He was a Soutou Zen Buddhist priest who made great achievements from the Nanbokucho era (1336-1392) to the Muromachi era (1392-1573). His monk name is sometimes written as Gen'ou, and his name is Shinshou.
He was ordained at the age of five, and under the tutelage of Jouseki Gazan, who developed Soutou Zen Buddhism as a popular religion among the people, he founded many temples throughout Japan, from Akita Prefecture in the north to Kagoshima Prefecture in the south.
Gennou's many legends include those about the discovery of hot springs and miraculous water, and the extermination of yokai, as seen in the legend about the Killing Stone. As a Zen Buddhist monk, Gennou's character as a practitioner of asceticism is strongly apparent in these legends.
Such an aspect can be seen in the fact that he pilgrimaged to various mountains and established temples in various provinces, spreading Soutou Zen Buddhism among the populace by offering blessings and prayers to solve problems that were more closely connected to the common people.
One type of hammer is named "gennou", used for striking a chisel, which was named after Priest Gennou, and is said to have originated from the tool with which he crushed the Killing Stone.
[Sometimes gennou is also used to refer to sledgehammers.]
No comments:
Post a Comment