Background
Eitaku Bankei was born in 1622 in the province of Harima. His posthumous names are Butchi Yosai Zenji and Tahio Shogen Kokushi.
盤珪永琢
Eitaku Bankei was born in 1622 in the province of Harima. His posthumous names are Butchi Yosai Zenji and Tahio Shogen Kokushi.
Around the age of eleven he began the study of the Confucian text known as the Great Learning but was troubled by doubts concerning the meaning of the key term ming-te, "illustrious Virtue.” The quest for understanding eventually led him to the religious life.
In 1638 he entered the priesthood under the guidance of Umpo Zensho of a local temple called Zuio-ji. He thereafter traveled about the country in pursuit of religious training. He returned to his home in 1645, where he indulged in such severe religious practices that he became ill.
In 1647 he finally attained enlighten¬ment and at the same time recovered his health. He once more traveled about devoting himself to religious training and in 1657 became the Dharma heir of Bokuo Sogyii, a disciple of Umpo Zensho in the Shotaku teaching line of Rinzai Zen. He thereafter devoted himself to activities in various areas, founding a temple called Ryumon-ji in his native province, one called Nyoho- ji in Iyo in Shikoku, and one called Korin-ji in Edo, as well as restoring Jizo- do in Yamashiro Province. In 1672 he for a time became head of Myoshin-ji in Kyoto, the main temple of the Rinzai line to which he belonged.
Bankei’s teaching is referred to as Fusho-zen, or "Uncreated Zen,” because it rejects all human artifice and seeks to attain a state of absolute freedom by returning to the Buddha nature inherent within all persons. He was particularly critical of the type of Zen teaching that employs difficult koans in Chinese. He himself used simple, everyday language in his teaching and attempted to spread an understanding of Zen among the common people. This aspect of his teachings influenced Tejima Toan, a disciple of Ishida Baigan and proponent of the religious doctrines known as Shingaku.