Hakuin Ekaku 1686 – 1769
Hakuin Ekaku (1686 – 1769) was a Japanese philosopher of the Modern era, associated with Buddhism.
Hakuin Ekaku was a Japanese Rinzai Zen master, painter, and reformer of the Zen tradition. After a long and intense practice marked by repeated breakthroughs in kensho, he settled at the small temple of Shoinji and rebuilt a flagging Zen lineage by training a great number of disciples. He systematized koan training into a graduated curriculum that remains the basis of Rinzai instruction, and he composed the famous koan beginning with the question of the sound of a single hand. His Song of Zazen and Wild Ivy, an autobiography, are widely read.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Japanese
- Era
- Modern
- Movements
- Buddhism
Selected quotes
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“What is the sound of one hand?”
As quoted in Wild Ivy: The Spiritual Autobiography of Zen Master Hakuin trans. Norman Waddell (2010) p. 179 -
“All beings by nature are Buddha, as ice by nature is water.”
As quoted in Teachings of the Buddha p. 207 -
Attributed to Hakuin Ekaku:
“Meditation in the midst of action is a hundred million times superior to meditation in stillness.”
-
“If you forget yourself, you become the universe.”
As quoted in The Awakening Artist: Madness and Spiritual Awakening in Art by Patrick Howe -
Attributed to Hakuin Ekaku:
“Not knowing how near the Truth is, people seek it far away — what a pity!”
Hakuin Ekaku by topic
Frequently asked about Hakuin Ekaku
- When did Hakuin Ekaku live?
- Hakuin Ekaku was born in 1686 and died in 1769.
- Where was Hakuin Ekaku from?
- Hakuin Ekaku was a Japanese philosopher of the Modern era.
- What philosophical movements is Hakuin Ekaku associated with?
- Hakuin Ekaku was associated with Buddhism.
- What was Hakuin Ekaku known for?
- Hakuin Ekaku was a Japanese Rinzai Zen master, painter, and reformer of the Zen tradition.
- How many quotes are attributed to Hakuin Ekaku?
- There are 8 attributed quotations from Hakuin Ekaku in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.