Book Description
Ikkyu, who lived from 1394–1481, was known as one of Japan’s most irreverent and iconoclastic Zen masters. He spent much of his life as a vagrant monk, wandering here and there, and mingling with people both high- and low-born. On occasion, Ikkyu played Robin Hood, taking money given by the rich and spending it on the homeless. Interspersing his travels with retreats deep in the mountains, he eventually became head abbot at the most important Zen temple in Japan. Much of his verse rants against the pervasive hypocrisy of the Buddhist establishment and the corruption of the imperial court, but his writing is at its finest when centering around what he loved most: the unfettered Zen life and the joys of sexual intimacy.
Ingram
An irreverent and brilliant Zen master, poet and calligrapher, Ikkyu is one of the great figures of Zen history. Translated here are over 100 of Ikkyu's finest poems. Also included is a translation of his famous prose poem "Skeletons," which focuses on Buddhist themes. Twenty-three 19th-century woodblock prints depicting events of Ikkyu's life accompany the translations.
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