Name Kaisan
Gender Masculine
Pronounced Pron. Kai San
Other Forms FormsKaizen, Keyzen
Edit Status Status
Meaning & History
Kaisan (開山) is a Japanese term used in reference to the founder of a school of Buddhism or the founder of a temple, literally meaning "mountain opener" or "to open a mountain." Chan monasteries of China and Japan have traditionally been built in mountainous regions, with the name of whatever mountain it has been built upon then fixed upon the monastery as well as the founding abbot.