Ikkyu Sojun Quotes
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. The quotes below are attributed to Ikkyu Sojun, organized by topic.
Ikkyu Sojun on Knowledge
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“South of Mount Sumeru Who understands my Zen? Call Master Kido over- He's not worth a cent.”
Lucien Stryk . Encounter with Zen: writings on poetry and Zen, 1981. p. 66. -
“Lucien Stryk . Encounter with Zen: writings on poetry and Zen, 1981. p. 66.”
South of Mount Sumeru Who understands my Zen? Call Master Kido over- He's not worth a cent. -
“As quoted in Ikkyū and The Crazy Cloud Anthology : A Zen Poet of Medieval Japan (1986) by Sonja Arntzen.”
Natural, reckless, correct skill; Yesterday's clarity is today's stupidity The universe has dark and light, entrust oneself to change One time, shade the eyes and gaze afar at the road of heaven. -
“A Fisherman" in Wild Ways : Zen Poems (2003), edited and translated by John Stevens, p. 37.”
Studying texts and stiff meditation can make you lose your Original Mind. A solitary tune by a fisherman, though, can be an invaluable treasure. Dusk rain on the river, the moon peeking in and out of the clouds; Elegant beyond words, he chants his songs night after night. -
“It has the original mouth but remains wordless; It is surrounded by a magnificent mound of hair. Sentient beings can get completely lost in it But it is also the birthplace of all the Buddhas of the ten thousand worlds.”
A Woman's Sex" in Wild Ways : Zen Poems (2003), edited and translated by John Stevens, p. 74. -
“A Woman's Sex" in Wild Ways : Zen Poems (2003), edited and translated by John Stevens, p. 74.”
It has the original mouth but remains wordless; It is surrounded by a magnificent mound of hair. Sentient beings can get completely lost in it But it is also the birthplace of all the Buddhas of the ten thousand worlds.
Ikkyu Sojun on Mind
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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:
“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.”
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“Studying texts and stiff meditation can make you lose your Original Mind. A solitary tune by a fisherman, though, can be an invaluable treasure. Dusk rain on the river, the moon peeking in and out of the clouds; Elegant beyond words, he chants his songs night after night.”
A Fisherman" in Wild Ways : Zen Poems (2003), edited and translated by John Stevens, p. 37.
Ikkyu Sojun on Nature
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“Natural, reckless, correct skill; Yesterday's clarity is today's stupidity The universe has dark and light, entrust oneself to change One time, shade the eyes and gaze afar at the road of heaven.”
As quoted in Ikkyū and The Crazy Cloud Anthology : A Zen Poet of Medieval Japan (1986) by Sonja Arntzen. -
“From the world of passions returning to the world of passions: There is a moment's pause. If it rains, let it rain, if the wind blows, let it blow.”
As quoted in The Essence of Zen : Zen Buddhism for Every Day and Every Moment (2002) by Mark Levon Byrne, p. 28.
Ikkyu Sojun on Time
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“As quoted in The Essence of Zen : Zen Buddhism for Every Day and Every Moment (2002) by Mark Levon Byrne, p. 28.”
From the world of passions returning to the world of passions: There is a moment's pause. If it rains, let it rain, if the wind blows, let it blow.
Ikkyu Sojun on Truth
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Attributed to Ikkyu Sojun:
“The Way is plain enough for an ox; men make it crooked.”