As a young child in his home town he was a pupil of Kyuben of Rinsai-ji (or possibly Rinsei-ji) Temple and entered the Buddhist priesthood, and subsequently studied at Zojo-ji temple in Shiba, Edo.
幼くして故郷の林西寺の岌弁（きゅうべん）に師事して出家し、その後江戸芝増上寺で修学した。