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About Tettsū Gikai
- Tettsu Gikai (????) is the third spiritual leader of the Soto Zen school of Buddhism in Japan.
- He began his Buddhist life as a student of the Darumashu's Ekan, but later both became students of Eihei Dogen's newly established Soto school.
- Gikai received dharma transmission from Koun Ejo, Dogen's successor, and later became the third abbot of the school's head temple, Eihei-ji.
- Shortly thereafter, he became embroiled in a leadership crisis known as the sandai soron.
- Other monks contended that other students, namely Jakuen, Gien or Giin, had stronger claims to the abbacy.
- The controversy remained unresolved at the time of his death.
- His abbacy was unpopular with some monks because he introduced innovative practices aimed at making Soto more palatable with the Japanese laity, which some claimed Dogen would have frowned upon.
- However, he also had many followers, and eventually his innovations became the standard form of Soto Zen.
- His leadership marked the first geographical expansion of the Soto school when he moved with his followers to Kaga Province.
- Most notably, his disciple Keizan Jokin became the second most famous figure in the school's history after Dogen by generating mass appeal for Soto Zen and ultimately spreading the teachings to all corners of Japan.
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