Zen ranks and hierarchy: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|none}}

{{ZenBuddhism}}

{{Self-published|date=May 2024}}{{Cleanup lang|date=May 2024}}{{ZenBuddhism}}

[[Zen]] institutions have an elaborate '''system of ranks and hierarchy''', which determine one's position in the institution. Within this system, novices train to become a Zen priest, or a [[Zen master|trainer]] of new novices.

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Shihō is done "one-to-one in the abbot's quarters (hojo)".<ref name=Antaiji2 group=web /> Three handwritten documents certify the dharma transmission;

{{quote|a) Shisho (the scripture of transmission, the names of the ancestors arranged in a circle - the dharma has passed on from to Shakyamuni to yourself, and now you give it back to Shakyamuni. There is a small piece of paper, probably originally written by Sawaki Roshi, with some comments. This paper is also copied by the student when doing dharma transmission at [[Antai-ji]].)

b) Daiji (the great matter, a cryptic symbolization of the content of the teaching. Again, there is a small extra sheet of paper that explains about the meaning of the symbols.)

c) Kechimyaku (the blood lineage, looks quite similar to the blood line transmission that you already wrote at the time of ordination)

d) Actually, in the lineage of Sawaki Roshi (and maybe other lineages as well) a student is told to write a fourth document on an extra sheet of paper, which is called Hisho (the secret document, which is encoded, but the code for deciphering is on the same paper, so once you hold it in your hands it is not so "secret" anymore.)<ref name=Antaiji2 group=web />}}

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{{quote|Tsūgen, Baisan and Jochū each demanded that future generations excommunicate any Zen teacher who failed to fulfill his obligation to serve as abbot of a head temple. Baisan decreed that the obedient Zen successors should seize defiant ones and then burn the offender's succession's certificate (''shisho'') before his eyes. Note the remarkable inversion that has occurred here. Instead of dharma transmission being a qualification for becoming an abbot, successful service as abbot has become a requirement for being allowed to retain one's dharma transmission.{{sfn|Bodiford|2008|p=273}}}}

The ceremony has to be done at both [[Eihei-ji]] and [[Sōji-ji]], the main temples of the Sōtõ school, within the time span of one month.<ref name=Antaiji4 group=web /> This originates in the rivalry between Eihei-ji and Sōji-ji. Eihei-ji's attempts to gain dominance were met with resistance from Sōji-ji. Several times in history Sōji-ji "has issued proclamations that anyone who received honors at Eihei-ji would never be allowed back at a temple affiliated with Sōji-ji".{{sfn|Bodiford|2008|p=275}} Since Sōji-ji has by far the largest network of temples, this was an effective meanmeans to limit the influence of Eihei-ji.{{sfn|Bodiford|2008|p=275}}

After ''zuise'' one becomes an ''Oshō'', i.e. "priest" or "teacher".

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After having become ''oshō'' one may become a ''dai-oshō'', resident priest in a Zen-temple. It takes further training in a ''sōdō-ango'', an officially recognized Sōtō-shū training centre.<ref name=Antaiji5 group=web />

A prerequisite to become ''dai-oshō'' is to do ''[[ango]]'', "to stay in peace" or "safe shelter".<ref name="Antaiji5" group="web">[httphttps://antaiji.dogenorg/en/english-zen.dewhat-does-it-take-to-become-a-full-fledged-soto-shu-priest-and-is-it-really-worth-the-whole-deal-1/engenglish-part-5-sessa-takuma-ango-as-life-in-a-rock-grinder/adult50.shtml Muho Noelke, ''Part 5: Sessa-takuma - ango as life in a rock grinder'']</ref> It is derived from ancient Indian Buddhism, when monks retreated into shelter during the rain-season. ''Ango'' is a period of 90 or 100 days of intensive practice. There is no fixed stage on the training-path when ''ango'' has to be done, but ordination as a monk is necessary, and it has to be done in a ''sōdō-ango''.<ref name=Antaiji5 group=web /> The aspirant ''dai-oshō'' has to spend at least six months there, but one or two years is the usual span of time.<ref name=Antaiji5 group=web /> ''Ango'' is necessary because it "grinds" the future ''dai-oshō'':

{{quote|The point of ango is: Sessa-takuma. I used this term a number of times in the past. It consists of four Chinese characters: 切磋琢磨 The first means to cut (a bone or elephant tusk), the second to rub, the third to crush (a stone or gem), the fourth to polish. As a whole, it describes how various hard materials grind each others and during this process are all refined [...] Ango is important exactly because it can be a pain in the ass to live with others who go on our nerves, occupy our space and demand our time, have different habits and different vies, different outlooks on life etc. They often show us a mirror because life in the monastery forces them to do so, when people in the world would just step out off our way.<ref name=Antaiji5 group=web />}}

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===Sōkai===

Promotion in priest-rank depends（({{Langx|ja|僧階）|translit=sōkai|label=none}}) depends on school education and the amount of time spendspent in monastery training.<ref name=Antaiji3 group=web /> There are eight ranks:<ref name=Antaiji3 group=web />{{sfn|Bodiford|2008|p=331, note 37}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

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==== Kaikyōshi====

A special title, ''Kaikyōshi''（ (開教使）), was created for foreign practitioners,. whichIt is not being used anymore, buthaving been replaced by the title ''Kokusai Fukyōshi''.<ref group=web name=DenisLahey>[http://sweepingzen.com/myo-denis-lahey-interview Sweeping Zen (2009), ''Myo Denis Lahey Interview'']</ref>{{refn|group=lower-alpha|Myo Denis Lahey recalls: "Oh yeah, Dendo Kyoshi — that title has been abolished, actually. You know, there were a number of these designations that were thrown around, some lasting only a few months or a year before being discarded. Basically what the Japanese had was two sets of regulations—one for Japanese trained priests and then another set for Western priests. So, over the last five years or so, they’ve made a great effort to eliminate that split and have only one set of regulations. So, Dendo Kyoshi doesn’t exist anymore. So they probably shouldn’t be using that term anymore—now the term is something like kokusai fukyoshi. I think it means something like missionary teacher, or something like that. That is the designation for foreign trained priests, but within that there are several levels of teaching responsibility within the Sōtō hierarchy. So those of us who have kind of the tentative approval of the Japanese are considered nito kyoshi—which is kind of like a “second string” teacher (laughs). But one should point out that this is a pretty big thing, for the Japanese to even allow that to happen. So anyway, if anyone says to you they are a Dendo Kyoshi I think you should say to them, “Oh, you’ve been abolished.”"<ref group=web name=DenisLahey />}}{{refn|group=lower-alpha|"Teacher who disseminates the dharma internationally".<ref group=web name=ZenRiver>[{{Cite web |url=http://www.zenrivertemple.org/dutch.html#Leraren |title=Zen River, ''Tenkei Coppens Roshi''] |access-date=2012-05-30 |archive-date=2012-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130005421/http://www.zenrivertemple.org/dutch.html#Leraren |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}

==Rinzai==

At [[Myōshin-ji]], two kinds of ranking systems are being used to rank ''sōryo'' ("a member of the educated clergy, a priest, as opposed to a monk"),{{sfn|Borup|2008|p=54}} namely the ''hokai'' (dharma rank) and the ''Tokyū''-class system.{{sfn|Borup|2008|p={{pn|date=May 2020}}}}

===Hōkai===

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====Jūshoku====

The ''suiji-shiki'' ceremony is performed when one has finished the formal training period and is ready to start as assistant-priest, "often one's father temple".{{sfn|Borup|2008|p=180}} herebyAfterwards, one gains the rank of ''oshō'', priest.

In the Rinzai-school, a difference is made between acknowledgement of insight and succession in the organisation:

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# A Dharma teacher is an individual that has taken the [[Five precepts]] and [[Ten Precepts (Buddhism)|Ten precepts]], completed a minimum of four years of training and a minimum of eight weekend retreats, understood basic Zen teaching and has been confirmed by a [[Soen Sa Nim]] (Zen master) to receive the title. These individuals can give a Dharma talk but may not respond to audience questions.

# A senior Dharma teacher is a Dharma teacher who, after a minimum of five years, has been confirmed by a Soen Sa Nim and has taken the Sixteen precepts. These individuals are given greater responsibility than a Dharma teacher, are able to respond to questions during talks, and give consulting interviews.

# A Ji Do Poep Sa Nim (JDPSN; Dharma master; ''jido beopsa-nim''; {{lang|ko|지도법사님}}; {{scriptlang|hanizh|指導法師님}}) is an authorized individual that has completed [[kong-an]] training (having received [[inka shōmei|inka]]), and is capable of leading a retreat. The nominee must demonstrate an aptitude for the task of teaching, showing the breadth of their understanding in their daily conduct, and undergo a period of teacher training.

# A Soen Sa Nim (Zen master; ''seonsa-nim''; {{lang|ko|선사님}}; {{scriptlang|hanizh|禪師님}}) is a JDPSN that has received full [[Dharma transmission]] master to master.{{sfn|Ford|2006|p=105}}

An Abbot serves a Zen center in an administrative capacity, and does not necessarily provide spiritual direction, though several are Soen Sa Nims. These individuals take care of budgets and other such tasks.<ref group=web>[{{Cite web |url=http://www.kwanumzen.org/misc/glossary.html |title=Kwanum Zen Glossary] |access-date=2012-05-24 |archive-date=2008-05-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509065952/http://www.kwanumzen.org/misc/glossary.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Criticism==

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==Further reading==

* {{Citation|last=Hori |first=Victor Sogen |year=1994 |title=Teaching and Learning in the Zen Rinzai Monastery. In: Journal of Japanese Studies, Vol.20, No. 1, (Winter, 1994), 5-35 |url=http://www.essenes.net/pdf/Teaching%20and%20Learning%20in%20the%20Rinzai%20Zen%20Monastery%20.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019155421/http://www.essenes.net/pdf/Teaching%20and%20Learning%20in%20the%20Rinzai%20Zen%20Monastery%20.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 19, 2019 }}

==External links==

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* [http://www.patheos.com/blogs/monkeymind/2009/03/monks-nuns-priests-in-western-zen.html James Ishmael Ford: Bodhisattva Ordination, Leadership Reform, and the Role of Zen Clerics in Japan]

'''Criticism'''

* [httphttps://ryusenflowingfountain.blogspot.com/2012/04/waking-up-to-soto-zen-hierarchy.html Waking up to Sōtō Zen Hierarchy]

* [http://nozeninthewest.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/fundamentally-no-hierarchy/ Fundamentally No Hierarchy?]

* [http://www.disinfo.com/2011/12/sex-sake-and-zen/ Sex, sake and Zen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524233158/http://www.disinfo.com/2011/12/sex-sake-and-zen/ |date=2012-05-24 }}

* [httphttps://dangerousharvests.blogspot.com/2010/06/online-zen-priest-ordination.html Online Zen-priest ordination]

'''History of Zen'''

* [http://www.thezensite.com/ thezensite]