Skip to content

Natural, reckless, correct skill;
Yesterday's clarity is today's stupidity
The universe has dark and light, entrust oneself to change
One time, shade the eyes and gaze afar at the road of heaven.

— Ikkyū Ikkyū and The Crazy Cloud Anthology : A Zen Poet of Medieval Japan (1986)

Another quote →

More quotes by Ikkyū

From the world of passions returning to the world of passions:
There is a moment's pause.
If it rains, let it rain, if the wind blows, let it blow.

The Essence of Zen : Zen Buddhism for Every Day and Every Moment (2002)

It has the original mouth but remains wordless;
It is surrounded by a magnificent mound of hair.
Sentient beings can get completely lost in it
But it is also the birthplace of all the Buddhas of the ten thousand worlds.

South of Mount Sumeru
Who understands my Zen?
Call Master Kido over-
He's not worth a cent.

In all the kingdom southward
From the center of the earth
Where is he who understands my Zen?
Should the master Kido himself appear
He wouldn't be worth a worn-out cent.

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.

All Ikkyū quotes →

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Ikkyū (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.