The transplantation of Zen from China to Japan during the Kamakura period (1185–1333) depended on a series of intrepid seekers, who journeyed beyond conventional geographical and societal boundaries to discover and appropriate religious customs and beliefs while staying on the mainland that spread and eventually thrived on the islands. The only way to learn the intricate ways of Zen theory was to experience first-hand the relevant people, practices, places, and ritual performances in the Hangzhou/Ningbo region of the northern Zhejiang province. This article first provides a brief synopsis of travelers to and from Hangzhou, including Japanese pilgrims and Chinese émigré monks in addition to some prominent teachers and learners who did not journey but nevertheless exerted a tremendous impact on the transmission process. Then, it analyzes elements of Chinese Chan that were brought across the waters by Dōgen 道元 (1200–1253), who ventured to gain enlightenment in the 1220s. He later claimed that he implemented “for the first time in Japan” 日本国最始 practical and conceptual religious techniques, including diverse personal, material, ritual, textual, rhetorical, and societal components. Although a major transmitter of Chan, Dōgen made significant innovations based on his vision of the ideal Zen community, recast for the structures of medieval Japanese society.
目次
Abstract 1 Keywords 1 1. Introduction to the Process of Chan/Zen Transplantation 1 2. Intrepid Travelers and Monks Who Did Not Journey 4 2.1. Stage One: Early Japanese Pilgrims 4 2.2. Stage Two: Émigré Monks 7 2.3. The Non‑Travelers 7 3. Dōgen’s Contributions to the Process of Transplantation 8 3.1. Personal 10 3.2. Material 11 3.3. Ritual 12 3.4. Textual 14 3.5. Rhetorical 15 3.6. Societal 16 4. Conclusions 17 Funding 18 Institutional Review Board Statement 18 Informed Consent Statement 18 Data Availability Statement 18 Conflicts of Interest 18 Notes 18 References 19
