Meeting Hakuin Ekaku

A Seven-Week Course Taught by Masaki Matsubara Osho

The Japanese Zen master Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769) is a seminal figure who occupies a prominent place in the history of Japanese Buddhism in general and Zen in particular. Hakuin is widely known as the reviver, or even de facto founder, of the Japanese Rinzai Zen tradition. All present-day Rinzai priests trace their religious heritage to Hakuin and the koan-based meditative practice that he advocated as the core discipline of the tradition. In this class, we will study his teachings and practices by looking at the selections from Hakuin’s key writings and his art. The readings will be in primary sources in translation.

No prior knowledge of Hakuin, Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Zen, or Japanese is required for this class. Anyone interested in Buddhism and Zen, and in deepening their understanding and practice of Zen, is welcome.

Masaki Matsubara Osho is abbot of Butsumo-ji in Chiba, Japan, which belongs to Myoshin-ji’s Reiun-in school. He lives in New York City for much of the year, and has given inspiring teachings at New York Zendo Shobo-ji in person and online. He is both a Zen priest and a Zen scholar, teaching and conducting retreats at Cornell’s East Asia Program and at Brown University. He has a long-standing affiliation with the Zen Studies Society.

This seven-week course will meet every Friday at 7 p.m.

Cost: $100 for ZSS members, $140 for non-members, 

Note: Depending on Matsubara Osho’s travel schedule the last class may need to be moved from Mar. 18 to Mar. 25.

Please click here for more information or to register.