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58-495: Bankei Yōtaku was born in 1622, in Harima Province to a samurai turned medicine man named Suga Dosetsu. His boyhood name was Muchi. Bankei's mother bore the last name of Noguchi, and little more is known of her, other than that the society of the time extolled her as 'Maya who begot three Buddhas,' - Maya being the mother of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. Bankei had four brothers and four sisters. His eldest brother, Masayasu,

116-539: A Ch'an master had arrived in Nagasaki by the name of Dosha Chogen . Umpo advised he go see the Ch'an master, and Bankei set off for Kōfuku-ji , where the monk was currently staying, hoping to finally have his enlightenment confirmed. On their first meeting, Dosha confirmed Bankei's understanding but also informed him that it was incomplete. Bankei was offended by this initially and refused to accept it. Eventually he chose to stay at

174-475: A Shingon temple, where he apparently gained some footing in sutra study. However, Bankei was not satisfied with the Shingon approach and left that following year. At 16 he walked from Hamada to Ako to see a Rinzai Zen priest named Umpo Zenjo at Zuiō-ji. Bankei wasted no time with Umpo and implored him on the meaning of bright virtue, to which Umpo advised the only path toward such understanding could be had through

232-464: A fault scarp that can still be seen today. One of the few landlocked prefectures in Japan, Gifu shares borders with seven other prefectures: Toyama , Ishikawa , Fukui , Shiga , Mie , Aichi , and Nagano . Japan's postal codes all start with a three-digit number, ranging from 001 to 999. Part of Gifu has the 500 prefix, reflecting its location in the center of Japan. The center of Japanese population

290-621: A center for the Japanese swordsmithing and cutlery industries. Gifu Prefecture is home to Gifu Castle , the 1,300-year-old tradition of cormorant fishing on the Nagara River , and the site of the Battle of Sekigahara . The land area that makes up modern-day Gifu became part of the Yamato Court around the middle of the fourth century. Because it is in the middle of the island of Honshu , it has been

348-472: A complete understanding of things. He practiced this way for many years, but eventually the bodily neglect caused him to contract tuberculosis . He sought the counsel of a doctor who gave the prognosis of death. It was during this near-death experience that Bankei realized the Unborn , later stating of the experience: I felt a strange sensation in my throat. I spat against a wall. A mass of black phlegm large as

406-601: A cylindrical stainless steel tank that is 41.4 m (136 ft) tall and 39.3 m (129 ft) in diameter holding 50,000 tons of ultra-pure water. Some of the 11,146 photomultiplier tubes are on display at the Miraikan in Tokyo. The same facility also hosts the CLIO prototype and KAGRA gravitational wave detector. The prefecture's population was 2,101,969, as of 1 September 2007, with approximately 1.8 million people in

464-508: A mirror. A mirror is clear and bright and reflects whatever is placed before it. But the image doesn't remain in the mirror. The Buddha-mind is ten thousand times brighter than any mirror and is marvelously illuminative besides. All thoughts vanish tracelessly into its light." Bankei didn't set up any particular rules for practice. For Bankei, apart from clearly recognizing the Buddha-mind, no special devices or methods were necessary. He said, "If

522-405: A population of 1,991,390 (as of 1 June 2019 ) and has a geographic area of 10,621 square kilometres (4,101  sq mi ). Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture to the northwest, Fukui Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture to the west, Mie Prefecture to the southwest, Aichi Prefecture to the south, and Nagano Prefecture to the east. Gifu

580-534: A senior position at Kōfuku-ji, preferring his unassuming existence instead working in the kitchen. The following year Bankei returned to Harima for a short while, and then left for Yoshino in the Nara Prefecture to live again as a hermit. In the mountains of Yoshino, Bankei authored some Buddhist chants pertaining to the Unborn while living there in silent retreat. He also gave public talks to peasants and laypersons on

638-488: A soapberry rolled down the side...Suddenly, just at that moment...I realized what it was that had escaped me until now: All things are perfectly resolved in the unborn . Following this breakthrough his doubt and questioning ceased while his physical condition ameliorated. Once strong enough, he travelled back to Umpo to relay his experience. Umpo confirmed his enlightenment, and sent him off to have his understanding further evidenced by Gudō Toshoku , another Rinzai master. At

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696-433: Is also working to strengthen its IT fields, too. Gifu has many popular tourist attractions, bringing visitors to all parts of the prefecture. The most popular places are Gifu, Gero , Shirakawa and Takayama . Gero is known for its relaxing hot springs , which attract visitors throughout the year. Shirakawa's historic villages are a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Takayama is famous for retaining its original appearance and

754-712: Is currently located in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture. The center of population is a hypothetical point at which a country is perfectly balanced assuming each person has a uniform weight. The spot was calculated using the 2005 census. As of 31 March 2019, 18 percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks , namely the Hakusan and Chūbu-Sangaku National Parks, Hida-Kisogawa and Ibi-Sekigahara-Yōrō Quasi-National Parks, and fifteen Prefectural Natural Parks. Gifu has five unofficial regions, which allows local municipalities to work together to promote

812-550: Is not born and never dies. The term is also used in the Lankavatara Sutra , where it is equated with emptiness. According to D.T. Suzuki, "anutpāda" is not the opposite of "utpāda", but transcends opposites. It is the seeing into the true nature of existence , the seeing that "all objects are without self-substance". The phrase fushō fumetsu 不生不滅 (unborn undying) also occurs in the Heart Sūtra . According to Bankei's teaching,

870-563: Is often referred to as Little Kyoto . In addition to international tourists, Gifu also plays host to many international events. The World Event and Convention Complex Gifu is available for many types of events. Other areas of Gifu, too, bring international events. The World Rowing Championships were held in the city of Kaizu in 2005. The FIS Snowboard World Cup was held in the city of Gujo in 2008. The APEC Japan 2010 SME Ministerial Meetings were held in Gifu City . The Kamioka area of

928-466: Is perhaps most famous for his teaching of the Unborn (Japanese: fushō 不生). The Unborn (also fushō fumetsu 不生不滅 , "unborn and undying", or "no creation and no annihilation") derives from the Sanskrit term, anutpāda (no-birth, no-arising, not-born, non-produced, no-origin). The Indian tradition sees the term "anutpāda" as an aspect of the ultimate truth, emptiness ; since emptiness does not arise or cease, it

986-459: Is required is to acknowledge this with faith: "...all you've got to do is acknowledge with profound faith and realization that, without your producing a single thought or resorting to any cleverness or shrewdness, everything is individually recognized and distinguished of itself. And all because the marvelously illuminating Buddha Mind is unborn and smoothly manages each and every thing." Throughout his sermons, Bankei would teach with what he called

1044-615: Is stronger and thinner than most other papers in Japan, and was used by the Japanese military during World War II. Other paper-based products include Gifu Lanterns and Gifu Umbrellas , made in the prefectural capital of Gifu . Other traditional goods include mino-yaki pottery in Tajimi , Toki , and Mizunami , cutlery in Seki , and lacquerware in Takayama . Sake is often brewed with clear water from

1102-468: Is the capital and largest city of Gifu Prefecture, with other major cities including Ōgaki , Kakamigahara , and Tajimi . Gifu Prefecture is located in the center of Japan, one of only eight landlocked prefectures, and features the country's center of population . Gifu Prefecture has served as the historic crossroads of Japan with routes connecting the east to the west, including the Nakasendō , one of

1160-553: The Five Routes of the Edo period . Gifu Prefecture was a long-term residence of Oda Nobunaga and Saitō Dōsan , two influential figures of Japanese history in the Sengoku period , spawning the popular phrase "control Gifu and you control Japan" in the late Medieval era . Gifu Prefecture is known for its traditional Washi paper industry, including Gifu lanterns and Gifu umbrellas , and as

1218-708: The Kiso Three Rivers , which are the Kiso River , Nagara River and Ibi River . The sources of Kiso river is in Nagano prefecture, and those of the others are in Gifu prefecture. They eventually run through Aichi and Mie prefectures before emptying into Ise Bay . Other major rivers in the prefecture include the Miya , Takahara , Shō , Toki (Shōnai) , Yahagi , and Itoshiro rivers. Gifu's climate varies from humid subtropical climate in

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1276-461: The Buddha-mind is clearly realized, that's enough. You need do nothing else—no practice, no precepts, no zazen or koan study. Nothing like that. You'll be free from care, everything will be taken care of, just by being as you are." Bankei was critical of Zen teachers who required "devices" in order to guide people, saying they were engaging in "devices Zen". Bankei said his teaching was different since it did not rely on techniques and merely pointed out

1334-456: The Mino region, although there are sometimes extremely hot days there too. The Hida region is more famous for its harsh winters, bringing extremely heavy snowfall, especially in the northwestern areas. Gifu boasts a high amount of skiing locations. Shōkawa-chō , part of the city of Takayama , is up in the mountains, and its location has led it to be called the coldest inhabited place on Honshū. All of

1392-557: The Nagoya area. A wealth of small component manufacturing is also found, such as precision machines, dye and mold making, and plastic forming. Gifu is famous for cormorant fishing , which has a history of over 1,300 years. Agriculture is also a major industry because of Gifu's vast, arable plains. The forests in the north provide materials for woodworking and for the viewing boats used in cormorant fishing. The Mino region has long been known for its high-quality paper called Mino washi , which

1450-538: The Unborn is the Buddha Mind which "smoothly manages each and every thing". This Buddha Mind is described by Bankei throughout his sermons as "unborn and marvelously illuminating" (reimei 霊明) as it is before thought, and it is by means of it that we are able to see, hear, recognize and distinguish all things without giving "birth" to any intention to do so. Bankei compares this function to a bright mirror which reflects without conscious intention. According to Bankei, all that

1508-479: The Unborn transcends both self-power and other-power. He said: "...that which isn't concerned with self-power or other-power but transcends them both is what my teaching is about. Isn't that right? When you listen this way with the Unborn, you transcend whatever there is. And all the rest of your activities are perfectly managed like this with the Unborn too. For the man who functions with the Unborn, whoever he may be, all things are perfectly managed. So, whoever he is,

1566-449: The Unborn. Later in his life he traveled constantly to a variety of places. He stayed various times at Myōshin-ji and even acted as abbot for a brief time in 1672. From his late fifties until the end of his life, Bankei held large retreats in which vast throngs of people came from all over to hear his lectures on the Unborn. In attendance would be monks and nuns from all sects, as well as laymen and laywomen, with attendees numbering in

1624-504: The age of 26 Bankei went to Gifu Prefecture to Daisen-ji where Gudo was abbot . However, when he arrived Gudo was attending to another temple of his in the countryside. So Bankei visited the temples of other Zen teachers in the area, none of which had priests with the proper understanding themselves to confirm his understanding. After a year living in the countryside near Daisen-ji, again Bankei travelled back to Umpo. In 1651, Bankei heard that

1682-489: The cities and the rest in towns and villages. The percentage of male and female residents is 48.4% and 51.6%, respectively. 14.4% of the population is no more than 14 years old, with 22.1% of the population being at least 65 years old. According to Japan's census , the country's center of population is located in Gifu Prefecture. In 2000, it was located in the former town of Mugi, which has since merged with Seki . In

1740-465: The cities, towns, villages and districts of Gifu Prefecture are listed below. Twenty-one cities are located in Gifu Prefecture: These are the towns and villages in each district : Traditional industries such as paper-making and agriculture are found in Gifu, but its economy is dominated by the manufacturing sector including aerospace and automotive, with industrial complexes extending from

1798-633: The city of Hida is home to the Kamioka Observatory underground laboratory. Located 1,000 m (3,281 ft) underground in Kamioka Mining and Smelting Co.'s Mozumi Mine, the Super-Kamiokande experiment searches for neutrinos from the high atmosphere, the sun and supernovae, while the KamLAND experiment searches for antineutrinos from regional nuclear reactors. The Super-Kamiokande consists of

Bankei Yōtaku - Misplaced Pages Continue

1856-511: The following year he entered school. Here he was taught many of the Confucian texts. At this time, Bankei was young and full of questions and the Confucian classics he was being taught confused him greatly. One day, the teacher read the first line from ' Great Learning ': "The way of great learning lies in clarifying bright virtue." Bankei entered a heated exchange with his teacher imploring them for

1914-514: The kōan method as a hopelessly contrived and artificial technique. Hakuin , a near-contemporary of Bankei, strongly condemned what he called 'do-nothing Zen', which he associated with Bankei. According to D.T. Suzuki , Bankei is one of the most important Japanese Zen masters, together with Dogen and Hakuin , and his Unborn Zen is one of the most original developments in the entire history of Zen thought. Harima Province Harima Province ( 播磨国 , Harima no kuni ) or Banshū (播州)

1972-509: The man of the Unborn isn't concerned with either self-power or other-power, but transcends them both." Since the Unborn is the innate natural state which is always present, there is no need to use any specific techniques, words or methods; one merely needs to let go of illusion born of selfish desire, dualistic thought and fixations (nen). However, becoming free of these does not require any contrivance or mental struggle. Bankei says trying to stop thoughts from arising divides one mind into two, with

2030-440: The meaning of this. Bankei felt no satisfactory answers were given. This gap in Bankei's understanding gave birth to many doubts and questions, and so he seized most every chance to question others on their knowledge. He would implore Confucian and Buddhist scholars and attend various religious gatherings in search of answers. All of this, however, proved futile for him. He became so distraught in his need to find answers that school

2088-415: The most recent census in 2005, the center of population has moved slightly more to the east but is still located within Gifu. Gifu's symbol comes from the first character gi (岐) of its Japanese name, written in a stylized script, surrounded by a circle, which represents the peace and harmony of the prefectural citizen. It was chosen by contest in 1932. The prefectural logo ( see right ) expands from

2146-458: The open wilderness, scrounging by as a beggar. In 1645, at age 24, Bankei returned to Zuiō-ji no wiser than the day he left. At this time Umpo informs him that the answer which he seeks can only be found within, not through an intermediary. Bankei left shortly after his return and built a hut nearby and lived as a hermit . He would sit for hours practicing zazen. He had given up bodily comfort and had no other goal during this time aside from coming to

2204-531: The peak of summer. On August 16, 2007, Tajimi set the record for the hottest day recorded in Japan's history—40.9 °C (105.6 °F). Summers are hotter, as the landlocked area becomes a heat island, and the temperature rises even further when hot, dry foehn winds blow over the Ibuki Mountains from the Kansai region . The Hida region, with its higher elevation and northerly latitude, is significantly cooler than

2262-458: The practice of zazen . Bankei was intrigued by this advice and ordained as a monk at Zuiō-ji under Umpo. It was here he received his Buddhist name Yōtaku (meaning 'Long Polishing of the Mind Gem'). When Bankei turned 19 he left Zuiō-ji shortly after and travelled through Kyoto , Osaka and Kyūshū in search for an answer to his question. During his travels he would stay over at temples or sleep in

2320-538: The prefecture served as the center of swordmaking for the whole of Japan, with Seki being known for making the best swords in Japan. More recently, its strengths have been in fashion (primarily in the city of Gifu) and aerospace engineering ( Kakamigahara ). On October 28, 1891, the present-day city of Motosu was the epicenter for the Mino–Owari earthquake , the second largest earthquake to ever hit Japan. The earthquake, estimated at 8.0 ( surface-wave magnitude ), left

2378-637: The prefecture's population lives in the southern part of the prefecture, near the designated city of Nagoya . The mountainous Hida region contains the Hida Mountains , which are referred to as the "Northern Alps" in Japan. The Ryōhaku Mountains are also in the Hida region. Other major ranges include the Ibuki Mountains and the Yōrō Mountains . Much of the Mino region is made up of the alluvial plain of

Bankei Yōtaku - Misplaced Pages Continue

2436-437: The proof of the Unborn. As his listeners were facing him, intent on hearing only his words, he would point out the way in which they could naturally hear and distinguish all kinds of unanticipated things, such as the cawing of birds, the cry of tradesmen selling their wares, or the sudden coughing of someone in the audience; all without any forethought or intention. For Bankei, as this hearing was without any deliberate effort, this

2494-480: The province. Harima Province was established in 7th century. During the Meiji Restoration , Himeji Prefecture was established with the whole area of Harima Province as the territory. Himeji Prefecture was renamed to Shikama prefecture , and Shikama Prefecture was transferred to Hyōgo Prefecture finally. Harima Sake Culture Tourism promotes the region as the "Hometown of Japanese Sake ". Iwa jinja

2552-450: The red dot into the center to the outer two lines and, finally, the yellow plain. This symbol was chosen in 1991 for the development and expansion of the prefecture. The prefecture also has two plants (the milk vetch (renge) and the Japanese yew ) and two animals (the snow grouse and the ayu ) as symbols. The milk vetch was chosen in 1954, because the prefecture is well known for its abundance of blooming milk vetch each spring. The yew

2610-543: The rivers. Kakamigahara has a large role in the prefecture's modern industries. It boasts large aerospace facilities of both Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries , as well as many metalworking and manufacturing companies. Information technology (IT) is gaining a foothold in the prefecture with both Softopia Japan in Ōgaki and VR Techno Japan (part of Techno Plaza) in Kakamigahara. The capital city of Gifu, located between Ōgaki and Kakamigahara,

2668-457: The site of many decisive battles throughout Japan's history, the oldest major one being the Jinshin War in 672, which led to the establishment of Emperor Tenmu as the 40th emperor of Japan. The area of Gifu Prefecture consists of the old provinces of Hida and Mino , as well as smaller parts of Echizen and Shinano . The name of the prefecture derives from its capital city, Gifu , which

2726-500: The south, eventually making the transition to humid continental climate in the north. Because the Mino region is surrounded by low mountains, the temperature fluctuates through the year, from hot summers to cold winters. The eastern city of Tajimi , for example, often records the hottest temperature in Japan each year and is considered to be the hottest city within Honshu boasting an average daytime high of 34.1 °C (93.4 °F) during

2784-465: The surrounding area. The five regions are Seinō , Gifu , Chūnō , Tōnō and Hida . The borders of the regions are loosely defined, but they are usually delineated among major cities. The northern Hida region is dominated by tall mountains, including parts of the Japanese Alps . The southern Mino region is mostly parts of the fertile Nōbi Plain , a vast plains area with arable soil. Most of

2842-797: The temple to observe Dosha's ways, impressed by the master. While Bankei lived among the other monks at the temple, he refused to chant the sutras with them in Chinese. In 1652, while meditating with the congregation, Bankei experienced final awakening. Dosha confirmed this the next day, stating Bankei had finally settled the Great Matter. Before long, Dosha decided to certify Bankei's enlightenment, but as Dosha began to write out his certification document, Bankei took it from his hands and ripped it up. Bankei had no need for documentation of his enlightenment. Later in his life, Bankei would say that he felt Dosha had not fully matured in his awakening. Bankei also refused

2900-698: The thought of trying to stop them warring against the arising thoughts themselves. Bankei says this is like trying to wash away blood with blood. Instead of struggling against thoughts, Bankei's teaching lay in "neither trying to prevent nor trying to encourage further thought." This was also to "just have faith that thoughts don't originally exist, but only arise and cease temporarily in response to what you see and hear, without any actual substance of their own." Similarly, Bankei taught: "You have to realize that your thoughts are ephemeral and unreal and, without either clutching at them or rejecting them, just let them come and go of themselves. They're like images reflected in

2958-637: The thousands. According to an eyewitness account of the great retreat at Ryūmon-ji of 1690, the streets of Aboshi overflowed with pilgrims who had to be sheltered in storerooms, sheds, and barns. Bankei's home base was his monastery of Ryūmon-ji, which had been built for him by Kyōgoku Takatoyo (1655-1694). He also founded two more monasteries: Nyohō-ji in Sanuki ( Shikoku ) and Kōrin-ji in Edo (Azabu district). However, no continuing lineage of Bankei's survives, and his temples were eventually taken over by "Hakuin Zen." Bankei

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3016-444: The ultimate directly: "Unlike the other masters everywhere, in my teaching I don't set up any particular object, such as realizing enlightenment or studying koans. Nor do I rely on the words of the buddhas and patriarchs. I just point things out directly, so there's nothing to hold onto, and that's why no one will readily accept [what I teach]." Bankei referred to kōans disparagingly as "old wastepaper". As Haskel points out, Bankei saw

3074-520: Was a province of Japan in the part of Honshū that is the southwestern part of present-day Hyōgo Prefecture . Harima bordered on Tajima , Tanba , Settsu , Bizen , and Mimasaka Provinces. Its capital was Himeji . During the Edo period of Japanese history , the Akō Domain (fief) was part of Harima. The Forty-seven rōnin were samurai of Akō han . IHI Corporation , a shipbuilder and major Boeing engine subcontractor gets its name from

3132-574: Was a skilled physician and his second eldest brother was a practitioner of the Pure Land school of Buddhism. Hence Bankei's mother was likened to Maya, Masayasu to Yakushi - the Buddha of healing, his second eldest brother to the Buddha Amida, and Bankei himself to Shakyamuni Buddha. Bankei was a rebellious and mischievous child, though he showed remarkable intelligence. When Bankei was 11, his father died, and in

3190-410: Was named by Oda Nobunaga during his campaign to unify all of Japan in 1567. The first character used comes from Qishan ( 岐 山), a legendary mountain from which most of China was unified, whereas the second character comes from Qufu (曲 阜 ), the birthplace of Confucius . Nobunaga chose those characters because he wanted to unify all of Japan and he wanted to be viewed as a great mind. Historically,

3248-458: Was no longer a priority for him, and in 1633 he was kicked out of his family home. A family friend, Yūkan Nakahori, allowed Bankei to stay in a hut nearby. Being a bit eccentric , Bankei etched into a slat of wood "Practice hermitage " and placed it outside of his little hut. It is likely that Bankei began practicing Shin Buddhism during this time. It is known that when Bankei was 15 he trained at

3306-556: Was proof that the Unborn was already at work in one's life, smoothly managing everything. Thus, one has only to leave everything to it, and function with it in all one's affairs. According to Bankei, this Unborn was neither a self-power nor an other-power . That is, as we are able to hear and distinguish things without giving rise to any intention, the Unborn isn't dependent on one's own self-power. And yet, as Bankei points out, since nobody else can do our hearing for us, it can't be called an other-power either. In this way, Bankei taught that

3364-451: Was the chief Shinto shrine ( ichinomiya ) of Harima. [REDACTED] Media related to Harima Province at Wikimedia Commons This Hyōgo Prefecture location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gifu Prefecture Gifu Prefecture ( 岐阜県 , Gifu-ken ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu . Gifu Prefecture has

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