Zen master (traditional Chinese: 禪師; pinyin: chánshī) is an umbrella title sometimes used to refer to an individual who has been recognized by an authorized Zen lineage holder and teacher as having met his or her own teacher's standards of realization or insight. These standards vary widely in different traditions, and may vary among teachers within those traditions. A Zen Master is authorized to teach Zen Buddhism to others, but may choose not to. The title may be used to refer to individuals hailing from any number of countries and traditions. There are several terms from different countries of origin used interchangeably for this title, and it is not necessarily used or relevant in every country with a Zen tradition.
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Until the Tang Dynasty, the term "Chánshī" (禅师; Dhyana Master) was regularly used only for a monk who was a master of chan, or meditation, versus those who specialized in Dharma (scriptural teachings) and Vinaya (discipline and moral precepts).[1] For example, this included several important figures who were later not considered to be part of the "Chán school" per se, such as Tiantai Master Zhiyi.
In modern China, most temples belong to the Chán school in name, but also embrace other teachings including those of Tiantai, Pure Land, Huayan, and Yogacara schools, often under the umbrella term "Chinese Buddhism" (中国佛教). While some see this as a move towards inclusion of various schools, it was quite likely that this was already the norm for the past 1000 years, since the Song Dynasty. In Chinese Buddhism, neither the majority of monastics nor lay people are formally tied to a give "school" of Buddhist practice. (Which is somewhat different to the situation in Japan.) It is only those senior and experienced practitioners who receive such transmission into the Chán school. In China, the term "Chán" (禪), being simply one of many terms for forms of meditation, is not limited to the Chán school alone.
While there are no official organizations to regulate the use of honorary titles such as this, "chánshī" is used as a title of respect for an adept, typically a monk, who specializes in Chán. "Chánzōng Dàshī" (禅宗大师; Great Master of the Chán School) is a similar and more specific honorary term, though rather rare.
However, the more common term when addressing a Buddhist master is "Shīfu" (师父; Master), which is also used for any monk as a matter of respect. However, strictly speaking, this term which includes the relational term for "father" (父), refers more to one's own teacher or preceptor. The term "Făshī" (法师), meaning "Dharma teacher", is more generic, and is used both by lay Buddhists and also by Buddhists monastics themselves. The general term "Lǎoshī" (老师; Teacher) is also used to address a master as one's teacher, but this term is a general one, so much so that it is used for a teacher of any subject.
There is no standard official title for "Zen Master" across the various Zen traditions in Japan. The term "sensei" (simply "teacher") is often applied in addressing the Zen teacher or "master". "Roshi" ("old teacher") is traditionally an honorific title given to older monks and Zen teachers in Japan, though both "sensei" and "roshi" have come to denote official or semi-official ranks within some Zen schools in Japan, the United States and Europe. The term "oshō" ("virtuous monk") is sometimes used. In Sōtō Zen, the title "Dai-Osho" is the penultimate official rank in a clear monastic hierarchy; it is only surpassed by "Zenji" which is only applied to the founder of the school, Dogen, and to the current or former abbots of the two head temples of the sect.[2][3]
Sunim is the Korean title for a Buddhist monk or Buddhist nun of any tradition, and does not denote any specific rank or qualification. It is considered respectful to refer to senior monks or nuns in Korea as Kun sunim, and this polite way of expressing the title can also denote some sort of realization on the part of the individual being addressed. In most Korean temples, a middle-aged monk assumes the role of a juji sunim, who serves administrative functions. The eldest sunim is typically seen as a symbolic leader of the younger sunims. In the Kwan Um School of Zen, founded by Seung Sahn, a Zen master can be referred to as a Soen Sa Nim ("Soen" or "Son" being Korean for Chan, or Zen) — although this term usually is used only in reference to Seung Sahn himself.[4][5][6]
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