About Seisetsu Shōchō
Lived 1274 – 1339 (aged 65). Seisetsu Shōchō was a buddhist monk.
Seisetsu Shōchō (Ch'ing-cho Cheng-ch'eng, ; 1274–1339) was a Chinese Buddhist missionary to Japan.
A disciple of Ku-lin Ch'ing-mao (古林清茂), of the Rinzai school, Seisetsu was an adherent of the gozan movement, which subsumed religious practices to secular authority.
Seisetsu emigrated to Japan from Fuzhou in 1326, with three disciples. Unimpressed with the native Buddhist clergy's adherence to traditional Japanese customs, he instituted major reforms in Zen Buddhism, based on Chinese practices. He travelled widely, visiting Kamakura and Kyoto, and was abbot of Nanzen-ji for a time. He compiled the Daikan Shingi, a treatise on Buddhist practices and etiquette, as a guide for Japanese priests. Seisetsu was also influential in the secular world, being a mentor of Ogasawara Sadamune.
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Important facts
People in Seisetsu Shōchō's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Seisetsu Shōchō's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Seisetsu Shōchō?
Chinese Buddhist missionary to Japan
When was Seisetsu Shōchō born?
Seisetsu Shōchō was born on 11 February 1274 in Lianjiang.
When did Seisetsu Shōchō die?
Seisetsu Shōchō died on 26 February 1339 in Zenkyo-an.
What was Seisetsu Shōchō's occupation?
Seisetsu Shōchō was a buddhist monk.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Seisetsu Shōchō. https://biography.guide/seisetsu-shocho/
MLA: "Seisetsu Shōchō." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/seisetsu-shocho/.
Chicago: "Seisetsu Shōchō." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/seisetsu-shocho/.
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