SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

128 Appendix I: The Gist of Sōtō ZenTung-shan Lian-chieh (J. T‡zan Ry‡kai). However, this explanationis considered to be somewhat unlikely, being derivedmore from religious faith than veracity. D‡gen pays homage toS‡kei (J. En‡) and T‡zan, referring to them as ÒoldÓ Buddhas.However, his treatment of S‡zan differs considerably. Thepresent S‡t‡ School is not regarded as having descended fromthe line of S‡zan, but rather from Ungo D‡y‡, a disciple ofT‡zan. The name of the S‡t‡ School was popularized in Japanby Keizan (1269Ð1325 C.E.) who is two generations removedfrom D‡gen.In China it was the Rinzai and Ummon Schools whichenjoyed great popularity during the Sung Dynasty. At first, theS‡t‡ School did not make much headway, but as time passed, itgradually increased in strength. The Chinese S‡t‡ School didnot put its main effort in the practice of the k‡an exercise, butrather emphasized serene reflection meditation, the identitybetween understanding and training, the importance of continualreligious training and the ideal of making the meditationcome alive as a vital force within our everyday lives.The k‡an is a classic theme in the search for enlightenmentby a pupil of Zen which serves as a guide for later generations.It is convenient insofar as it enables one to penetrate intothe essence of meditation. However, when too much importanceis attached to the k‡an, there is a danger that one cannotsee beyond the k‡an, and it then becomes a hindrance to the