Ryōkan
Also known as Ryokan, Ryoukan
was a quiet and unorthodox Sōtō Zen Buddhist monk who lived much of his life as a hermit. Ryōkan is remembered for his poetry and calligraphy, which present the essence of Zen life.
Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1758
- Died
- 1831
- Works
- 46
Top works
- 良寬詩歌と書の世界
- 良寬「法華讃」
- 良寬展
- 良寬の詩を読む
- 北越偉人沙門良寬全傳
via Open Library + Wikidata
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 1
- Total plays
- 26
<a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Ry%C5%8Dkan">Read more on Last.fm</a>
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Early life
- Life as a hermit
- Final years
- Stories of Ryōkan
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
was a quiet and unorthodox Sōtō Zen Buddhist monk who lived much of his life as a hermit. Ryōkan is remembered for his poetry and calligraphy, which present the essence of Zen life.
==Early life== Ryōkan was born in the village of Izumozaki in Echigo Province (now Niigata Prefecture) in Japan to the village headman. He renounced the world at an early age to train at nearby Sōtō Zen temple Kōshō-ji, refusing to meet with or accept charity from his family. Once the Zen master Kokusen visited the temple, and Ryōkan was deeply impressed with his demeanour. He solicited permission to become Kokusen's disciple. Kokusen accepted, and the two returned to Entsū-ji monastery in Tamashima (now Okayama Prefecture).