Abstract

HISAMATSU Shin’ichi 久松 真一 was a well-known Zen philosopher and Zen Buddhist scholar. As a student of NISHIDA Kitarō 西田幾多郎, and a teacher of ABE Masao, he can be seen as loosely connected to the Kyoto School. However, although he was a professor at Kyoto University and received an honorary doctoral degree from Harvard University, Hisamatsu has primarily become known in the West as a charismatic lay Zen master, who criticized Japanese Zen for its focus on awakening at the expense of consideration of social and political issues. His aim was to come to a reformed, true Zen. This essay will explore his life and philosophy.