Musō Soseki

was a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk and teacher, and a calligrapher, poet and garden designer. The most famous monk of his time, he is also known as , an honorific conferred on him by Emperor Go-Daigo. His mother was the daughter of Hōjō Masamura (1264–1268), seventh Shikken (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate.

Biography Originally from Ise Province, now part of modern-day Mie Prefecture, Soseki was a ninth-generation descendant of Emperor Uda. At the age of four he lost his mother and was therefore put in the temple of Hirashioyama under the guidance of priest Kūa. Later, in remembrance of the dream, he composed a new name for himself, forming his family name from characters meaning dream and window, and his given name from the first characters of the names of the two temples appearing in his dream; it was this new name, Musō Soseki, by which he was to become famous.

In 1325 Emperor Go-Daigo requested that he come to Kyoto to become head priest of the great temple of Nanzen-ji. He stayed with them for the rest of his long life, enjoying the support of both the shōgun and his brother Tadayoshi, who played a pivotal role in his career. Musō helped the two Ashikaga organize a network of Zen monasteries, the so-called Five Mountain System, and its subsidiary, the Ankoku-ji network of temples, across Japan. This helped create a national religious movement and solidify the shōgun's power. In 1339, at Go-Daigo's death he opened Tenryū-ji in Kyoto to ensure the Emperor a prosperous afterlife. As a result of the trading mission, the construction of Tenryū-ji was completed. The Kyoto Five Mountain Zen temple network was being established.

Musō Soseki's intellectual legacy The temples of the Five Mountain System network of Zen temples were centers of learning of Confucian metaphysics, Chinese poetry, painting, calligraphy, printing, architecture, garden design, and ceramics, and as such have left an indelible mark on the country's history and culture. At the very center of their birth stands Musō Soseki. He taught Zen to a great number of disciples (the estimated number is over 10 thousand

Soseki died in 1351 at the age of 77. Because he was given, both before and after death, seven different honorific names (like , , and calling him a national teacher by as many Emperors, he is known as . However, whatever Soseki built was destroyed during the Ōnin War, and therefore any modern version is someone else's work. Soseki Muso introduced "Zanzanjosui" 残山剰水 into Japanese gardens. He also played a significant role in establishing karesansui枯山水, using the stonework to express an imaginary landscape rather than as a nature model. Saihō-ji, better known as Koke-dera in Kyoto – UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of Japan's Special Places of Scenic Beauty Tenryū-ji in Kyoto – UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of Japan's Special Places of Scenic Beauty Eihō-ji in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture – One of Japan's Places of Scenic Beauty Erin-ji, in Yamanashi Prefecture – One of Japan's Places of Scenic Beauty Zuisen-ji in Kamakura – One of Japan's Places of Scenic Beauty Jōchi-ji Engaku-ji in Kamakura Tōnanzen-in in Kyoto Rinsen-ji in Kyoto Chikurin-ji in Kōchi Kakurinbo in Yamanashi