Rev. Danny Fisher

Today’s quote comes to us from Ikkyū Sōjun (1394-1481), the heretical and artistically-oriented Japanese Zen Buddhist priest and poet.

One of the great masters of the Rinzai Zen tradition in Japan, Ikkyū experienced sudden enlightenment in his mid-twenties after years of training at temples such as Ankoku-ji, Kennin-ji, Mibu, Saikin-ji, and Zenko-an.

Writing about Ikkyū for The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, scholar John Bowker said:  “He called himself ‘the son of the wandering cloud’, and although in later life he was appointed by the emperor abbot of Daitoku-ji, he constantly and strongly rejected the decadent forms of Zen which he found around him. He expressed this critique in a highly unconventional lifestyle, and in his ‘Mad Cloud’ poetry, collected in Kyōun-shu. The many tales of his mocking style have made him one of the most popular figures in Japan—the holy madman, who frequented inns and brothels, and who danced down the street waving a skull. He was also noted for his dramatic calligraphy.”

Translations of his poetry in English include Stephen Berg’s Crow With No Mouth and John Stevens’ Wild Ways:  Zen Poems of Ikkyū.

Here’s the quote–one of Ikkyū’s poems entitled “A Fisherman,” translated by Stevens for his book:

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.