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was an eccentric, iconoclastic
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
monk and
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...
. He had a great impact on the infusion of Japanese art and literature with Zen attitudes and ideals,Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan, entry "Ikkyū" by James H. Sanford as well as on Zen itself, often breaking religious taboos with his stance against celibacy.


Biography


Childhood

Ikkyū was born in 1394 in a small suburb of
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin, Keihanshin metropolitan area along wi ...
. It is generally held that he was the son of
Emperor Go-Komatsu was the 100th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後小松天皇 (100) retrieved 2013-8-28. and the sixth and final Emperor of the Northern Court. He is officially cons ...
and a low-ranking court noblewoman. His mother was forced to flee to Saga, where Ikkyū was raised by servants. At the age of five, Ikkyū was separated from his mother and placed in a Rinzai Zen temple in Kyoto called
Ankoku-ji is a kind of Buddhist temple. Ankoku-ji may mean "Temple for National Pacification". There are numerous Ankoku-ji throughout Japan and the world. The ''Ankoku-ji'' system was developed under the Ashikaga shogunate, as part of its stabilizing t ...
, as an acolyte. The temple masters taught Chinese culture and language as part of the curriculum, a method termed . He was given the name Shuken, and learned about
Chinese poetry Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language. While this last term comprises Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Yue Chinese, and other historical and vernacular forms of the language, its poetry ...
, art and literature.


Training

When Ikkyū turned thirteen he entered
Kennin-ji is a historic Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan, and head temple of its associated branch of Rinzai Buddhism. It is considered to be one of the so-called Kyoto ''Gozan'' or "five most important Zen temples of Kyoto". History Kennin-ji was ...
in Kyoto to study Zen under a well known priest by the name of Botetsu. Here Ikkyū began to write poetry frequently that was non-traditional in form. He was openly critical of Kennin-ji's leadership in his poetry, disheartened with the social stratum and lack of practice he saw around him. In 1410, at the age of sixteen, Ikkyū left Kennin-ji and entered the temple
Mibu-dera is a Buddhist temple in Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto. In the Middle Ages, the temple revived a performance created by the Yuzu Nembutsu monk Engaku known as the '' Dai Nembutsu Kyōgen''. It is also known for having been affiliated with the Shinsengumi ...
, where an abbot named Seiso was in residence. He did not stay long, and soon found himself at Saikin-ji in the
Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13th ol ...
region where he was the sole student of an abbot named Ken'o. It seemed Ikkyū had finally found a master that taught true as Ikkyū saw it. Ken'o was sporadic in his teaching style and was a strong believer in the supremacy of . In 1414, when Ikkyū was 21, Ken'o died. Ikkyū performed funeral rites and fasted for seven days. In despair Ikkyū tried to kill himself by drowning himself in Lake Biwa, but was talked out of it from the shore by a servant of his mother. Ikkyū soon found a new teacher in a master named Kaso at Zenko-an, a branch temple of
Daitoku-ji is a Buddhist temple, one of fourteen autonomous branches of the Rinzai school of Japanese Zen. It is located in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The "mountain name" ('' sangō'') by which it is known is . The Daitoku-ji temple complex today covers more ...
. Kaso was much like Ken'o in his style. For years he worked hard on assigned and made dolls for a local merchant in Kyoto. In 1418 Ikkyū was given Case 15 of the , ("The Gateless Gate", a famous set of 49 ), known as "Tozan's Three (or 60?) Blows", which depicts Tozan becoming enlightened when Ummon rebukes him for wandering from one monastery to another. One day a band of blind singers performed at the temple and Ikkyū penetrated his while engrossed in the music. In recognition of his understanding Kaso gave Shuken the
Dharma name A Dharma name or Dhamma name is a new name acquired during both lay and monastic Buddhist initiation rituals in Mahayana Buddhism and monastic ordination in Theravada Buddhism (where it is more proper to call it Dhamma or Sangha name). The nam ...
Ikkyū, which roughly means 'One Pause'. In 1420, Ikkyū was meditating in a boat on Lake Biwa when the sound of a crow sparked . Kaso confirmed this great enlightenment and granted Ikkyū . Ikkyū came up against the jealousy of Yoso, a more senior student who eventually came to run the monastery. In Ikkyū's poems, Yoso appears as a character unhealthily obsessed with material goods, who sold Zen to increase the prosperity of the temple.


Vagabond

Ikkyū could sometimes be a troublemaker. Known to drink in excess, he would often upset Kaso with his remarks and actions to guests. In response, Kaso gave to Yoso and made him Dharma heir. Ikkyū quickly left the temple and lived many years as a
vagabond Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, temporar ...
. He was not alone, however, as he had a regular circle of notable artists and poets from that era. Around this time, he established a relationship with a blind singer, Mori, who became the love of his later life. Ikkyū worked to live Zen outside of formal religious institutions. However, the
Ōnin War The , also known as the Upheaval of Ōnin and Ōnin-Bunmei war, was a civil war that lasted from 1467 to 1477, during the Muromachi period in Japan. '' Ōnin'' refers to the Japanese era during which the war started; the war ended during the Bun ...
had reduced Daitokuji to ashes, and Ikkyū was elected
abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The ...
late in life, a role he reluctantly took on. This firmly placed him in one of the most important Zen lineages. In 1481, Ikkyū died at the age of 87 from acute ague.


Legacy

Ikkyū is one of the most significant (and eccentric) figures in Zen history. To Japanese children, he is a folk hero, mischievous and always outsmarting his teachers and the . In addition to passed down oral stories, this is due to the very popular animated TV series . In
Rinzai The Rinzai school ( ja, , Rinzai-shū, zh, t=臨濟宗, s=临济宗, p=Línjì zōng) is one of three sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism (along with Sōtō and Ōbaku). The Chinese Linji school of Chan was first transmitted to Japan by Myōan ...
Zen tradition, he is both heretic and saint. He was among the few Zen priests who addressed the subject of sexuality from a religious context, and he stood out for arguing that enlightenment was deepened by partaking in love and sex, including lovers, prostitutes and monastic homosexuality. He believed that sex was part of the human nature, and therefore purer than hypocritical organizations and worldly pursuits. At the same time, he warned Zen against its own bureaucratic politicising. Usually he is referred to as one of the main influences on the Fuke sect of Rinzai zen, as he is one of the most famous flute player mendicants of the medieval times of Japan. The piece "Murasaki Reibo" is attributed to him. He is credited as one of the great influences on the Japanese tea ceremony, and renowned as one of medieval Japan's greatest
calligrapher Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
s and artists. Ikkyū wrote in -style
classical Chinese Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning "literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning "literar ...
, which was employed by many contemporary Japanese authors. For instance, the "Calling My Hand Mori's Hand" poem.


In popular culture

*
Toei Animation () is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' '' GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...
produced the historical
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
series '' Ikkyū-san'' () based on Ikkyū's recorded early life at Ankoku-ji Temple, originally airing on
TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Comp ...
from October 15, 1975 to June 28, 1982. The anime was directed by
Kimio Yabuki Kimio Yabuki ( ja, 矢吹 公郎) is a Japanese animator. Known in Japan for his work on many early classic works by the Toei Animation studio, his best-known film in the West is ''Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer'' from 1985, produced by the ...
and written by Makoto Tsuji, Tadaki Yamazaki, Hisao Okawa, Tatsuo Tamura, Hiroyasu Yamaura and Keisuke Fujikawa. The series was received by all ages in Japan and throughout
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
. In 1976, there was also a theatrical film released as part of the Toei Manga Matsui film festival in the summer of that year. * In the anime OVA ''
Read or Die is a Japanese light novel series written by Hideyuki Kurata, published under Shueisha's '' Super Dash Bunko'' imprint. ''Read or Die'' follows Yomiko Readman, codename "The Paper", an agent for the (fictional) Special Operations Division ...
'', a clone of Ikkyū appears as the leader of the villains, all of whom are also clones of famous historical figures. * In the second edition of the book ''On the Warrior's Path'', author Daniele Bolelli refers to Ikkyū as his "hero and philosophical role model". He also explored Ikkyū's life story in a chapter of his ''50 Things You're Not Supposed to Know: Religion'', and in two episodes of the podcast History on Fire. * The Japanese manga author Hisashi Sakaguchi wrote a life story of Ikkyū, あっかんべェ一休, 'Ikkyu', or 'Akkanbe Ikkyu', more or less according to the popular stories about him. The manga has been translated in four volumes into Catalan, Spanish, French, German and Italian. In the manga ''
Afterschool Charisma is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kumiko Suekane. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Monthly Ikki'' from April 2008 to September 2014, and its chapters were compiled by Shogakukan and released i ...
'', a clone of Ikkyū appears among the main body of classmates in a special school filled with clones of famous historical figures. Comic author
Tom Robbins Thomas Eugene Robbins (born July 22, 1932) is a best-selling and prolific American novelist. His most notable works are "seriocomedies" (also known as "comedy drama"), such as ''Even Cowgirls Get the Blues''. Tom Robbins has lived in La Conner ...
identifies Ikkyū as his "idol". In the
anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
/ manga ''
Eyeshield 21 is a Japanese manga series written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by Yusuke Murata. The series tells the story of Sena Kobayakawa, an introverted boy who joins an American football club as a secretary, but after being coerced by quart ...
'', Hosakawa Ikkyū (細川一休) is the name of the genius
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
on the
Shinryuji Naga The ''Eyeshield 21'' anime and manga series features an extensive cast of characters created by Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. The series takes place in Tokyo, Japan, where the members of Deimon Devil Bats have the ambition to compete at t ...
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
team. * In the PSP game ''GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class Slapstick Wonderland'', the children's story version of Ikkyū can be chosen as the picture book project theme/final story part of the game. * Kleenex Girl Wonder wrote the song ''Don't Cry, Ikkyu'' about Ikkyū. * In the ''
Kamen Rider Ghost is a Japanese tokusatsu drama serving as the 17th Heisei Kamen Rider Series, and 26th series overall. Takuro Fukuda serves as ''Ghost''s lead screenwriter, with Satoshi Morota as director. It premiered on TV Asahi and affiliate stations throughou ...
'' DVD special, ''Ikkyu Eyecon Contention! Quick Wit Battle!!'', the soul of Ikkyū helps Takeru Tenkuji/Kamen Rider Ghost to access his monk-like Ikkyū Damashii form. *
Wednesday Campanella is a Japanese music group formed in 2012 combining musical genres such as EDM, J-pop, and hip hop into a unique stylistic blend. The lyrics generally follow a theme of famous or mythical people and creatures from history, pop culture, or vari ...
's song and P
Ikkyu-san


See also

* Buddhism in Japan *
List of Rinzai Buddhists {{short description, None Founder *Linji Yixuan A *Ankokuji Ekei * Sōgen Asahina *Ashikaga Yoshimitsu B * Bassui Tokushō * George Bowman C * Sherry Chayat * Chō Tsuratatsu * Chūgan Engetsu *Leonard Cohen D * Watazumi Doso * Ji Gong * Ogin ...
*
Puhua Zhenzhou Puhua ( Chinese: traditional: 鎮州普化, simplified: 普化, pinyin: ''Zhenzhou Pǔhuà''; Japanese: ''Jinshu Fuke'', honorifically ''Fuke Zenji'' (lit. "Zen master Fuke")—allegedly ca. 770–840 ''or'' 860), also called P'u-k ...
* Divine madness


Notes


References

* ''On the Warrior's Path'', Daniele Bolelli, Blue Snake Books, 2008. * ''The Possible Impossibles of Ikkyu the Wise'', I.G. Reynolds, 1971, Macrae Smith Company, Philadelphia, Trade SBN: 8255-3012-1. * ''Ikkyu and the Crazy Cloud Anthology'', Sonja Arntzen, 1987, University of Tokyo Press, . * ''Unraveling Zen's Red Thread: Ikkyu's Controversial Way'', Dr. Jon Carter Covell and
Abbot Sobin Yamada Sobin Yamada is the 26th abbot of Shinju-an, a subtemple of the important Rinzai Zen temple of Daitoku-ji in Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in ...
, 1980, HollyM International, Elizabeth, New Jersey, . * ''Wild Ways: Zen Poems of Ikkyu'', translated by John Stevens, published by Shambhala, Boston, 1995. * ''Crow with No Mouth'', versions by Stephen Berg, published by
Copper Canyon Press Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, founded in 1972 specializing exclusively in the publication of poetry. It is located in Port Townsend, Washington. Copper Canyon Press publishes new collections of poetry by both pop ...
, WA, 2000. . * Steiner, Evgeny. ''Zen-Life: Ikkyu and Beyond''. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2014. .


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ikkyu Rinzai Buddhists Zen Buddhist monks 1394 births 1481 deaths Japanese tea masters Japanese Zen Buddhists 15th-century Japanese poets 15th-century Japanese calligraphers Sons of emperors People from Kyoto Prefecture People from Kyoto Writers from Kyoto Prefecture Writers from Kyoto