Tassajara Stories 1

Tangaryo

On pp 112-113 -

Waiting for Shohaku Okumura to answer about this.

Some kanji and meanings I found are below.

https://gemini.google.com/

The Japanese term "旦過寮" (pronounced tangaryō) does not have a single, concise direct translation into English that fully captures its specific meaning within the context of Zen Buddhism. However, we can break down the characters and understand its functional meaning:

• 旦 (tan): dawn, morning, daybreak
• 過 (ka): to pass, to cross over, to spend (time)
• 寮 (ryō): dormitory, hostel, lodging, a small building or annex

Literally, it could be interpreted as something like "dawn-passing dormitory" or "morning-transit lodging."
Functional Meaning and Explanation:
In the context of Zen monasteries, a 旦過寮 (tangaryō) refers to:

• A room or facility where traveling monks (雲水 - unsui) can stay temporarily. This is often for an overnight stay before they continue their journey or while they await formal admission into the monastery.
• A waiting or probationary space for monks seeking entry into the monastery. Prospective monks might be required to stay in the tangaryō for a period, sometimes lasting several days or even weeks. During this time, their sincerity and commitment might be tested, often involving intensive zazen (meditation).

Therefore, while a very literal character-by-character translation might be "dawn-passing dormitory," a more accurate and understandable explanation in English would be:

• "Temporary lodging for traveling monks"
• "Reception dormitory for itinerant monks"
• "Waiting hall for monastic admission"

The term Tangaryō itself is often used directly in English texts discussing Zen Buddhism, accompanied by an explanation of its meaning and purpose.

ChatGPT said (but admited it was guessing those were Dogen's kanji. It suggested I refer to Taigen Dan Leighton and Shohaku Okumura's Dōgen’s Pure Standards for the Zen Community.)

in Dōgen’s Eihei Shingi and related monastic regulations, the word appears as:

単行寮 (tangaryō)

• 単 (tan) = single, alone

  I get all sorts of answers on this. Here's one I didn't note the source

  Tangaryo literally meant “a room to stay overnight.” The tangaryo was a room where traveling monks could stay one night. At Eiheiji though the tangaryo was the room where monks sat for a week or more before being accepted into the monastery. – acc

• 行 (gyō) = practice, training, conduct

• 寮 (ryō) = hall, dormitory, quarters

So the literal sense is: “hall (寮) for single (単) practice (行).”

📖 In the Eihei Shingi, the Tōryōshingi (Regulations for the Head Monk’s Quarters) and Shuryōgi (Rules for the Study Hall) describe tangaryō as the place where aspirants sit for seven days of zazen before admission.