---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Zen Monk Kyō Has Changed His Name to…"
description: "\"“The Zen Monk Kyō Has Changed His Name to Mujū Dōryū. I Wrote This Verse to Celebrate The Great Prospects That Lie Before Him Unwillingness to remain i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/baisao-57168_enlightenment_the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to_1514437.jpg"
---

#  The Zen Monk Kyō Has Changed His Name to Mujū Dōryū. I…

![“The Zen Monk Kyō Has Changed His Name to Mujū Dōryū. I Wrote This Verse to Celebrate The Great Prospects That Lie Before Him Unwillingness to remain in the ruts of former Buddha patriarchs Unsurpassed aspiration and fierce passion to achieve the Way These are precisely the qualities found in a…” quote by Baisao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/baisao-57168_enlightenment_the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to_1514437.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/baisao-57168_enlightenment_the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to_1514437.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/baisao-57168_enlightenment_the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to_1514437.jpg)

> ““The Zen Monk Kyō Has Changed His Name to Mujū Dōryū. I Wrote This Verse to Celebrate The Great Prospects That Lie Before Him Unwillingness to remain in the ruts of former Buddha patriarchs Unsurpassed aspiration and fierce passion to achieve the Way These are precisely the qualities found in a true Zen monk Attained the very moment you "have been there and back.””

[Baisao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baisao/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A Zen monk’s transformation symbolizes breaking from old traditions to pursue authentic spiritual awakening through determination and passion.

**In simple terms:** Changing name shows breaking old habits for true path.

Key Takeaway

Embrace change and pursue authentic purpose.

Themes

spiritual growth tradition transformation

Mood

reflective inspired

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- monastic training
- personal crisis
- creative practice
- ritual renewal

Key Concepts

Zen practice self‑realization renunciation

Questions to Reflect On

- What old habits limit your growth?
- How can passion be balanced with humility?

A Different Perspective

May overlook practical responsibilities while seeking enlightenment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Zen buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zen-buddhism/)

## Related quotes

> [“both the Samurai and the Zen monk have to undergo a strict discipline and endure privation without complaint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/both-the-samurai-and-the-zen-monk-have-to-undergo-a-strict-discipline/)

[Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/)

> [“ALRIGHT then, be a Zen monk. But you wait and see. You'll be happy and bright. You'll laugh. People will envy and ridicule you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lew-welch/alright-then-be-a-zen-monk-but-you-wait-and-see-you-ll-be-happy-and/)

[Lew Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lew-welch/)

> [Smile, breathe and go slowly." - Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Zen monk, author and peace activist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/smile-breathe-and-go-slowly-thich-nhat-hanh-vietnamese-zen-monk/)

[Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/)

> [While you are continuing this practice, week after week, year after year, your experience will become deeper and deeper, and your experience will cover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/while-you-are-continuing-this-practice-week-after-week-year-after/)

[Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/)

> [“Zen Buddhism, for example, as practiced by Suzuki, the excellent Japanese mystic, has nothing to do with the superstitious and predjudiced Buddhism that infested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo-ramos-motta/zen-buddhism-for-example-as-practiced-by-suzuki-the-excellent/)

Marcelo Ramos Motta

> [“Can you allow yourself to be impaled on the present moment?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/can-you-allow-yourself-to-be-impaled-on-the-present-moment/)

[T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/)

> [“Old age and death are in the natural course of things. There is nothing a doctor can do about them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mus-soseki/old-age-and-death-are-in-the-natural-course-of-things-there-is/)

[Musō Soseki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mus-soseki/)

> [In Zen Buddhism, the greater your doubt, the greater will be your enlightenment. That is why doubt can be a good thing. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/in-zen-buddhism-the-greater-your-doubt-the-greater-will-be-your/)

[Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/)

> [“I am infinitely saddened to find myself suddenly surrounded in the west by a sense of terrible loss of nerve, a retreat from knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/i-am-infinitely-saddened-to-find-myself-suddenly-surrounded-in-the/)

[Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/)

> [“There were so many beliefs which we had about the world, which then influenced everything, everything, about how we saw the world and interacted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-scott-mcleod/there-were-so-many-beliefs-which-we-had-about-the-world-which-then/)

[T. Scott McLeod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-scott-mcleod/)

> [“A koan is like a riddle that’s supposed to help you toward enlightenment in Zen Buddhism. For my answer, I wrote about this guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-koan-is-like-a-riddle-that-s-supposed-to-help-you-toward/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Don't hate the arising of thoughts or stop the thoughts that do arise. Simply realize that our original mind, right from the start, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/don-t-hate-the-arising-of-thoughts-or-stop-the-thoughts-that-do-arise/)

[Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/)

> [“At the moment of giving birth to a child, is the mother separate from the child? You should study not only that you become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen-zenji/at-the-moment-of-giving-birth-to-a-child-is-the-mother-separate-from/)

[Dogen Zenji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen-zenji/)

> [“If you are lost in a forest at night, you can follow the North Star to find your way out. You follow the North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/if-you-are-lost-in-a-forest-at-night-you-can-follow-the-north-star-to/)

[Thich Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/th-ch-nh-t-h-nh/)

> [The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dogen/the-whole-moon-and-the-entire-sky-are-reflected-in-one-dewdrop-on-the/)

[Dogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dogen/)

## More by Baisao

> [“When the mind is truly at peace, wherever you are is pleasant, Whether you live in a marketplace or in a mountain hermitage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baisao/when-the-mind-is-truly-at-peace-wherever-you-are-is-pleasant-whether/)

[Baisao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baisao/)

> [“The price for this tea is anything from a hundred in gold to a half sen. If you want to drink free, that's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baisao/the-price-for-this-tea-is-anything-from-a-hundred-in-gold-to-a-half/)

[Baisao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baisao/)

> [“...everywhere I am is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baisao/everywhere-i-am-is-true/)

[Baisao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baisao/)

> [“This rootless shifting east and west I can't suppress a smile myself but how else can I make the whole world my home. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baisao/this-rootless-shifting-east-and-west-i-can-t-suppress-a-smile-myself/)

[Baisao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baisao/)

> [“Pine trees rise through cloud soar up into the blue skies, bush clover spangled with dewdrops sways in the autumn breeze; As I dip…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baisao/pine-trees-rise-through-cloud-soar-up-into-the-blue-skies-bush-clover/)

[Baisao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baisao/)

[Explore all 6 Baisao quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baisao/)

## More Enlightenment quotes

> [“Intelligence says think. Understanding says ponder. Insight says perceive. Enlightenment says overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/intelligence-says-think-understanding-says-ponder-insight-says/)

[Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/)

> [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/)

[Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/)

> [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/)

[Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/)

> [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/)

[Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/)

> [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sorensen/the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d-teachings-from-their-broader/)

[Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sorensen/)

> [“It is not so much about fighting against the ego; it is more about harmonizing with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-sara/it-is-not-so-much-about-fighting-against-the-ego-it-is-more-about/)

[Grace Sara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-sara/)

> [One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the Messiah?" "No," answered Buddha. "Then are you a healer?" "No," Buddha replied. "Then are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/one-of-his-students-asked-buddha-are-you-the-messiah-no-answered/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [“That's all there is, enlightenment on the end of a cock. It doesn't get any more Zen than that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-wilkes/that-s-all-there-is-enlightenment-on-the-end-of-a-cock-it-doesn-t-get/)

[Jaden Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden-wilkes/)

> [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/)

[Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/)

> [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/)

[Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/)

> [We need enlightenment, not just individually but collectively, to save the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/we-need-enlightenment-not-just-individually-but-collectively-to-save/)

[Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/)

> [I think enlightenment is something that you decide to do after you have met someone who is enlightened. Something touches your heart, your being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-enlightenment-is-something-that-you-decide-to-do-after-you/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [For fear of causing terror to living beings, Mahamati, let the Bodhisattva who is disciplining himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating flesh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/for-fear-of-causing-terror-to-living-beings-mahamati-let-the/)

[Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/)

> [Don't worry. These poses have nothing to do with meditation or enlightenment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dharma-mittra/don-t-worry-these-poses-have-nothing-to-do-with-meditation-or/)

[Dharma Mittra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dharma-mittra/)

[Browse all 3,404 Enlightenment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The Zen Monk Kyō Has Changed His Name to Mujū Dōryū. I Wrote This Verse to Celebrate The Great Prospects That Lie Before Him Unwillingness to remain in the ruts of former Buddha patriarchs Unsurpassed aspiration and fierce passion to achieve the Way These are precisely the qualities found in a true Zen monk Attained the very moment you \"have been there and back.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Baisao"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baisao/the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to-muj-d-ry-i-wrote-this-verse/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Enlightenment"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baisao/the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to-muj-d-ry-i-wrote-this-verse/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/baisao-57168_enlightenment_the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to_1514437.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/baisao-57168_enlightenment_the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to_1514437.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/baisao-57168_enlightenment_the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to_1514437.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The Zen Monk Kyō Has Changed His Name to Mujū Dōryū. I Wrote This Verse to Celebrate The Great Prospects…” — Baisao",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Baisao",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baisao/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The Zen Monk Kyō Has Changed...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baisao/the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to-muj-d-ry-i-wrote-this-verse/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baisao/the-zen-monk-ky-has-changed-his-name-to-muj-d-ry-i-wrote-this-verse/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
