Ikkyu Sojun 1394 – 1481
Ikkyu Sojun (1394 – 1481) was a Japanese philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Buddhism.
Ikkyu Sojun was a Japanese Zen master, poet, and calligrapher of the Muromachi period, abbot of the Daitoku-ji monastery in Kyoto, and the most idiosyncratic figure of medieval Japanese Buddhism. Reputedly an illegitimate son of the Emperor Go-Komatsu, he criticized the worldly Zen of his contemporaries with unsparing irony and sought enlightenment, by his own account, in the brothels and taverns of the capital as much as in the meditation hall. His Crazy Cloud Anthology of Chinese-style poems, his calligraphy, and the legends gathered about him have shaped Japanese Zen, tea ceremony, and literary culture down to the present.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Japanese
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Buddhism
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Ikkyu Sojun:
“Without a single thought of self, the lotus blooms in the mud.”
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Attributed to Ikkyu Sojun:
“If you wish to seek the Buddha, you must first see into your own nature.”
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Attributed to Ikkyu Sojun:
“The Way is plain enough for an ox; men make it crooked.”
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Attributed to Ikkyu Sojun:
“Ten years of brothels: my heart was alone; on the mountain, my heart was alone again.”
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Attributed to Ikkyu Sojun:
“Zen is not a discipline of the mind alone; it is a discipline of the body in the world.”
Frequently asked about Ikkyu Sojun
- When did Ikkyu Sojun live?
- Ikkyu Sojun was born in 1394 and died in 1481.
- Where was Ikkyu Sojun from?
- Ikkyu Sojun was a Japanese philosopher of the Medieval era.
- What philosophical movements is Ikkyu Sojun associated with?
- Ikkyu Sojun was associated with Buddhism.
- What was Ikkyu Sojun known for?
- Ikkyu Sojun was a Japanese Zen master, poet, and calligrapher of the Muromachi period, abbot of the Daitoku-ji monastery in Kyoto, and the most idiosyncratic figure of medieval Japanese Buddhism.
- How many quotes are attributed to Ikkyu Sojun?
- There are 15 attributed quotations from Ikkyu Sojun in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.