Sokuhi Nyoitsu
Encyclopedia
was a Buddhist
monk of the Obaku
Zen
sect
, and was also an accomplished poet and calligrapher. His teacher Ingen Ryūki
, Mokuan Shōtō and Sokuhi were together known as the "Three Brushes of Ōbaku" or Ōbaku no Sanpitsu
.
, Fujian
, China
, and was ordained at 17 by Feiyin Tongrong. At 21 he became a disciple of Ingen
, abbot of Wanfu Temple
, Mount Huangbo
, Fujian
. There he became a colleague of Muyan
. 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
.
and Muyan
travelled to Japan
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 China 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 Japanese 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.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
monk of the Obaku
Obaku (school of Buddhism)
The , is , one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.-History:Often termed the third sect of Zen Buddhism in Japan, it was established in 1661 by a small faction of masters from China and their Japanese students at Manpuku-ji in Uji, Japan.Today Manpuku-ji serves as the Ōbaku's head temple,...
Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
sect
Schools of Buddhism
Buddhism is an ancient, polyvalent ideological system that originated in the Iron Age Indian subcontinent, referred to variously throughout history by one or more of a myriad of concepts – including, but not limited to any of the following: a Dharmic religion, a philosophy or quasi-philosophical...
, and was also an accomplished poet and calligrapher. His teacher Ingen Ryūki
Ingen
Ingen Ryūki was a Chinese Linji Chán Buddhist monk, poet, and calligrapher....
, Mokuan Shōtō and Sokuhi were together known as the "Three Brushes of Ōbaku" or Ōbaku no Sanpitsu
Obaku no Sanpitsu
is a name given to a group of three famous Chinese calligraphers who lived in Japan:* Ingen Ryūki, 隱元隆琦 1592-1673* Mokuan Shōtō,木庵性瑫 1611-1684* Sokuhi Nyoitsu, 即非如一 1616-1671...
.
China
Sokuhi was born in FuzhouFuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and was ordained at 17 by Feiyin Tongrong. At 21 he became a disciple of Ingen
Ingen
Ingen Ryūki was a Chinese Linji Chán Buddhist monk, poet, and calligrapher....
, abbot of Wanfu Temple
Wanfu Temple
Wanfu Temple is a temple on Mount Huangbo in Fujian province, China. It is famous as the original temple of Yinyuan Longqi, the temple's 33rd abbot and a Chan master...
, Mount Huangbo
Mount Huangbo
Mount Huangbo is a mountain in Fuqing, Fujian province, China. It is famous for its temples, including:*Wanfu Temple...
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
. There he became a colleague of Muyan
Muyan
Muyan was a Chinese Chan monk who followed his master Yinyuan Longqi to Japan in 1654....
. 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
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
.
Japan
In 1654, IngenIngen
Ingen Ryūki was a Chinese Linji Chán Buddhist monk, poet, and calligrapher....
and Muyan
Muyan
Muyan was a Chinese Chan monk who followed his master Yinyuan Longqi to Japan in 1654....
travelled to Japan
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...
and summoned Sokuhi, who followed to Nagasaki in 1657. Sokuhi was made abbot of Sōfuku-ji
Sofuku-ji (Nagasaki)
is an Ōbaku Zen temple that was built by the Chinese monk Chaonian in 1629 as the family temple of the Chinese from Fujian Province who settled in Nagasaki.-Description:...
, a Chinese temple built in 1629, and Muyan
Muyan
Muyan was a Chinese Chan monk who followed his master Yinyuan Longqi to Japan in 1654....
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 China but was convinced to stay by lord of Kokura
Kokura
is an ancient castle town and the center of Kitakyūshū, Japan, guarding, via its suburb Moji, the Straits of Shimonoseki between Honshū and Kyūshū. Kokura is also the name of the penultimate station on the southbound Sanyo Shinkansen line, which is owned by JR Kyūshū and an important part of the...
and found a new temple Fukujū-ji on Mount Kujū (now 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....
). In 1668 he passed this position to his Japanese 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.