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Buddhist : Zen / Chan

15th Century

Japan
(East Asia)

Ikkyu (Ikkyu Sojun)

Timeline (1394 - 1481)

Poems by Ikkyu (Ikkyu Sojun)
Books - Links

Ikkyu (Ikkyu Sojun), Ikkyu (Ikkyu Sojun) poetry, Buddhist, Buddhist poetry, Zen / Chan poetry, poetry, poetry

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Ikkyu Sojun's poetry is irreverent and iconoclastic, bitingly critical of false piety, hypocrisy, and formalistic religion. His poetry is often frankly erotic, sometimes humorously so. Yet his poetry manages to reach an immediacy and insight that is the essence of Zen practice.

Ikkyu Sojun was appointed to be the head priest of the great temple at Kyoto, but he renounced the position after just nine days, denouncing the hypocrisy he saw among the monks around him. In a famous line from one of his poems, he told his fellow monks they could find him in the local brothel instead.

Though clearly not of an ascetic temperament, Ikkyu was a poet, calligrapher, and musician who viewed the world with a deep insight that permitted no pretense, favoring direct truth over religious and social facades.

He founded what became known as the Red Thread (or erotic) school of Zen.

Poems by Ikkyu (Ikkyu Sojun)

	A Fisherman
	Every day, priests minutely examine the Law
	Form in Void
	Ikkyu this body isn't yours I say to myself
	inside the koan clear mind
	Like vanishing dew
	only one koan matters
	sick of it whatever it's called sick of the names

Recommended Books

	Crow With No Mouth: Fifteenth Century Zen Master Ikkyu, Translated by Stephen Berg Amazon.com
	Ikkyu and the Crazy Cloud Anthology: A Zen Poet of Medieval Japan, by Ikkyu / Translated by Sonya Arutzen Amazon.com
	The Poetry of Zen: (Shambhala Library), Edited by Sam Hamill / Edited by J. P. Seaton Amazon.com
	Wild Ways: Zen Poems of Ikkyu, Translated by John Stevens Amazon.com
	Zen Poetry: Let the Spring Breeze Enter, Translated by Lucien Stryk / Translated by Takashi Ikemoto Amazon.com

Related Links:

	Verses of Ikkyu http://hjem.get2net.dk/civet-cat/poetry-stories/ikkyu.htm Several Ikkyu poems by a few different translators.
	Ikkyu http://www.links.net/vita/trip/japan/media/bukz/ikkyu/ A brief description of Ikkyu's poetry and significance within Japanes Zen. Includes some of his erotic poetry.
	From Ikkyu (1400s) - His Poem Skeletons http://www.elon.edu/sullivan/zenpoems.htm Some of Ikkyu's poetry on death.

Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Ikkyu (Ikkyu Sojun)

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Support the Poetry Chaikhana

Poetry Chaikhana
Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Support
the Poetry Chaikhana