Extensive life stories – Satsu (1714 – 1789)

historical context

In 1603, the ruling shogun declared that the capital was no longer Kyoto but Edo, the city now known as Tokyo. Edo transformed from a fishing village into the political and cultural center of the country.

The Edo period, also called the Tokugawa period, is named after the dynasty of shoguns. This shogunate established a military dictatorship, operating within a feudal system of lords and vassals. Following a chaotic era the country had experienced, this rule ushered in a time of political stability, economic growth, and domestic peace. In pursuit of maintaining political stability, trade and contact with the West were restricted, leading to a policy of isolationism. A strict social order was enforced, prohibiting movement between classes. Farmers, who made up 80% of the population, were required to remain in their role to ensure a stable food supply for the nation.

Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Togukawa shogunate, by Kano Tan’yu, 1602-1674 (Photo: Wikimedia)

Within each social class, women held a lower status than men. Certain laws stripped them of economic and political rights. For example, women were no longer allowed to own property, and a husband had the legal right to kill his wife if she was deemed lazy or immoral. This could mean failing to perform her household duties adequately or not behaving as a submissive wife who stayed in the background. Women were also prohibited from performing in theater, excluded from music festivals, and barred from participating in various rituals at sacred sites. The “three obediences” rooted in Confucianism became widely accepted: a woman was expected to obey her father as a girl, her husband as an adult, and her son in old age.

Not all women conformed to these rules, as evidenced by the life story of Satsu. In the context of a culture dominated by restrictive norms and laws, her attitude stands out as remarkably bold and autonomous.

tokaido

Satsu is born in the early 18th century. Some sources state 1704, while others mention 1714 as her birth year. She grows up in the fishing village of Hara, near Mount Fuji. This village was a small settlement along the Tokaido, the eastern coastal route connecting Kyoto to Edo. Travel was mostly on foot, as carts were almost nonexistent at the time. Wealthier travelers used a kago, a large box carried on poles by four men. Along the Tokaido, there were 53 stations where travelers could rest, eat, and care for their horses. Hara was one of these stations. The entire route took about a week to traverse, but bad weather could extend the journey to a month.

Map of the Tokaido Road, Utogawa Hiroshige (Photo: fujiarts.com)

In some records, she is referred to as Satsu-jo. The suffix “jo” denotes a child. As several remarkable stories from her youth have been preserved, she is occasionally called Satsu-jo.

zenmaster hakuin

Satsu’s father is a cousin of the great Zen master Hakuin. As boys, they were playmates, and as adults, they maintain a close bond. Hakuin lives in Hara as well.

He became renowned for reforming and revitalizing Rinzai Zen by returning to what he viewed as Zen’s essence: meditation and the use of koans. For Hakuin, direct and experiential practice was essential. He taught the Dharma to everyone, making no distinctions. His students included monks, laypeople, women, and even prostitutes. He granted Dharma transmission to some lay practitioners—a highly unconventional practice for the time.

everything has buddha-nature

Father Shoji is a follower of the local Nichiren temple, which he also supports financially. Nichiren Buddhism places the Lotus Sutra at its center, regarding it as the ultimate and most profound teaching of the Buddha. As a child, Satsu often accompanies her father to the temple.

Descriptions of Satsu suggest that she does not conform to the era’s beauty standards, which worries her parents about her prospects for marriage. Their concerns are heightened by the strong-willed, unconventional personality, the sharp intellect, and the quick wit of their teen daughter. Satsu defies the image of a submissive woman that prospective husbands sought. When she is about 16 years old, her parents suggest she prays to Kannon to improve her chances of marriage. Kannon is the bodhisattva of compassion, also known as Kanzeon in Japanese, Guanyin in Chinese or Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit. The recitation Satsu probably uses is the Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo, a text still used by Zen Buddhists today:

“Kanzeon na mu butsu yo butsu u in  
yo butsu u en bu po so en jo raku ga 
jo cho en Kanzeon bo nen Kanzeon 
nen nen ju shin ku nen nen fu ri shin”

Detail of a statue of Kannon (Photo: getarchive.net 2c6fef)


Satsu begins reciting the text with great devotion, not only in the temple but also during her daily activities, integrating it into her life while cleaning, washing, and other chores. Soon, she has a significant realization, which becomes evident during a family incident. One day, when her father enters Satsu-jo’s room, he finds her sitting on the Lotus Sutra—the most precious text for Nichiren followers. Horrified, he exclaims, “What are you doing, sitting on the Lotus Sutra?”. Satsu calmly replies, “Hakuin says everything has Buddha-nature. How is this wonderful sutra different from my ass?”

young rascal

Unable to handle his unconventional daughter, Satsu’s father seeks Hakuin’s advice. He describes her behavior, including the incident with the Lotus Sutra. Hakuin, recognizing Satsu’s insight, is delighted. He reassures her father that he will help and writes a poem for Satsu. He instructs her father to hang it in the house where she will see it. The poem reads: 

“If you hear the sound of a crow that does not caw in the middle of the night,
You will welcome the father before your birth.”

Upon seeing the poem, Satsu remarks, “Ah, that’s Master Hakuin’s handwriting. Honestly, I expected better from him!”. When Hakuin hears this, he asks her father to bring Satsu to his temple. Hakuin poses several questions, which Satsu answers without hesitation. He then gives her koans to contemplate. Each time, she quickly grasps their essence.

One day, Hakuin gives her a koan and asks, “How do you understand this koan?” Satsu replies, “Sorry, could you repeat it?” Before he finishes repeating, she places her hands on the floor, bows deeply, and says, “Thank you for your effort,” then leaves the room. Hakuin exclaimes, “I must be careful—I’ve been outwitted by a young rascal!”


“Without hesitation, playfully and vibrantly, Satsu expresses herself.”

This is truly Satsu. Undaunted, she acts directly from the situation, fully integrating herself and her character as part of the whole. Without hesitation, playfully and vibrantly, she expresses herself. Even in the presence of a great Zen master, even though he is older, even though he is a man. After six months, she has resolved all the koans Hakuin presents.

zenmaster in ordinary life

Satsu doesn’t want to marry, contrary to her father’s wishes. When her father mentions her defiance to Hakuin, the Zen master revisits the matter with Satsu. He says: “You have penetrated the Buddha’s Dharma. Why are you so opposed to the world’s Dharma?Marriage is a very important matter between men and women. You should follow your father’s wishes.”

Hakuin was a fervent advocate of post-satori training. On his deathbed, a day before his passing, he created his final calligraphy with the words, “Meditation in the heart of action is infinitely deeper than meditation in stillness.” Awakening is not the endpoint. It is about expressing the Dharma and living it day by day. Hakuin therefore advises Satsu not to enter the monastery but to marry. Would he have given the same advice to a male successor?

Inka certificate ‘Dragon Staff’, by Hakuin Ekaku (Photo: Terebess.hu)

Satsu marries Watanabe Kenzaemon, whose family owns an inn catering to wealthy travelers along the Tokaido. She receives a so-called Dragon Staff Certificate from Hakuin, a document through which he granted inka to his students, recognizing them as fully qualified Zen masters. And so Satsu lives out her Zen mastery: within the context of ordinary life, managing a household, raising a family, and embracing her responsibilities. At the age of 44, she becomes a widow.

Nothing excluded

In both joy and sorrow, Satsu expresses her Dharma, functioning fresh and free, attuned to the situation. When she is a grandmother, her granddaughter passes away. She cries and mourns. An old neighbor reprimands her, saying, “You studied with Hakuin, experienced kensho and satori, and your enlightenment was confirmed by him. Surely you shouldn’t be so emotional and should stop crying.” Enraged, Satsu retorted, “You baldheaded fool! What do you know? My tears are far better offerings than incense, flowers, or candles!” The neighbor left in silence.

(Photo: Ahmed on Pexels)

Emotions – pleasant or unpleasant – are not denied by Satsu, but are also manifestations of Buddha nature. Can we allow them to flow without resistance or suppression? Can we integrate them, tuned in to here-now?

In 1789, Satsu passes away. It is unclear whether she lived to be 75 or 85 years old, as some sources mention 1704 and others 1714 as her birth year.
After her death, one of Hakuin’s students remarked, “During the old Master Hakuin’s lifetime, many people were able to attain a clear and unmistakable enlightenment. Satsu stood preeminent. Even veteran monks, men who had practiced many years, could not approach her.”

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