Ōbaku Zen traces its origin to the Chinese monk known in Japanese as Ingen Ryūki and in Chinese as Yinyuan Longqi. Emerging from the rich currents of Chinese Chan, his life and practice became the living bridge through which this particular stream of Zen took root in Japan. The tradition remembers him not merely as a transmitter of doctrines, but as the founding presence whose arrival marked a new synthesis of meditative discipline and devotional sensibility.

To speak of Ingen Ryūki as founder is to recognize how a single realized practitioner can crystallize an entire lineage. His journey from China to Japan, and the establishment of Ōbaku Zen there, illustrate how spiritual forms migrate, adapt, and yet retain their inner core. Within this historical movement, the founding of Ōbaku Zen stands as a reminder that authentic transmission is less about institutional structures and more about the living embodiment of insight in a particular teacher.

In the figure of Ingen Ryūki / Yinyuan Longqi, one sees how cultural translation can deepen rather than dilute a tradition. His role as founder suggests a meeting point where established Zen practice encounters fresh expression, shaped by the conditions of a new land yet rooted in the same contemplative ground. Remembering his name honors not only a historical fact, but also the enduring possibility that sincere practice can cross boundaries and give rise to new, yet faithful, forms of the Dharma.