Kōshō Uchiyama Explained

Birth Date:1912
Birth Place:Tokyo, Japan
Nationality:Japanese
Religion:Zen Buddhism
School:Sōtō
Rōshi
Location:Antai-ji
Education:M.A. (Waseda Univ.)
Predecessor:Kodo Sawaki
Successor:Koho Watanabe
Shohaku Okumura
Joichi Yamamoto
Shusoku Kushiya

was a Sōtō priest, origami master, and abbot of Antai-ji near Kyoto, Japan.

Uchiyama was author of more than twenty books on Zen Buddhism and origami, of which Opening the Hand of Thought: Foundations of Zen Buddhist Practice is best known.

Education and career

Uchiyama graduated from Waseda University with a master's degree in Western philosophy in 1937 and was ordained a priest in 1941 by his teacher Kōdō Sawaki. Throughout his life, Uchiyama lived with the damaging effects of tuberculosis.

Uchiyama became abbot of Antai-ji following Sawaki's death in 1965 until he retired in 1975 to Nokei-in, also near Kyoto, where he lived with his wife. Following the death of his teacher he led a forty-nine-day sesshin in memorial of his teacher. In retirement he continued his writing, the majority of which consisted of poetry.

Opening the Hand of Thought

Opening the Hand of Thought, first published in English in 1993 by Arkana Press, was edited by Jishō Cary Warner, and translated by Thomas Wright and Uchiyama's Dharma heir Shohaku Okumura. Portions of the book first appeared in a different English language translation in the author's Approach to Zen: The Reality of Zazen, Japan Publications, 1973. The book attempts a straightforward and practical description of Zen, with a emphasis on the practice of zazen, and uses comparisons of Buddhism and Christianity as a way for westerners to understand Uchiyama's approach

His summary is:

which refers to his own formula: two practices of "vow" and "repentance", and three minds: "magnanimous mind, nurturing mind and joyful mind". He says his book covers butsudō, the effort of an individual to actualize their universal self.

Bibliography

External links

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