early life and spiritual journey ko yugai, also known as baisaō, was a japanese buddhist monk of the ōbaku school of zen buddhism, born in 1675 in the town of hasuike, hizen province. his early life was marked by the loss of his father at the age of nine. this event likely influenced his decision to become a zen buddhist monk at ryushinji, an ōbaku temple, where he adopted the name gekkai gensho. the tea seller and artist as ko yugai m…