Zen in Northern Kyushu1 Nobuyoshi Yamabe the Northern

CHAPTER THREE ZEN IN NORTHERN KYUSHU1 Nobuyoshi Yamabe The northern part of Kyushu has always been an important gateway for continental culture entering Japan, and Buddhism is no exception. Many Buddhist traditions have been introduced through this route, and Zen features prominently among them. From the early Kamakura period and throughout the medieval era, Zen was (and, in a sense, still is) the most international of the Buddhist traditions in Japan. Many Japanese Zen monks went to China to practice, and Chinese Chan (Zen) masters also came to Japan to transmit their teachings. Numerous Zen monks were actively involved in international exchange, and northern Kyushu (espe- cially around Hakata) developed into a centre for such activity. With their diplomatic and trading skills these Zen monks were invaluable aides to Japanese political leaders, for not only were they familiar with contempo- rary China, but many were conversant in the Chinese language as well. Kyoto and Kamakura are usually considered to be the two main centres of Japanese Zen. As a leading specialist of medieval history in Kyushu, however, Kawazoe Shōji stresses the importance of Hakata as a third centre and has proposed the concept of ‘Hakata Zen’.2 Kamakura was the centre of the Chinese (Song/Yuan)-style Zen that was supported by warriors during the Kamakura period. In Kyoto, meanwhile, a more syncretic version of Zen open to pre-existing Tendai and Shingon elements was supported by the aristocracy (at least in its early stages). Subsequently, in the Nanbokuchō (Rival Courts) and Muromachi periods, as the seat of political power moved from Kamakura back to Kyoto, the imperial city became the main centre of a Zen distinct from other Buddhist traditions. 1 I would like to thank William M. Bodiford for his helpful advice, Idemitsu Museum of Arts for the permission to use their image (Figure 3.1), Ryan Ward for kindly checking my English, and Andrew Cobbing for his thorough editorial assistance. 2 Kawazoe Shōji, ‘Kamakura jidai no taigai kankei to bunbutsu no inyū’ [International relations and the introduction of (foreign) cultures in the Kamakura period] in Iwanami kōza Nihon rekishi [Iwanami Seminar on Japanese History] 6 Chūsei [Medieval Period] 2 (Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1975), pp. 56–9. 44 nobuyoshi yamabe By comparison with Kamakura and Kyoto, the distinctive feature of Zen in Hakata lay in its international nature. In northern Kyushu, as elsewhere in Japan, the most prominent Zen traditions have been Rinzai and Sōtō, which were introduced from the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries, respectively. Noteworthy Rinzai Zen monasteries in Hakata include Shōfukuji, established by Myōan Eisai (Yōsai, 1141–1215), and Jōtenji, established by Enni Bennen (1202–1280). Sōfukuji should also be added to this list, although it was originally established in the Dazaifu area and relocated to Hakata in the early Edo period. In their formative periods, Chinese merchants (gōshu) based in Hakata were significant patrons of these monasteries, and the monasteries themselves were deeply involved in trade and exchange with China. The Sōtō tradition, which was first disseminated in Japan in the thirteenth century, found support among rural warriors, in contrast to Rinzai Zen which often enjoyed the patronage of the cultural elite. At the same time Sōtō masters were equally committed to promoting international exchange. Eminent examples include Kangan Giin (1217–1300) and Daichi (1289–1366), both of whom studied in China and, following their return to Japan, became active in the area now known as Kumamoto Prefecture. In the Edo period, northern Kyushu again featured as a gateway of Zen when Yinyuan Longqi (1592–1673) arrived and established the Ōbaku tradition in Japan, although this time not through Hakata but Nagasaki instead. The Zen traditions that had already been introduced to the area also continued to be active. One notable example is the career of Sengai Gibon (1750–1837), the eminent and humorous abbot of Shōfukuji. Here I trace in turn the ways in which the Rinzai, Sōtō and Ōbaku traditions were introduced to northern Kyushu and beyond. Rinzai Tradition The Zen tradition was not totally unknown to Japan in earlier periods, but its formal introduction is usually attributed to Eisai. He visited China (Southern Song) twice, and during his second visit (1187–1191), he practised Zen under Xu’an Huaichang (dates uncertain). Eventually he received ‘Dharma transmission’ from this master, sanctioning his Awak- ening and granting him the authority to transmit the essence of Bud- dhism, or Dharma, to others in his own right. On his return to Japan in 1191 Eisai landed first at Hirado, and then propagated Zen in the Hakata area. .

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