Yo-ko-ji, in the province of No-to, So-ji-ji (near Yokohama), one of
the head temples of the sect, are well known. One of his disciples,
Mei ho (1277-1350), propagated the faith in the northern provinces;
while another disciple, Ga-san (1275-1365), being a greater
character, brought up more than thirty distinguished disciples, of
whom Tai-gen, Tsu-gen, Mu-tan, Dai-tetsu, and Jip-po, are best known.
Tai-gen (died 1370) and big successors propagated the faith over the
middle provinces, while Tsu-gen (1332-1391) and his successors spread
the sect all over the north-eastern and south-western provinces.
Thus it is worthy of our notice that most of the Rin Zai teachers
confined their activities within Kamakura and Kyo-to, while the So To
masters spread the faith all over the country.


The Shoguns of the Ashi-kaga period (1338-1573) were not less devoted
to the faith than the Emperors who succeeded the Emperor Go-dai-go.
And even Taka-uji (1338-1357), the notorious founder of the
Shogunate, built a monastery and invited So-seki,[FN#93] better known
as Mu-So-Koku-Shi, who was respected as the tutor by the three
successive Emperors after Go-dai-go. Taka-uji's example was followed
by all succeeding Shoguns, and Shogun's example was followed by the
feudal lords and their vassals. This resulted in the propagation of
Zen throughout the country. We can easily imagine how Zen was
prosperous in these days from the splendid monasteries[FN#94] built
at this period, such as the Golden Hall Temple and the Silver Hall
Temple that still adorn the fair city of Kyo-to.

[FN#93] So-seki (1276-1351) was perhaps the greatest Zen master of
the period. Of numerous monasteries built for him, E-rin-ji, in the
province of Kae, and Ten-ryu-ji, the head temple of a sub-sect of the