Name Menzan Zuiho Died 1769 | Role Writer | |
Books Letting Go: The Story of Zen Master Tosui : Tosui Osho Denshan |
Menzan Zuiho (面山瑞方, 1683-1769) was a Japanese Soto Zen scholar and abbot of the Zenjo-ji and Kuin-ji temples active during the Tokugawa era. Born in Ueki, Kyushu, Menzan was the most influential Soto Zen writer of his time and his work continue to influence Soto Zen scholarship and practice today. Menzan's scholarship was part of the Tokugawa movement of returning to original historical sources to revitalize Zen (復古. "fukko" - "return to the old"), especially the works of Dogen Zenji. Before Menzan the works of Dogen were not widely studied or put into practice, he helped revitalize the Soto school by analyzing and building on Dogen's writings. Menzan used Dogen to promote a reform of the Soto sect, which included reforming the monastic code and meditation practice. Due to Menzan's efforts, Dogen studies now occupies a central position in Soto Zen thought. Menzan wrote to advocate the use of the old Song dynasty monk's hall system, in which monks ate, slept, and meditated in one large monk's hall, rather than in separate rooms as was commonly practiced in Japan at the time. Menzan was the most prolific Soto zen scholar, having written over a hundred titles of detailed scholarship on monastic regulations, precepts, ordination, dharma transmission and philology. Menzan was also involved in lecturing to the public and teaching laymen and laywomen meditation practice. One of his most famous works, the Buddha Samadhi (Jijuyu Zanmai) is addressed to laypeople and focuses on the teachings of Dogen.