SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

48 Sōtō ZenEnkan, Daiy‡ Ky‡gen, T‡su Gisei, Fuy‡ D‡kai, Tanka Shijun,Ch‡ro Seiry‡, Tend‡ S‡kaku, Setch‡ Chikan, Tend‡ Nyoj‡,Eihei D‡gen. (The names above are given only in their Japanesepronunciation.) The first four Ancestors lived in the area ofNan-chÕang (J. Nansh‡). Ryozan lived to the west of TungtÕing(J. D‡tei) Lake where he increased the strength of theschool. Daiy‡ taught S‡t‡ Zen in the vicinity of Hsiang-yang(J. Sh‡y‡). T‡su settled in the area between Nanking and Chiuchiang(J. Ky‰k‡), i.e., in the area of An-ching (J. Ankei) carryingthe teaching to the southeast. Fuy‡ spread Zen in Lo-yang(J. Rakuy‡) and Kai-feng (J. Kaif‰). Tanka remained only inthe North Mountains proclaiming the law of direct, awakenedenlightenment. Ch‡ro went South to I-cheng (J. Gicho) inChiangsu (J. K‡so) Province and, later moving to Chekiang(J. Sekk‡) Province, taught a variety of Zen influenced byKegon ideas. Afterwards, Ming-chou (J. Minsh‰) in ChekiangProvince became the center of the S‡t‡ School. Both Mt. TÕientÕung(J. Tend‡) and Mt. Hsueh-tou (J. Setch‡) are in Mingchou.Chikan was by nature a simple and earnest man whotraveled little. Yet we may say of him that his voice was heardthroughout the empire. Nyoj‡ (1163Ð1238) lived in six differentplaces during his lifetime. Finally he settled on Mt. TÕientÕungat the age of sixty-two by Imperial request. He had a firm,critical attitude and taught a rigorous type of Zen, exerting agreat influence on later generations.