aloof and simply cultivated their literature. Consequently, when all
the people grew entirely ignorant at the end of the Dark Age, the Zen
monks were the only men of letters. None can deny this merit of
their having preserved learning and prepared for its revival in the
following period.[FN#97]


[FN#97] After the introduction of Zen into Japan many important
books were written, and the following are chief doctrinal works:
Ko-zen-go-koku-ron, by Ei-sai; Sho bo-gen-zo; Gaku-do-yo-zin-shu;
Fu-kwan-za-zen-gi; Ei-hei-ko-roku, by Do-gen; Za-zen-yo-zin-ki; and
Den-ko-roku, by Kei-zan.



12. Zen under the Toku-gana Shogunate.

Peace was at last restored by Iye-yasu, the founder of the Toku-gana
Shogunate (1603-1867). During this period the Shogunate gave
countenance to Buddhism on one hand, acknowledging it as the state
religion, bestowing rich property to large monasteries, making
priests take rank over common people, ordering every householder to
build a Buddhist altar in his house; while, on the other hand, it did
everything to extirpate Christianity, introduced in the previous
period (1544). All this paralyzed the missionary spirit of the
Buddhists, and put all the sects in dormant state. As for Zen[FN#98]
it was still favoured by feudal lords and their vassals, and almost
all provincial lords embraced the faith.