Jisan (慈山)

Jisan (1637-August 7, 1690) was a scholar monk during the early Edo period. His azana (adult males nickname) was Myoritsu. His go (a pseudonym) was 唯忍子. Jisan was from Mimasaka Province.

Jisan became a priest when he was young. In 1664, at the age of 17, he entered the Buddhist priesthood and received the Inka (Certification of spiritual achievement) under Raiho Zenji (Master of Zen Buddhism) of Kazan-ji Temple in Yamashina. He made a thatched hut at Sakamoto in Omi Province. In 1672, Jisan committed self-ordination under 瓔珞羯摩. He studied Tendai- sandai-bu (three major works on the Lotus Sutra, or three major writings of the Tendai Sect) in depth. After realizing that the essential point of Zen is nothing but another version of the Tendai Sect, he converted to the Tendai Sect. Jisan received Himitsu kanjo (a consecration of receiving the highest rank of Ajari) and Juju kinkai (10 precepts during Buddhist ascetic practice) of Bonmo-kyo (Sutra of Brahma's Net). At Mt. Hiei, because he rejected the oral transmission of doctrine and proposed Shojoritsu (rules in Hinayana Buddhism) instead, he was kicked out of the Tendai Sect. He spent the rest of his life roaming around and ended his life at Higashiyama, Kyoto. Koken, one of his disciples, founded the Anrakuritsu-in Temple (manda - a place of Buddhist practice or meditation) and became the first chief priest there.

[Original Japanese]