Rōshi Jap., lit. “old [venerable] master”; title of a Zen master. Traditional training in Zen takes place under a rōshi, who can be a monk or layperson, man or woman. It is the task of the rōshi to lead and inspire his students on the way to enlightenment (also kenshō, satori), for which, naturally, the prerequisite is that he himself has experienced profound enlightenment (daigo-tettai).
In ancient times the title of rōshi was hard to obtain. The public (rather than the person him or herself) gave this title to a person who had realized the dharma of a buddha through his own direct experience, who was able to live this realization in everyday life (mujōdō-no-taigen), and was capable of leading others to the same experience. In addition, at least a pure, unshakable character and a mature personality were required. To become a fully developed rōshi, many years of training under a Zen master were indispensible. Following profound enlightenment and the conferral of the seal of confirmation (inka-shōmei) by his master, further years of ripening through “dharma contests” (hossen) with other masters were also customary. In present-day Japan, where true masters have become rare, the standards are less strict. Unfortunately for the authentic Zen tradition, Zen monks are often addressed as rōshi merely out of respect for their position and age.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
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