Tōrei Enji

Tōrei Enji

Japanese, 1721–1792
BiographyTorei Enji was one of Hakuin's most prominent disciples. At the age of five, when the famous priest Kogetsu stayed with his family as a houseguest, Torei decided to become a monk. His parents first opposed the idea, but the determined Torei was finally able to convince them and was ordained at the age of nine.

When he was twenty-three, Torei met and became the student of Hakuin, who awarded him a certificate of enlightenment after six more years of Zen practice. When Hakuin died, Torei became abbot of Ryutaku-ji Monastery in Mishima.
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