Gesshū Sōko

Place: Hizen Province

Born: 1618

Death: 1696

Biography:

Gesshū Sōko (1618–1696) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher and a member of the Sōtō school of Zen in Japan. He studied under teachers of the lesser known, and more strictly monastic, Ōbaku School of Zen and contributed to a reformation of Sōtō monastic codes. As a result, he is sometimes given the title 'The Revitalizer'. He is known for his calligraphy as well as his poetry, including his death poem.