Kōdō Sawaki
Kōdō Sawaki was born in the city of Tsu, Mie on the 16th of June 1880. He entered a wealthy home as the sixth child but lost both parents before his tenth birthday. His mother died when he was four years old and his father passed three years later. An aunt took him in briefly until her husband also died. A lantern maker named Bunkichi Sawaki then raised the boy. This stepfather had eleven wives and turned their home into a gambling parlor at night. Bunkichi used Kodo for labor and beat him regularly. When Sawaki was nine, a neighbor died at a brothel while with a young prostitute. The aftermath created an intense feeling of emptiness in him that surpassed the grief of losing his parents. He realized things cannot be hidden from view.
At age sixteen, Sawaki ran away to become a monk at Eihei-ji temple. A monk tried to turn him away but Sawaki stated he would rather die than return home. He faced mistreatment from other monks there and learned not all were good. The temple did not ordain monks so he left to find one that could. He traveled to Soshin-ji without money and recited the Heart Sutra to a ferry captain as payment. Cold conditions covered him in lice during the journey. He reunited with his sister to receive care after becoming too dirty to continue alone. On a boat, a woman accused him of stealing her lost purse. No one believed he was a monk and he was arrested for a month. A prison chaplain advocated for him and secured his release. Sawaki later stated he saw no difference between prisoners and guards because all are deluded beings.
Sawaki actively supported and participated in the Japanese war effort during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904, 1905. He stated discarding one's body beneath the military flag is true selflessness. A bullet split his tongue while shooting through his neck. He woke up in a medical tent marked as a patient likely to die. Someone noticed him breathing and he was treated then sent to hospitals in Hiroshima and Nagoya. He returned to the home of his stepfather Bunkichi only to find the woman chained to a chair. Bunkichi had gambled Kodo would die so he could receive army compensation. Bunkichi lost that assumed compensation and gambling money he did not have. Sawaki felt the need to help them and visited his brother for money which he gave to Bunkichi.
At Daijiji temple, Sawaki developed a direct and occasionally crass teaching style. Students at the Fifth High School of Kumamoto were the greatest influences on his life as a Zen practitioner. He took on younger people who missed their families and had been sent by parents unwilling to care for them. Sawaki struggled with these students stating he lacked grandmotherly love. This experience led him to realize he needed to truly sympathize with his students. At Daijiji he also took on a student named Akiko plagued by spinal caries who later died by his side accepting the three refuges. Later Sawaki began his life on Mannichi Mountain in Kumamoto while traveling to give Dharma talks. He lived at the second home of Mr. Shibata hoping to be a resource for commoners. He gave out printed texts for free and attracted a diverse audience.
Sawaki is known for his rigorous emphasis on zazen sitting meditation practice called shikantaza. He often called Zen wonderfully useless discouraging any gaining idea or seeking after special experiences. He stated that each person practicing zazen will surely succeed if they forget themselves and settle into one's position. Sawaki taught that duty is fully achieved where no-self exists and this is being one with all things. He thought Buddhism is realized through practice and understood through the body. Therefore we must practice zazen and have proper control over our muscles. With zazen as the standard, we can train ourselves to have the proper attitude for life. Generally speaking, practice should be the approach to life.
In 1949, Sawaki took responsibility for Antai-ji, a zen temple in northern Kyoto. Because of his regular travels throughout Japan to teach zen he came to be known as Homeless Kodo. He traveled the country speaking wherever a request was made until two years before his death focused on teaching laypeople. Sawaki died on the 21st of December 1965 at Antaiji. His last words were Look at that Nature is magnificent. In all my life I have never encountered a person to whom I could have submitted and who I could have admired. But this Takagamine mountain looks upon me from the heights saying Kodo Kodo. He was succeeded by a senior disciple Kosho Uchiyama. Sawaki has been criticized by Buddhist contemporaries and modern Buddhists for his support for the violent war effort though the extent to which he supported violence during war or if his views evolved in later years is debated.
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Common questions
When and where was Kodo Sawaki born?
Kodo Sawaki was born in the city of Tsu, Mie on the 16th of June 1880. He entered a wealthy home as the sixth child but lost both parents before his tenth birthday.
How did Kodo Sawaki become a monk at Eihei-ji temple?
At age sixteen, Kodo Sawaki ran away to become a monk at Eihei-ji temple despite facing mistreatment from other monks there. He stated he would rather die than return home when a monk tried to turn him away.
What happened to Kodo Sawaki during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 1905?
Kodo Sawaki actively supported and participated in the Japanese war effort during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 1905. A bullet split his tongue while shooting through his neck and he woke up in a medical tent marked as a patient likely to die.
Why is Kodo Sawaki known as Homeless Kodo?
Because of his regular travels throughout Japan to teach zen he came to be known as Homeless Kodo. He traveled the country speaking wherever a request was made until two years before his death focused on teaching laypeople.
When did Kodo Sawaki die and what were his last words?
Sawaki died on the 21st of December 1965 at Antaiji. His last words were Look at that Nature is magnificent.