Ikkyu Sojun Quotes on Mind
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. This page collects quotes attributed to Ikkyu Sojun on the topic of mind, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
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:
“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.