Hakuin Ekaku (白隠 慧鶴, January 19, 1686 – January 18, 1769) was one of the most influential figures in Japanese Zen Buddhism, who regarded bodhicitta, working for the benefit of others, as the ultimate concern of Zen-training.[web 1] While never having received formal dharma transmission, he is regarded as the reviver of the Japanese Rinzai school from a period of stagnation, focusing on rigorous training methods integrating meditation and koan practice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakuin_Ekaku
His mother was Nichiren Buddhism and Hakuin would have other experiences in a number of Japanese temples of different sects. He also was a student of a Chan practitioner. His travels built within him great doubt then at the age of 42, he was enlightened. His teachings followed Rinzai's emphasis on koan’s and the Lotus Sutra. In his teachings he directly required rigorous meditation and koan study as part of everyday life that revolved around compassion. He was also the creator of the koan often used as the first case: "You know the sound of two hands, now… what is the sound of one hand clapping?”
For Hakuin, zazen was not merely a practice but the foundation of Zen itself. He argued that through zazen, one could directly experience the nature of mind and reality, which he referred to as "kensho," or seeing one’s true nature. Hakuin emphasized that this experience was not reserved for monastics alone but was accessible to all who were willing to engage in sincere practice. He also introduced rigorous methods to strengthen zazen practice. He did this through his caligraphy, paintings, poetry and koans.
He developed a unique system called the "Hakuin Method," which included specific breathing techniques and physical exercises designed to foster concentration and vitality (The Melting-Butter). Hakuin’s approach to meditation was deeply pragmatic. He believed that meditation was not an escape from the world but a means to engage more fully with it. In his writings, he criticized those who used meditation as a way to withdraw from society, arguing that true Zen practice should lead to greater engagement with and compassion for the world. He referred to “Zen Sickness” as a malaise that had to be addressed. https://buddhismnow.com/2015/09/12/zen-sickness-by-zen-master-hakuin/
Hakuin’s compassion was expressed through his deep concern for the well-being of his students and the broader community. He was known for his practical advice on health, both physical and mental, and he encouraged his students to use their Zen practice to benefit others. His letters and teachings often include advice on dealing with illness, stress, and the challenges of daily life, reflecting his belief that Zen should be lived in the midst of ordinary activities, not apart from them. But for many it was his poetry that expressed an essence that stays like an invisible cloak of understanding of one’s way of https://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildfoxzen/2018/07/essential-dogen-and-hakuin-texts-response-to-a-quick-question.html:
English version by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki
When you understand that form is the form of the formless,Your coming-and-going takes place nowhere else but where you are.When you understand that thought is the thought of the thought-less.Your singing-and-dancing is no other than the voice of the Dharma.How boundless is the sky of Samadhi!How refreshingly bright is the moon of the Fourfold Wisdom!Being so is there anything you lack?As the Absolute presents itself before youThe place where you stand is the Land of the Lotus,And your person -- the body of the Buddha.
Hakuin emphasized the importance of integrating Zen practice into all aspects of life, a concept he called "practice after awakening." He argued that the true test of Zen was not the attainment of enlightenment but the ability to embody that enlightenment in everyday actions. This teaching is reflected in his famous phrase, "Zen is life, and life is Zen," highlighting the inseparability of spiritual practice and daily living.
I suggest he was a major ancestor of Zen and I see a strong comparsion between Dogen (1200) and Hakuin (1700) in the saga of Zen. Both revitalized Zen with Hakuin being a forerunner of the major change of the Meiji Period in Japan. I would add Matsuoka 1940.
Please join us Tuesday night at 7:00 PM EDT as we talk about the importance of Hakuin's role in revitalizing Zen. Our Zendo is at the First Congregational Church in Falmouth, Massachusetts, or attend via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/7096899032?status=success#success Password: FSZS
Sangaku
Comments