When he was a child, he took the tonsure (became a priest) at Yomeian of Tofuku-ji Temple in Kyoto and began his religious studies there; later he took Tokuho Zenketsu (a Zen Buddhist priest) of Ryoan-ji Temple as his mentor and began training in Zen meditation, formally receiving the transmission of the dharma from his master Tokuho.
幼いとき京都の東福寺永明庵で出家して学び、のち龍安寺の特芳禅傑に師事して参禅し、その印可を受けた。