Far from pressing his own brand of Buddhism upon others, Ryokan repeatedly stressed the essential unity of all Buddhist teaching. And when writing poems for friends who belonged to the Shin sect . . . he extolled such practices as the recitation of the Namu Amida Butsu . . . His religious name, Ryokan, means "Good tolerance" . . .

Burton Watson, Ryokan: Zen Monk, Zen Poet