Details of Senzaki's early life are unclear. Town records in Fukaura, Aomori state Senzaki was born on October 5, 1876, as the Senzaki family's first son. He was named Aizo Senzaki. As a youth, Senzaki's grandmother told him he had been abandoned as an infant and was discovered by a fisherman from Sakhalin island, Siberia who reportedly brought him back to Aomori Prefecture.[1][2]
His father is unknown, but he was either Russian or Chinese. Aizo's grandmother was perhaps misinformed in her version of events, because some accounts state young Senzaki was adopted by a travelling Kegon Buddhist priest and brought back to Japan.[3][4][5]
Early trainingEdit
When Senzaki was five years old his mother died. He was sent to a Pure Land temple run by his grandfather, with whom he began the study of many Chinese classics. The elderly priest had a profound influence on him, which was, as Nyogen Senzaki later wrote, "to live up to the Buddhist ideals outside of name and fame and to avoid as far as possible the world of loss and gain".[6][7] When Senzaki was 16 his grandfather died, stating to Aizo just before dying:
Even though you have told me that you want to become a monk, when I look at the way Buddhism is now in Japan, I am afraid you may regret it. So think it over.[8]
When his grandfather died Senzaki left his grandfather's temple and enrolled in a school to prepare for medical school. According to his own account, he read the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin while in school and tried to imitate Franklin's approach toward spirituality. He felt himself drawn a bit to Christianity,[8] during this period, but ended up meeting a haiku poet who taught him about Matsuo Bashō. By the age of 18 he had read the entirety of the Tripitaka. During this period he read about how Tokusan had burned a volume of Diamond Sutra commentaries he himself was currently studying. This was Aizo's turning point, and he decided to become a Zen Buddhist monk.
On April 8, 1895 (on Vesak), when Aizo was 19, he was ordained as a monk and was given the Dharma name Nyogen at a Soto Zen temple. The word Nyogen means "Like a dream, like a fantasy" in Japanese and came from the concluding verse of Diamond Sutra.[9][10] Nyogen says he would have preferred to be ordained at a Rinzai temple, but there was none in his area. The next year Nyogen went to Kamakura to Engaku-ji where he studied Zen under Rinzai master Soyen Shaku. Soyen was a strict teacher who was very harsh and physical in his training methods. During this time Nyogen contracted tuberculosis and lived in virtual confinement in a small hut on the grounds of the monastery.[11] The next year, on the verge of death, somehow his condition managed to improve and he was able to go back to the monastery.
Here Nyogen came to meet another 20th-century pioneer of Zen, D.T. Suzuki. Suzuki was a lay student of Soyen Shaku. Nyogen was becoming disconcerted with the institutional practices of the monastery at the time, and turned to books as a means of release. Here he came across the works of Friedrich Fröbel, the founder of kindergarten. In 1901, Nyogen asked Soyen if he could leave the monastery to open a kindergarten. He called it Mentorgarten,[11] a place free of religiosity and ritual where children could be children.
AmericaEdit
By the start of the 20th century Japan had become dangerously nationalistic. In 1905 Soyen Shaku was asked by friends in the San Francisco, CA area to come and give talks and lectures on Buddhism. Soyen needed an attendant for his time there, and asked Nyogen to come with him. Nyogen jumped at the opportunity, for he was dissatisfied with the nationalism all around him and the institutional way in which Zen was then being practiced. So they left that same year and landed in Seattle, WA where they stayed for a few days, and then headed for San Francisco. When it was time for the two to return to Japan, Soyen sensed his student's turmoil at the prospect of returning.
In Golden Gate Park, Soyen Shaku set down his friend Nyogen's suitcase and said the following to him:
Just face the great city and see whether it conquers you or you conquer it. Do not feel obliged to serve me any longer.[12]
With those words Shaku spun about and left Nyogen there, and the two would never meet face to face again. Nyogen stayed in the USA for the rest of his life, with the exception of a trip in 1955 back to Japan to visit his friend Soen Nakagawa. In the San Francisco area Nyogen performed jobs as a hotel clerk and elevator assistant (among other jobs) to get by. He certainly was struggling with his finances. During his spare time Nyogen would visit the San Francisco Public Library often and read books on Immanuel Kant, Ralph Waldo Emerson and William James. He was studying English and developed a good grasp of the language.
Floating ZendoEdit
In 1919 Nyogen received word that Shaku had died back in Japan. Around this time, he compiled the famous book 101 Zen Stories. In 1922 Nyogen scraped together enough money to rent out a hall and lecture on Zen. He continued this, moving from place to place throughout the city teaching about Zen meditation. By 1927 he had developed a small following with his "floating zendo." His only material whilst going from hall to hall was a picture of ManjusriBodhisattva. Eventually, along with the help of some students, he managed to rent an apartment in San Francisco where he would hold practice. During this period he even had a guest speaker from Japan come to lecture, Gyudo Furukawa.
Nyogen moved to Los Angeles in the 1930s, where he again rented out an apartment and continued the so-called "floating zendo" model. Soon Senzaki became familiar with the community of Japanese immigrants there. In 1932 he befriended a Japanese woman named Kin Tanahashi, who had a developmentally disabled boy. Nyogen cared for the boy in exchange for room and board. It was Mrs. Tanahashi who introduced Nyogen to the haiku poetry of Soen Nakagawa, an unconventional young monk practicing in Japan, who would go on to become one of the most prominent Rinzai Zen teachers to come West. Senzaki was extremely impressed with these poems, so he contacted Soen and they began corresponding with one another.
At the conclusion of the war, Senzaki moved what he called his "Floating Zendo" to Los Angeles. While making his living in a number of ways he devoted his passion for the rest of his life to teaching Zen. Among his students at this time were Robert Aitken, who would become one of the most significant of modern Western Zen teachers, and Samuel L. Lewis who would later be known as a prominent Sufi teacher in the line of Inayat Khan and Zen teacher in the lineage of Korean Zen Master Dr. Kyung-Bo Seo. Also, Senzaki maintained his long-term correspondence with Soen Nakagawa.
Senzaki died on May 7, 1958, at 81 years old. There are several versions of his "last words," one of the most compelling of which is "Remember the Dharma! Remember the Dharma! Remember the Dharma!"
Nordstrom, Louis ed. (1976). Namu Dai Bosa. Theatre Arts Books. LCCN 7611286
Senzaki, Nyogen; McCandless, Ruth (1961) The Iron Flute. Charles Tuttle. ISBN0-8048-3248-X
Shimano, Eido ed. (1978). Like a Dream, Like a Fantasy. Japan Publications. ISBN0-87040-434-2
Tanahashi, Kazuaki; Chayat, Roko Sherry (1996). Endless Vow : The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa. Shambhala. ISBN1-57062-162-4.
October 17, 2023
nyogen, senzaki, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, october, 2. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Nyogen Senzaki news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Nyogen Senzaki 千崎 如幻 1876 1958 was a Rinzai Zen monk who was one of the 20th century s leading proponents of Zen Buddhism in the United States Nyogen SenzakiTitleZen MasterPersonalBorn1876JapanDiedMay 7 1958ReligionBuddhismSchoolRinzai Contents 1 Early life 2 Early training 3 America 4 Floating Zendo 5 Students 6 Selected works in English 7 See also 8 Notes 9 ReferencesEarly life EditDetails of Senzaki s early life are unclear Town records in Fukaura Aomori state Senzaki was born on October 5 1876 as the Senzaki family s first son He was named Aizo Senzaki As a youth Senzaki s grandmother told him he had been abandoned as an infant and was discovered by a fisherman from Sakhalin island Siberia who reportedly brought him back to Aomori Prefecture 1 2 His father is unknown but he was either Russian or Chinese Aizo s grandmother was perhaps misinformed in her version of events because some accounts state young Senzaki was adopted by a travelling Kegon Buddhist priest and brought back to Japan 3 4 5 Early training EditWhen Senzaki was five years old his mother died He was sent to a Pure Land temple run by his grandfather with whom he began the study of many Chinese classics The elderly priest had a profound influence on him which was as Nyogen Senzaki later wrote to live up to the Buddhist ideals outside of name and fame and to avoid as far as possible the world of loss and gain 6 7 When Senzaki was 16 his grandfather died stating to Aizo just before dying Even though you have told me that you want to become a monk when I look at the way Buddhism is now in Japan I am afraid you may regret it So think it over 8 When his grandfather died Senzaki left his grandfather s temple and enrolled in a school to prepare for medical school According to his own account he read the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin while in school and tried to imitate Franklin s approach toward spirituality He felt himself drawn a bit to Christianity 8 during this period but ended up meeting a haiku poet who taught him about Matsuo Bashō By the age of 18 he had read the entirety of the Tripitaka During this period he read about how Tokusan had burned a volume of Diamond Sutra commentaries he himself was currently studying This was Aizo s turning point and he decided to become a Zen Buddhist monk On April 8 1895 on Vesak when Aizo was 19 he was ordained as a monk and was given the Dharma name Nyogen at a Soto Zen temple The word Nyogen means Like a dream like a fantasy in Japanese and came from the concluding verse of Diamond Sutra 9 10 Nyogen says he would have preferred to be ordained at a Rinzai temple but there was none in his area The next year Nyogen went to Kamakura to Engaku ji where he studied Zen under Rinzai master Soyen Shaku Soyen was a strict teacher who was very harsh and physical in his training methods During this time Nyogen contracted tuberculosis and lived in virtual confinement in a small hut on the grounds of the monastery 11 The next year on the verge of death somehow his condition managed to improve and he was able to go back to the monastery Here Nyogen came to meet another 20th century pioneer of Zen D T Suzuki Suzuki was a lay student of Soyen Shaku Nyogen was becoming disconcerted with the institutional practices of the monastery at the time and turned to books as a means of release Here he came across the works of Friedrich Frobel the founder of kindergarten In 1901 Nyogen asked Soyen if he could leave the monastery to open a kindergarten He called it Mentorgarten 11 a place free of religiosity and ritual where children could be children America EditBy the start of the 20th century Japan had become dangerously nationalistic In 1905 Soyen Shaku was asked by friends in the San Francisco CA area to come and give talks and lectures on Buddhism Soyen needed an attendant for his time there and asked Nyogen to come with him Nyogen jumped at the opportunity for he was dissatisfied with the nationalism all around him and the institutional way in which Zen was then being practiced So they left that same year and landed in Seattle WA where they stayed for a few days and then headed for San Francisco When it was time for the two to return to Japan Soyen sensed his student s turmoil at the prospect of returning In Golden Gate Park Soyen Shaku set down his friend Nyogen s suitcase and said the following to him Just face the great city and see whether it conquers you or you conquer it Do not feel obliged to serve me any longer 12 With those words Shaku spun about and left Nyogen there and the two would never meet face to face again Nyogen stayed in the USA for the rest of his life with the exception of a trip in 1955 back to Japan to visit his friend Soen Nakagawa In the San Francisco area Nyogen performed jobs as a hotel clerk and elevator assistant among other jobs to get by He certainly was struggling with his finances During his spare time Nyogen would visit the San Francisco Public Library often and read books on Immanuel Kant Ralph Waldo Emerson and William James He was studying English and developed a good grasp of the language Floating Zendo EditIn 1919 Nyogen received word that Shaku had died back in Japan Around this time he compiled the famous book 101 Zen Stories In 1922 Nyogen scraped together enough money to rent out a hall and lecture on Zen He continued this moving from place to place throughout the city teaching about Zen meditation By 1927 he had developed a small following with his floating zendo His only material whilst going from hall to hall was a picture of Manjusri Bodhisattva Eventually along with the help of some students he managed to rent an apartment in San Francisco where he would hold practice During this period he even had a guest speaker from Japan come to lecture Gyudo Furukawa Nyogen moved to Los Angeles in the 1930s where he again rented out an apartment and continued the so called floating zendo model Soon Senzaki became familiar with the community of Japanese immigrants there In 1932 he befriended a Japanese woman named Kin Tanahashi who had a developmentally disabled boy Nyogen cared for the boy in exchange for room and board It was Mrs Tanahashi who introduced Nyogen to the haiku poetry of Soen Nakagawa an unconventional young monk practicing in Japan who would go on to become one of the most prominent Rinzai Zen teachers to come West Senzaki was extremely impressed with these poems so he contacted Soen and they began corresponding with one another Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and the signing of Executive Order 9066 Senzaki was among the tens of thousands of Japanese Americans to be relocated to internment camps He spent the duration of World War II in Heart Mountain Wyoming At the conclusion of the war Senzaki moved what he called his Floating Zendo to Los Angeles While making his living in a number of ways he devoted his passion for the rest of his life to teaching Zen Among his students at this time were Robert Aitken who would become one of the most significant of modern Western Zen teachers and Samuel L Lewis who would later be known as a prominent Sufi teacher in the line of Inayat Khan and Zen teacher in the lineage of Korean Zen Master Dr Kyung Bo Seo Also Senzaki maintained his long term correspondence with Soen Nakagawa Senzaki died on May 7 1958 at 81 years old There are several versions of his last words one of the most compelling of which is Remember the Dharma Remember the Dharma Remember the Dharma Students EditSamuel L Lewis Robert Aitken Roshi Henry Seisen Mittwer Jay DuPont RoshiSelected works in English EditBuddhism and Zen with Ruth Strout McCandless ISBN 0 86547 315 3 The Iron Flute with Ruth Strout McCandless ISBN 0 8048 3248 X Zen Flesh Zen Bones A collection of Zen and Pre Zen Writings with Paul Reps ISBN 0 385 08130 8 Eloquent Silence Nyogen Senzaki s Gateless Gate with Roko Sherry Chayat ISBN 0 86171 559 4 101 Zen Stories 1940 See also EditBuddhism in the United States List of Rinzai Buddhists Timeline of Zen Buddhism in the United StatesNotes Edit Tanahashi amp Chayat 3 Nordstrom 7 Besserman amp Steger 142 Chayat 2 Shimano 9 Chayat 2 Senzaki 161 63 a b Tanahashi amp Chayat 5 Shimano 14 Nordstrom 5 a b Besserman amp Steger 143 Tanahashi amp Chayat 145References EditBesserman Perle Steger Manfred 1991 Crazy Clouds Zen Radicals Rebels amp Reformers Shambhala ISBN 0 87773 543 3 Chayat Roko Sherry ed 2008 Eloquent Silence Nyogen Senzaki s Gateless Gate Wisdom Publications ISBN 0 86171 559 4 Nordstrom Louis ed 1976 Namu Dai Bosa Theatre Arts Books LCCN 7611286 Senzaki Nyogen McCandless Ruth 1961 The Iron Flute Charles Tuttle ISBN 0 8048 3248 X Shimano Eido ed 1978 Like a Dream Like a Fantasy Japan Publications ISBN 0 87040 434 2 Tanahashi Kazuaki Chayat Roko Sherry 1996 Endless Vow The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa Shambhala ISBN 1 57062 162 4 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nyogen Senzaki amp oldid 1179292447, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
