Background
Myoan Eisai was born on May 27, 1141 into the reputable provincial Kaya family in Bitchu (modern day Okayama), Japan. His father was a follower of the Tendai school of Buddhism and was affiliated with the Kibitsu Shrine in Okayama.
明菴 栄西
Myoan Eisai was born on May 27, 1141 into the reputable provincial Kaya family in Bitchu (modern day Okayama), Japan. His father was a follower of the Tendai school of Buddhism and was affiliated with the Kibitsu Shrine in Okayama.
Eisai showed great intelligence and thirst for knowledge during his early years. His father helped him to get the permission to enter Annyoji Temple when he was only eleven years old. Priest Joshin was his first tutor and taught him of tantric tradition for a year. In 1154, Eisai travelled to Mount Hiei to be ordained at a Tendai center.
In the next couple of years, he divided his time between the tantric institutions in his hometown and the Tendai centers located on Mount Hiei. Then he went to China for further education. Eisai was the first Japanese monk who received certification (inka, seal) that recognized him as a Zen teacher, which he took back to Japan in 1191 to begin spreading his new faith.
The first thing that Eisai did after he had returned to Japan was building the Hoonji Temple which he dedicated to Rinzai Zen. He didn’t choose Kyushu, the most remote island of all, for his base as his goal was to spread new faith but he intended to do it carefully and diplomatically so he could gain the respect of the Imperial court and the Tendai School. He first set his sights on consolidating the Zen movement.
Unfortunately, another monk didn’t agree and decided to courageously demand official recognition of Zen. After he was rejected, not only the court put a ban on him to teach but he also drove the attention to Eisai, who was summoned for an official meeting. In an effort to defend Zen, Eisai wrote his greatest work Propagation of Zen and Protection of the Nation (Kozen Gokokuron). He then decided to retreat to Kamakura Shogunate in 1199, where he knew that he enjoyed the support of Minamoto no Yoritomo.
In Kamakura, Eisai decided to build Jufuku-ji, which was the first Zen temple there. Thanks to the support and funds given by Hojo Masako, Yoritomo’s widow, and Minamoto no Yorile, Yoritomo’s son and the second shogun of Kamakura, Eisai managed to build another temple in Kyoto, which was called Kennin-ji. Construction of the temple had begun in 1202 and ended in 1205 by when Eisai enjoyed imperial patronage.
In 1206, he had been offered the task of rebuilding the Todaiji Temple in Nara, which was damaged during the war. Eisai spent seven years on the project and the end result was so beautiful that even the emperor wished to attend the rededication in 1213. After that, Eisai retired and spent his retirement days in the Kennin-ji temple.
He spent his time with his student Dogen and writing a book about a second important thing that he brought from China – tea seeds. He wrote a book called Drinking Tea Good for the Health (Kissa Yojoki) in 1214, where he explained numerous positive effects that tea had on the health of people.
Eisai died in 1215 and was buried in the temple grounds of Kennin-ji.
Eisai believed that Buddhism teaching was going through a period of degeneracy and that a reform is needed. This is why he studied Zen Buddhism in China and brought the idea back to Japan, believing in the karma and asking nothing for himself.
Eisai honestly believed in the positive effects of tea drinking, something he must have witnessed in China. He wrote in his book that tea is generally excellent for human health, great for regeneration and return of the body and spirit to their full strength.
Eisai led a pure and simple life and he is considered to have been modest, patient and very down-to-earth. He never asked and never enjoyed luxury and avoided conflict at any occasion, believing that any goal can be achieved through peaceful diplomacy.
There are no records showing that Eisai ever married or had any children.