S.C5.8Dt.C5.8D Zen ranks and hierarchy

1 sōtō

1.1 hōkai

1.1.1 jōza (上座)
1.1.2 zagen (座元)
1.1.3 oshō

1.1.3.1 shihō (嗣法)
1.1.3.2 ten-e (転衣)
1.1.3.3 zuise (瑞世)


1.1.4 dai-oshō (大和尚)
1.1.5 shike (師家)


1.2 sōkai

1.2.1 kaikyōshi

sōtō

from beginnings, sōtō zen has placed strong emphasis on lineage , dharma transmission. in time, dharma transmission became synonymous transmission of temple ownership. changed manzan dokahu (1636–1714), sōtō reformer, who...

[p]ropagated view dharma transmission dependent on personal initiation between master , disciple rather on disciple s enlightenment. maintained view in face of strong opposition, citing authority towering figure of japanese zen, dogen [...] became , continues day official sōtō zen view.

sōtō-zen has 2 ranking systems, hōkai (four dharma ranks) , sōkai (eight priest ranks).

hōkai

the dharma ranks (法階) point stages in training become oshō, priest or technologist of spirit . become dai-oshō, priest of zen-temple, 1 has follow training in officially recognized training centre, sōdō-ango (僧堂安居).

jōza (上座)

becoming sōtō-zen priest starts shukke tokudo (出家得度). in ceremony, novice receives outfit ( inner , outer robes, belts, o-kesa, rakusu, kechimyaku (transmission chart) , eating bowls ) , takes precepts. 1 unsui, training monk. gives rank of jōza, except children under ten years old, called sami.

zagen (座元)

the next step,after 1 has been monk @ least 3 years, risshin (立身) , hossen-shiki (dharma combat ceremony), while acting shuso (首座), headmonk, during retreat. risshin raise 1 s body standing position :

it means gain physical stability. confidence in oneself , 1 s role monk. ability express oneself , share wider perspective, not restricted 1 s own needs only. starts function pillar supports sangha.

hosseshiki ceremony in questions , answers exchanged. after ceremony, 1 promoted rank of zagen.

oshō
shihō (嗣法)

the third step shihō, or denpo, dharma transmission. dharma transmission is...

...the recognition of transmission took place long before ceremony itself. in fact, has nothing @ paper, philosophy or mystical experience. 24 hours of daily life shared teacher , student content of transmission, , nothing else [...] in antai-ji, when receive shihō after, say, 8 or 9 years, have sat 15,000 hours of zazen teacher. not that, shared many thousands of meals him, worked in fields thousands of hours, spread manure, cut grass , wood together, side side, sweat in summer , froze in winter. cooked him , filled bath tub him, know how likes temperature both of soup , bathing water. shared many drinks, probably. in each of these activities, dharma transmitted. none should left out.

shihō done one-to-one in abbot s quarters (hojo) . 3 handwritten documents certify dharma transmission;

a) shisho (the scripture of transmission, names of anscestors arranged in circle - dharma has passed on shakyamuni yourself, , give shakyamuni. there small piece of paper, written sawaki roshi, comments. paper copied student when doing dharma transmission @ antai-ji.)

b) daiji (the great matter, cryptic symbolization of content of teaching. again, there small sheet of paper explains meaning of symbols.) c) kechimyaku (the blood lineage, looks quite similar blood line transmission wrote @ time of ordination) d) actually, in lineage of sawaki roshi (and maybe other lineages well) student told write fourth document on sheet of paper, called hisho (the secret document, encoded, code deciphering on same paper, once hold in hands not secret anymore.)

the procedure has take place once in 1 s life, , binds student teacher forever:

dharma transmission can happen once, , once, or never @ all. multiple dharma transmission nonsense. if receive dharma transmission 1 teacher, on 1 , teacher, real teacher (jap. hon-shi). multiple lineage holders hear of in west bullshit. therefore important both sides, student, make sure right time them make important step.

if student not have feeling wants tied teacher rest of life, may refuse take dharma transmission particular teacher. since time of manzan dokahu (1636–1714), multiple dharma transmissions impossible in sōtō zen.

in contrast status dharma transmission has acquired in west, in japanese sōtō has relatively low status:

[d]harma transmission provides access relatively low grade. listed requirement lowest ecclesiastical status, of instructor third class (santō kyōshi). thus, in present day sōtō zen, dharma transmission constitutes preliminary step, after 1 s real development begins [...] today, key authority conferred dharma transmission qualifies priest manage ordinary (jun hōchi) local temple. these temples not ascetic training of ceremonial services on behalf of lay patrons.

dharma transmission not seen end of road; instead, marks beginning of deeper learning:

dharma transmission not last , final step in student s practice. quite opposite, 1 might call real first step on way of practice. way has begun, student has decided exact way wants follow end. real hardships still lay ahead of him. use example of boy-meets-girl again: @ point of time have decided made each other, speak, want married , have kids. hopefully, not mean romance over. means both prepared real struggle begin.

ten-e (転衣)

to become oshō, teacher, 2 more steps taken, ten-e , zuise.

ten-e means turn robe :

unsui (training monks) allowed wear black robes , black o-kesa [...] [t]en-e point in carrier [sic] of sōtō monk when allowed wear yellow-brown robe.

zuise (瑞世)

the literal meaning of zuise follows:

zui means auspicious , se world . originally, seems meant same shusse, i.e. promoted office, make carrier step. maybe can interpreted make auspicious announcement whole world or along lines.

zuise called ichiya-no-jūshoku(一夜住職), abbot 1 night . in ceremony, 1 abbot 1 night .

the ceremony originates in medieval organisation of sōtō-shū, when rotation of abbotship norm. dharma transmission @ branch temple obliged 1 serve @ least 1 term abbot @ main temple. abbotship gave severe duties, , financial burdens, reason many tried avoid responsibility of abbotship:

tsūgen, baisan , jochū each demanded future generations excommunicate zen teacher failed fulfill obligation serve abbot of head temple. baisan decreed obedient zen successors should seize defiant ones , burn offender s succession s certificate (shisho) before eyes. note remarkable inversion has occurred here. instead of dharma transmission being qualification becoming abbot, successful service abbot has become requirement being allowed retain 1 s dharma tranbsmission.

the ceremony has done @ both eihei-ji , sōji-ji, main temples of sōtō-shū, within time span of 1 month. originates in rivalry between eihei-ji , sōji-ji. eihei-ji s attempts gain dominance met resistance sōji-ji. several times in history sōji-ji has issued proclamations received honors @ eihei-ji never allowed @ temple affiliated sōji-ji . since sōji-ji has far largest network of temples, effective mean limit influence of eihei-ji.

after zuise 1 becomes oshō, i.e. priest or teacher .

dai-oshō (大和尚)

after having become oshō 1 may become dai-oshō, resident priest in zen-temple. takes further training in sōdō-ango, officially recognized sōtō-shū training centre.

a prerequisite become dai-oshō ango, stay in peace or safe shelter . derived ancient indian buddhism, when monks retreated shelter during rain-season. ango period of 90 or 100 days of intensive practice. there no fixed stage on training-path when ango has done, ordination monk necessary, , has done in sōdō-ango. aspirant dai-oshō has spend @ least 6 months there, 1 or 2 years usual span of time. ango necessary because grinds future dai-oshō:

the point of ango is: sessa-takuma. used term number of times in past. consists of 4 chinese characters: 切磋琢磨 first means cut (a bone or elephant tusk), second rub, third crush (a stone or gem), fourth polish. whole, describes how various hard materials grind each others , during process refined [...] ango important because can pain in ass live others go on our nerves, occupy our space , demand our time, have different habits , different vies, different outlooks on life etc. show mirror because life in monastery forces them so, when people in world step out off our way.

ango(安居) helps become mature person:

[t]hat real meaning of ango. sharing of time , space , energy. balance nerves? in case: not so. helps mature, , in view, practice has being adult.

after ango 1 can start work in temple. newly acquired status confirmed in kyōshi-honin ceremony. there-after follows first practice-period in 1 s own temple, aid of susho (head monk). followed jūshoku-himei ceremony, confirms 1 s status dai-oshō.

shike (師家)

to supervise training of monks, further qualification necessary:

the relatively low status of dharma transmission means in , of not qualify 1 accept students or train disciples. according regulations, zen students should supervised teacher has attained supervisory certification (i.e. sanzen dōjō shike status), is, in popular literature might called zen master. attain supervisory certification requires not high ecclesiastical grades , dharma seniority @ least 3 years experience assistant supervisor @ specially designated training hall (tokubetsu sōdō), during time 1 undergoes apprenticeship.

there 2 grades training supervisor, namely shike , jun shike. appointment shike done cooptation:

there 50 or of these in soto (the rinzai roshis can addressed shike ). 1 big difference between rinzai roshi , soto shike shike transmission [...] not vertical @ all. means if teacher shike, can not appoint shike. appoint shike? in fact, there kind of committee, called shike-kai , consisting of japanese soto shike. there no foreign shike, far know. shike-kai can appoint shike whom consider equal, i.e. has done genuine training , study, cultivated himself , reached whatever understanding might considered enlightened enough match enlightenment of other shike. shike appointment can called horizontal in way.

sōkai

promotion in priest-rank depends（僧階） on school education , amount of time spend in monastery training. there 8 ranks:

kaikyōshi

a special title, kaikyōshi（開教使）, created foreign practitioners, not being used anymore, replaced title kokusai fukyōshi.

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