Tendō Nyojō

Biography

Tendō Nyojō was born on August 8, 1163 in the town of Weijiang, near present-day Ningbo (Zhejiang province, China), during the Southern Song dynasty. He entered religious life young and received full ordination at the age of nineteen (1182).

His master was Set-chō Chikan (Zu'an Zhijian, 1105–1192), the 16th dharma descendant of Daikan Enō (Huineng, the 6th Patriarch). From him, Nyojō received dharma transmission and became the 51st Patriarch of the Sōtō lineage.

Nyojō resided successively in four great monasteries: Qingliang (in Nanjing), Jingci (by West Lake in Hangzhou), Ruiyan (on Mount Tiantai), and finally the famous Tiantong Monastery (on Mount Tiantong, near Ningbo), where he ended his life.

According to the tradition reported by Keizan Jōkin in the Denkōroku, Nyojō was a master of profound humility: even after becoming abbot, he never placed himself above the other monks, wore the simple black robe of an ordinary monk, and refused the honorary purple robe offered to him by the emperor. Even after his awakening, he continued to clean the monastery toilets—a gesture of radical humility that deeply marked his disciples.

On August 18, 1228, at the age of 65, Nyojō composed his death poem (chōka) and passed away peacefully at Tiantong Monastery. Six of his dharma heirs perpetuated his lineage, the most illustrious being Dōgen.

Meeting with Dōgen and the Awakening

Dōgen arrived at Tiantong Monastery in 1223, after a first disappointing stay at Tiantong-kyō Monastery (under another master). It was during a second stay, in 1225, that he met Nyojō, recently appointed abbot. For Dōgen, Nyojō embodied the authentic master he had been seeking since his departure from Japan.

The pivotal event occurred one night during zazen. Nyojō addressed the seated assembly in meditation:

Upon hearing these words, Dōgen experienced a great awakening (daigo). He immediately went to the master's room and burned incense before him. The famous exchange ensued:

Nyojō then confirmed Dōgen's awakening with these words: "You have dropped off body and mind." This shinjin datsuraku (身心脫落)—literally "the falling away of body and mind"—would become the central concept of Dōgen's teaching.

Dōgen remained with Nyojō until 1227, when he received dharma transmission and returned to Japan. Dōgen's journal, the Hōkyōki (宝慶記), faithfully records the interviews he had with Nyojō during those years—a direct and precious testimony of their relationship.

Main Teachings

Shinjin Datsuraku — 身心脫落

Nyojō's most famous concept. "Dropping off body and mind" signifies neither a rejection of the body nor an annihilation of the mind, but liberation from attachment to the dualism of body-mind, self-world. It is the direct experience of non-duality, where the practitioner ceases identifying with thoughts, sensations, and individual consciousness to open to reality as it is.

Shikantaza — 只管打坐

Nyojō is considered the originator of this term meaning "just sitting." Unlike meditation with an object (like counting breaths), shikantaza is sitting without goal, without effort, without expectation—the very manifestation of awakening in action. Dōgen would make it the heart of his practice in Japan.

Exigency in Practice

Nyojō was known for his severity. He formally forbade sleeping during zazen, exhorting monks to "moment-by-moment vigilance." His sermons were punctuated by shouts, blows of the stick, and sharp metaphors: "Cut off the head and horns of the dragon-whale. Sever the claws and fangs of the tiger and leopard."

The Poetry of the Dharma

The Nyojō Goroku reveals a master of great poetic expressiveness. His sermons are woven with allusions to nature—plum blossoms, clouds, mountains, moon—and striking images: "The great ocean dries up, the sea floor cracks! The surging waves strike the sky!"

Main Works

Nyojō Goroku (如淨語錄)—A text referenced in the Chinese Canon (Taishō T2002A). Compiled by his disciples Wensu, Miaozong, and Weijing, it gathers:

• The annals of the four monasteries (Qingliang, Jingci, Ruiyan, Tiantong)
• Formal sermons (shangtang) and discourses to the assembly
• Lectures on ancient kōans
• Eulogies of ancient masters and praises of the Buddha
• Gāthās and poetic hymns
• General instructions to the community

The complete text is available on this site: Nyojō Goroku—full French translation.

Nyojō Zenji Zoku Goroku (如淨禪師續語錄)—"Supplementary Recorded Sayings of Master Nyojō"—a second complementary volume, also preserved in the Chinese Buddhist Canon.

Death Poem (1228)—composed by Nyojō just before his death:

A version of the Nyojō Goroku was also reportedly compiled by Dōgen himself after his return to Japan, attesting to the importance he placed on his master's words.

Legacy and Posterity

Nyojō's influence on Japanese Zen is immense, though indirect—he never set foot in Japan. Through Dōgen, his teachings shaped the entire Sōtō school:

• Shikantaza as the central practice of Sōtō Zen
• The concept of shinjin datsuraku, taken up and developed throughout the Shōbōgenzō
• The conception of direct transmission from master to disciple, without conceptual mediation
• Radical humility as the mark of true awakening

He is mentioned multiple times in Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō, notably in the chapters Hatsu-u (鉢盂) and Kokyō (古鏡). His exchange with Dōgen is the 52nd and final case of Keizan Jōkin's Denkōroku.

In the Sōtō lineage, he is the 51st Patriarch, between Set-chō Chikan (49th/50th) and Dōgen (52nd).

Sources

• Andy Ferguson, Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings, Wisdom Publications, 2011—pp. 492–493
• Keizan Jōkin, Denkōroku—Case 52 (Dōgen), mention of Nyojō
• Dōgen, Hōkyōki—Notes of interviews with Nyojō
• Nyojō Goroku—Taishō Tripiṭaka T2002A (如淨禪師語錄)
• Steven Heine, The Zen Poetry of Dōgen, Tuttle, 1997—includes the death poem of Rujing
• Sotoshu.net—Sōtō Glossary
• Terebess Online—Tiantong Rujing Page