Background
Sokuhi was born in Fuzhou, Fujian, Southeast He was born into a declining Confucian scholar gentry family of the Chen clan. Life became difficult for him and his mother after his father died.
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Sokuhi Nyoitsu
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Education
His teacher Ingen Ryūki, Mokuan Shōtō and Sokuhi were together known as the "Three Brushes of Ōbaku" or Ōbaku no Sanpitsu.
Career
He was ordained at 17 by Feiyin Tongrong. At 21 he became a disciple of Ingen, abbot of Wanfu Temple, Mount Huangbo, Fujian. In 1651 he nearly died due to asphyxiation while fighting a forest fire near the temple, and was suddenly enlightened.
Sokuhi received dharma transmission from Ingen and the next year received a promotion to high monastic office.
He then became abbot of Chongsheng Temple on Mount Xuefeng, also in Fujian. In 1654, Ingen and Muyan travelled to and summoned Sokuhi, who followed to Nagasaki in 1657.
Sokuhi was made abbot of Sōfuku-ji, a Chinese temple built in 1629, and Muyan was serving as abbot of Fukusai-ji. The two became known as nikanromon ("two gates to enlightenment").
In 1663 Sokuhi met Ingen for the first time in 12 years, after he received permission to go to Uji where he was abbot of Manpuku-ji.
In 1664 Sokuhi left for Nagasaki intending to return to but was convinced to stay by lord of Kokura and found a new temple Fukujū-ji on Mount Kujū (now in Fukuoka). In 1668 he passed this position to his ese disciple Houn Myodo and returned to Sōfuku-ji to retire. He became ill in 1670 and died at Nagasaki in 1671.
He was cremated and his remains were placed at Fukujū-ji and Sōfuku-ji.
