At an early age he became a page at the Tōfuku-ji (temple) in Kyōto and, later a lay priest. He served there under the abbot and associated with the leading Zen priests of Kyōto.
He began his career as a novice at the Tōfuku-ji temple in Kyoto, rising to become a lay priest under the guidance of the abbot and befriending the leading figures in the city's Zen community.