Sengai
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese monk of the Rinzai (臨在宗) school (one of three main schools of Zen Buddhism in Japan, the others being the Soto school and the much smaller Obaku school.). He was known for his controversial teachings and writings, as well as for his lighthearted sumi-e paintings. After spending half of his life in Nagata near Yokohama
, he secluded himself in Shōfukuji (located in Fukuoka
), the first Zen Temple in Japan, where he spent the rest of his life.
Though the Rinzai sect is particularly known for its hard-to-understand teachings, Sengai tried to make them accessible to the public.
One of his famous paintings shows a circle, a square and a triangle. Sengai left the painting without a title or inscription (save for his signature), however the painting is often called "The Universe" when referred to in English.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese monk of the Rinzai (臨在宗) school (one of three main schools of Zen Buddhism in Japan, the others being the Soto school and the much smaller Obaku school.). He was known for his controversial teachings and writings, as well as for his lighthearted sumi-e paintings. After spending half of his life in Nagata near Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, he secluded himself in Shōfukuji (located in Fukuoka
Fukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
), the first Zen Temple in Japan, where he spent the rest of his life.
Though the Rinzai sect is particularly known for its hard-to-understand teachings, Sengai tried to make them accessible to the public.
One of his famous paintings shows a circle, a square and a triangle. Sengai left the painting without a title or inscription (save for his signature), however the painting is often called "The Universe" when referred to in English.
External links
See also
- Buddhism in JapanBuddhism in JapanThe history of Buddhism in Japan can be roughly divided into three periods, namely the Nara period , the Heian period and the post-Heian period . Each period saw the introduction of new doctrines and upheavals in existing schools...
- List of Rinzai Buddhists