-Japan masters-
The particularities of the ketsumiaku of Master Kosen's lineage.
In Japan
The transmission of the soto zen passed through Master Dogen.
The particularity, concerning the ketsumiaku, is that Master Dogen received
the ordination and the education of the Master Essai, eminent rinzai Japanese
master of the twelfth century. But, being not entirely satisfied with their
awakening, Essai and Dogen both left to travel in China looking for the authentic
dharma. Essai died during this journey. Master Dogen, after three years of
pilgrimage, met the master he was looking for and received the transmission
of the soto lineage, which he transmitted later on to the Japanese.
He then gathered on his ketsumiaku both lineages soto and Rinzai. He transmitted
the Dharma to Ejo who transmitted it later to Tettsu Gikai, but jealous and
ambitious monks succeeded in throwing him out of the Eihei-ji temple and took
his place. He then lived in exile and without temple (like me!) but transmitted
his Dharma to a great disciple, Master Keizan, who built the second large
temple of Japan: Soji-ji.
From that time on, there are two soto lineages in Japan: the one of Eihei-ji,
the temple founded by Master Dogen, and the one of Soji-ji. Master Deshimaru
received the ordination and the transmission of the Dharma from Master Kodo
Sawaki, who was following the Sojo-ji lineage. And then even if, due to the
sudden death of his master, he could not at that time do the official ceremony
of the shiho, and if he received it afterwards in a formal manner from the
hands of Yamada Rerin Zenji, head of the Eihei-ji lineage, ourselves, his
disciples, we consider, like it is written on our ketsumiaku of ordinations,
that we are following the Soji-ji lineage.
However, myself I received the formal transmission of the Dharma from the
hands of the Reverend Rempo Niwa Zenji, head of the Eihei-ji temple, in the
name of my master Taisen Deshimaru Zenji and so on my ketsumiaku are reunited
the two lineages Rinzai and Soto through Master Dogen and the Eihei-ji and
Soji-ji lineages through myself.
