Bankei Yotaku 1622 – 1693
Bankei Yotaku (1622 – 1693) was a Japanese philosopher of the Modern era, associated with Buddhism.
Bankei Yotaku was a Japanese Rinzai Zen master of the Edo period, abbot of the Ryomon-ji and the Korin-ji, and one of the most original Zen teachers of seventeenth-century Japan. Famed for the simplicity and accessibility of his sermons, which he delivered in colloquial Japanese to mixed audiences of monks and lay people, he taught the doctrine of the Unborn Buddha-mind, the original mind that has never been born and so can never die, and which everyone already possesses if only they would recognize it. His sermons, recorded by his pupils, have been translated into many languages and remain among the most widely read primary texts of the Japanese Zen tradition.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Japanese
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Buddhism
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Bankei Yotaku:
“What is unborn cannot die; this is the Buddha-mind that you already are.”
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Attributed to Bankei Yotaku:
“Anger arises and you take it for yourself; let it pass, and you remain.”
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Attributed to Bankei Yotaku:
“The Unborn settles every problem; what cannot be settled by the Unborn was no problem at all.”
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Attributed to Bankei Yotaku:
“Do not seek the Buddha outside; the seeking itself is the Buddha-mind.”
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Attributed to Bankei Yotaku:
“Zen is not the special preserve of monks; it belongs to anyone who knows their own mind.”
Frequently asked about Bankei Yotaku
- When did Bankei Yotaku live?
- Bankei Yotaku was born in 1622 and died in 1693.
- Where was Bankei Yotaku from?
- Bankei Yotaku was a Japanese philosopher of the Modern era.
- What philosophical movements is Bankei Yotaku associated with?
- Bankei Yotaku was associated with Buddhism.
- What was Bankei Yotaku known for?
- Bankei Yotaku was a Japanese Rinzai Zen master of the Edo period, abbot of the Ryomon-ji and the Korin-ji, and one of the most original Zen teachers of seventeenth-century Japan.
- How many quotes are attributed to Bankei Yotaku?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Bankei Yotaku in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.