Eisai 1141-1215 "The Father of Japanese Zen"
-Brought Zen to Japan (from China)
-Brought green tea to Japan (from China)
This may have an inflated sense of importance to me, seeing as green tea and Japanese Zen are two of my more favorite byproducts of humanity. Still, Eisai played a pretty huge role in spreading Zen and allowing it to develop into what it is now.
Eisai studied Buddhism formally in China, but was disillusioned. He wasn't a fan of the hierarchies, doctrines and abstract rules, and set off for a mountain called Mt. Tiantai. There, he learned a new revolutionary form of Buddhism called Ch'an. Ch'an is the Chinese name for what eventually became called Zen in Japan.
In 1191, Eisai returned to Japan with the vital wisdom of this new philosophy. He also happened to bring a few tea seeds with him to Japan. Right upon his arrival, he founded the first Zen temple in Japan, the Hoonji Temple.
Eisai experienced intense opposition from more formalized and indoctrinated schools of Buddhism. He held strong, having the foresight to understand the value of Zen. He left where he was, and traveled within Japan to Kamakura. Here, his new philosophy was met with enthusiasm from the Shogun class and the budding samurais. They valued the discipline and practicality of Zen, as it held direct experience & practice in reverence over all else.
Thus, Zen was born and flourished in Japan. Over time, temples began sprouting up around the country. It wasn't until the late 1800's that Zen made it to the West. Thankfully, we can learn as much as we want about it now.
Eisai's story teaches us to hold strong to our convictions and act as individuals, even if the people around us want to try to mold us to fit their restraints. It reminds us the power of new ideas and creativity, and also of the reluctance traditionalists will have in accepting new ideas.
Eisai was a benevolent warrior in a sense; he had to fight mentally for what he believed in. He made a life out of traveling and teaching, and in doing so acted with passion and made a huge impact.
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