Roshi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roshi (老師, Roshi^?) (Chinese Laoshi) is a Japanese honorific title used in Zen Buddhism that literally means "old teacher" or "venerable teacher", denoting a monastic who gives spiritual guidance to a sangha. Despite the literal meaning, the title has nothing to do with the actual age of the individual who receives it. The title is generally granted to an individual who has realized a great understanding of the Dharma, and most roshi have undergone many years of arduous training under a master. In the Rinzai school of Zen, a monastic becomes a roshi when they have received inka from their master. In the Soto school of Zen, a monastic becomes a roshi when they have received shiho, or Dharma transmission. Most Zen communities in the United States confer the title in line with this protocol, and in most instances it is used synonymously with the term Zen master.^[1][2][3][4]

[edit] See also

• Oshō
• Sensei
• Zen master

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Gard, Richard A. (2007). Buddhism. Gardners Books. ISBN 0548077304. 
• Katagiri, Dainin (1988). Returning to Silence: Zen Practice in Daily Life. Shambhala Publications. ISBN 0877734313. 
• Ogata, Sohaku (1975). Zen for the West. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0837165830. 
• Seager, Richard Hughes (1999). Buddhism In America. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231108680. 

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