Great Fool Ryokan
One of the most respected Buddhist priests in the Edo era or during the samurai period from the 17th century to the middle of the 19th century is Ryokan (1758-1831).
Japanese people traditionally respect Buddhist priests who do not try to be rich, famous, or promoted in religious communities. They truly love humble and poor Buddhist priests who however master the essence of Buddhisms as much as any hierarchs. Those priests are expected to avoid any quarrels, strife, luxury, status, special treatment, accumulation of money and assets, worldly honor, reputation, or enjoying position titles.
Japanese know that Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, lived as a kind of beggar without money and assets, though his life and his followers' living were supported by contribution from farmers, merchants, etc. who believed in Buddha's teaching but lived and worked in society outside a Buddhist community.
So, the less a Buddhist monk has desire, the more he is respected by the Japanese public. But, since Buddhist temples and monks in Japan were fully protected by the samurai government and local samurai lords, ordinary monks had their living guaranteed no matter how immature they were in study of Buddhism. Such monks often became so mean and rotten, enjoying a materially sinful life. As Vatican priests degenerated and corrupted often in the past and even today due to too great authority and protection from the Pope, Japanese Buddhist monks in the samurai era also perished and lapsed due to too great support and protection from the shogun and samurai lords.
The more Japanese people saw such rotten Buddhist priests around them, the more they came to respect rare monks who were contented with honest poverty. Ryokan was one of such rare and excellent Buddhist priests.
Ryokan did not try to be the head of a Buddhist temple or to establish strong connection with any samurai lord. Born in the house of a rich headman of a village on the Sea of Japan, he set his face toward Buddhism. He left his family trying to stop him, traveling to a certain temple in Western Japan where a notable priest presided. But having fully learnt the religion there, he ventured into drifting and roaming as a freelance priest all over Japan, since his teacher in the temple died. Ryokan sometimes traveled to Edo (presently Tokyo) and other local regions, but finally he settled in his home county to die at the age of 74.
Impressive words he left behind are:
"I often remember Gan-ko. He was like a mad man while he was alive. One day he happened to chase rough waves and gone into the stormy sea forever himself."
"When I came to a town, asking for alms, I met a familiar old man. He questioned me as to why I, a priest, was living in deep mountains closed by white clouds. So, I asked him why he was living in this dusty town. Before I and he answered each question, I suddenly awoke from my dream. Then a bell of the temple started to ring, telling the coming of morning."
"When I tired from walking around, I came to a simple farm house. It was already at sunset. While I was watching birds in the filed tweeting, an old master of the house returned from farm work. Though we were strangers to each other, he welcomed me like an old friend. He called his wife, telling her to serve alcoholic drink. We talked, drinking and eating humbly. His story was so interesting. And finally we fell asleep. I could not see anything good or bad honestly. "
"At dust in autumn, I saw crows perching on sapless trees and a family of wild geese trying to hide in a far corner of the sky. And a monk in black never showed an air of leaving a river bank while standing there for long stretches, looking over at chilly fields around a small village at sheer dust in autumn. (Indeed it was like a black-and-white painting.)"
Ryokan called himself Tai-gu. Tai means large, and gu means foolishness in Japanese. Probably he meant that all the other monks were super fools.
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