kazuaki Tanahashi & Roko Sherry Chayat)
Soen Nakagawa received inka from Gempo Yamamoto Roshi. (1866-1961). Gempo Roshi was the Abbot of several monestaries including Ryutaku-ji, Shoin-ji, which was the where Hakuin Roshi served as abbot for many years, and he head of Myoshin–ji, the headquarters of the Myōshin-ji branch of the Rinzai Zen. This is still true today. Gempo Yamamoto was well known for his calligraphy, which is found in contemporary galleries and museums..
While ultimately Genpo Yamamoto would be known for his belief in peace rather than war, during the imperial years of World War Two, he did testify for leniency in an odd relic of Japanese history entitled the League of Blood Incident, in which a government leader and a prominent businessman were assassinated by a small group of terrorists. Gempo Roshi’s testimony led to a lenient sentencing for the lead assassin. This person later did renounce his violence and embrace the dharma.
Genpo Yamamoto Roshi (from Terebess)
A sample of Genpo Yamamoto’s dharma teaching:
“The mind runs here and there, thinks of hot and thinks of cold, dislikes this and likes that. By yourself, just cut off this road the mind is running along; just one time, experience the great death. When you cut off the road of the mind, the eighty-four thousand delusions will gush out fiercely. If you can do this just one time, everything becomes your ally. Delusions, evil passions, foolishness, self-denial all vanish. Everyone becomes your supporter, and every substance becomes protected. But if you cannot do this, because of delusions and passions you won't recognize your own ghosts, and your life will pass by like a blur.”
Yamamoto, Gempo, Mumonkan Teishé, Tokyo: Daiho Rinkaku, 1978, p. 1
Genpo Yamamoto received inka from Sohan Genyo (1848-1922). Sohan Roshi was extremely dedicated to koan study. A lovely vignette about Sohan Zenji gees like this. He was working with "The Single Hand at Mount Fuji's Summit" from Kasan Zenji, his teacher, so he climbed Mt. Fuji and meditated there in an attempt to penetrate the kōan. When Kasan was not satisfied with his answers, Sohan Zenji climbed Fuji again. ln all, he climbed Fuji seven times seeking to deepen his understanding of the kōan.
Sohan Genyo Zenji (from Terebess)
Given his warm nature and his large stature, Sohan Roshi was likened to Hotei, the joyous Bodhisattva who brings children gifts and represents Maitreya, the future Buddha. As sample of his poetry:
For fifty years
I have been satisfied
roasting chestnuts—
my chopsticks are also
a dream of the floating world.
Sohan Genyo Roshi was the Abbot of Daitoku-ji, the temple founded by Daito Kokushi (1282-1337). We’ll discuss Daito Kokushi’s role in the lineage in another blog. Sohan Roshi’s teacher was Kasan Zenryo (1824-1893), who also served as abbot of Daitoku-ji, though he had been previously the head of Empuku-ji. I have found almost nothing in the available literature about Kasan Zenryo.
Kasan Zenryo received inka transmission from Sozan Genkyo (1790-1868). Mostly we have images from Sozan Genkyo Roshi.
Sozan Genkyo Zenji (from Terebess)
Takuju Kosen (1760-1833) was Sozan Genkyo’s teacher. Takuju is the founder of the Takuju School, which is one of the two approaches to koan work in the Hakuin Rinzai Lineage, the other being Takuju’s brother Inzan Ien. The distinction in style is not apparent to the casual listener. In modern times in the US, the students of Sasaki Roshi, Omori Sogen and Meido Moore of Koringi in Wisconsin, teach koans in the Inzan style. Our line follows Takuju Zenji, as does the Sanbow lineage of Yamada Koun, and Hakuun Yasutani’s lineage which includes Philip Kapleau, and Maezumi Roshi and his students. Discussion of koan style is beyond this review. What is essential is that Jun Po Roshi’s lineage traces through Soen Nakagawa back to Takuju Zenji.
Takuju Kosen Zenji (from Terebess)
Takuji and Inzan both received inka from Gasan Jito (1727-1797), who was a student of Hakuin Ekaku. However, Gasan Jito didn’t actually receive inka from Hakuin. His transmission goes through Torei Enji, Hakuin’s closest student.
Gasan Jito served as the abbot of Shoin-ji Monastery.
Gasan Jito Zenji (from Terebess)
Torrei Enji (1721-1792) took to writing down Hakuin’s teachings. During a period in his life when he almost died of tuberculosis, he wrote his understanding of Hakuin’s teachings and brought it to Hakuin, who approved of his interpretation. These teachings can be found in “The Undying Lamp of Zen,” which is a seminal text in the modern Rinsai tradition. Torei is well known to us for the Awakened One’s Vow we recite in the morning service.
Torei Enji Zenji (from Terebess)
Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769) is a complex character. I am not able to do him the honor to meaningfully share his teachings here. He is known for reinvigorating Rinzai Zen in Japan during his many years as abbot of Shoin-ji. He reformed the koan process, favoring kensho and koan work rather than Shikantaza, the approach often associated with Soto Zen. Hakuin was charismatic and brilliant which is easily seen in his extensive writings. All of the Rinzai forms of 21st Century Japan and America reflect Hakuin’s approach to Zen. We’ll return to Hakuin Ekaku’ teachings again in the near future.
Hakuin Ekaku Zenji (from Terebess)
In summary, our lineage from Jun Po Roshi back through Hakuin Zenji looks like this:
Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769)
Torei Enji (1721-1792)
Gasan Jito (1727-1797),
Takuju Kosen (1760-1833)
Sozan Genkyo (1790-1868)
Kasan Kenryo (1824-1893)
Sohan Genyo (1848-1922)
Gempo Yamamoto (1866-1961)
Eido Shimano (1932-2018)
Jun Po Kando Denis Kelly (1942- 2021)
Peaceful Daruma
Just as watching
the moon brighten
brings happiness,
so too in the mind
clouds may disappearSohan Genyo