Zen ranks and hierarchy: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|none}}

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

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==== Kaikyōshi====

A special title, ''Kaikyōshi'' (開教使), was created for foreign practitioners. It is not used anymore, having 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==

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# A Soen Sa Nim (Zen master; ''seonsa-nim''; {{lang|ko|선사님}}; {{lang|zh|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]