On the Genkishū Sayings by the Monk Chikkyo Shōyū

Abstract

This paper examines the kōan training of Muromachi Sōtō Zen sect, looking at the Genkishū, the sayings of a Sōtō monk named Chikkyo Shōyū. The author reveals following three points. 1. Shōyū made the disciples train in 55 kōans which he emphasized. 2. Among monks contemporary with Shoyū, there were those who thought incorrectly about kōans, and practiced for the sake of fame. 3. Shōyū criticized such monks, and he raised his disciples by a strict Zen approach.