In 1189, he dispatched two of his disciples to China to meet with Zhuóān Déguāng (拙庵德光, 1121–1203), himself a student of the Rinzai master Dahui Zonggao.
The disciples presented a letter Nonin had written describing his realization from practicing Zen on his own.
Eisai replied that the adherents of the Daruma-shū are those who are described in the sūtras as having a false view of emptiness.
[4]Because of his nonstandard Dharma transmission and extensive blending of various teachings, his school was heavily criticized.
Heinrich Dumoulin wrote of Nōnin: Nonin did not adopt Ta-hui’s form of Zen.
[5]The Bodhidharma School apparently drew a number of followers, but in 1194 the Tendai establishment requested that the government have it shut down.
[1] The transfer of Dogen to Echizen in 1243 may in part have been due "to the fact that the Daruma-shu had a strong following in that province".