SO TO ZEN - Shasta Abbey

The Basic Meaning of Sōtō Zen 49It was Great Master D‡gen who first brought S‡t‡ Zen toJapan. Great Master Keizan made possible the popularizationof S‡t‡ Zen, thereby laying the foundation for the largereligious organization which it is today. D‡gen was born into anoble family. When still young, he came to know the meaningof the Buddhist word muj‡ (impermanence) through the loss ofboth his parents. It is only natural then that he decided tobecome a Buddhist priest and search for Truth. He went first toMt. Hiei, the headquarters for the Tendai School. At the youngage of fifteen, he was assailed by the following doubt: ÒBoth theesoteric and exoteric doctrine of the Buddha teach thatenlightenment is inherent in all beings from the outset; but ifthis is so, what causes all the Buddhas, past, present and future,to seek enlightenment if they already are enlightened?Ó Such adoubt, clearly pointing to the dualistic contradiction betweenthe ideal and the actual, is a kind of anguish likely to arise in themind of any deeply religious person. Unable to resolve thisgreat doubt on Mt. Hiei, D‡gen decided to study Buddhismunder Great Master Eisai. He practiced Rinzai meditation withEisaiÕs disciple, My‡zen. At the age of twenty-four D‡gen,accompanied by My‡zen, embarked on the dangerous journeyto China in search of the highest truths of Buddhism. There hevisited all of the well-known monasteries, finally becoming adisciple of Ju-ching (J. Nyoj‡) who was living on Mt. TÕientung(J. Tend‡). D‡gen strove hard day and night for two years