At the age of 18, he became a priest studying under Meion GIZAN, and trained himself in Buddhist ascetic practices at the Kennin-ji Temple in Kyoto and the Zuisen-ji Temple at Inuyama, Owari Province.
18歳で義山明恩に師事して出家し、京都の建仁寺や尾張国犬山の瑞泉寺で修行している。