A priest of the Rinzai school of Zen. He was born in Suruga, at present-day Numazu in Shizuoka prefecture. Ordained at fifteen, he travelled the provinces in training, and at thirty-four became head monk of Myoshinji in Kyoto, taking the name Hakuin. He then returned to Shoinji, the temple of his own district, and continued to teach there, reviving a Rinzai school that had fallen into decline — so much so that it was said, "Suruga has two things too good for it: Mount Fuji, and Hakuin of Hara." To bring Zen within reach of ordinary people, Hakuin produced a great quantity of calligraphy and Zen painting. Bold, humorous and untroubled by technique, these works are highly regarded.