Takuan Sōhō

Takuan Sōhō

Infobox Buddhist biography
name = Takuan Sōhō


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birth_date = 1573
birth_place = Izushi, Tajima province, Japan
death_date = 1645
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school =Rinzai
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title = Roshi
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Takuan Sōhō (沢庵 宗彭, 1573–1645) was a major figure in the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism.

Takuan Sōhō was born into a family of farmers in the town of Izushi, located in what was at that time called Tajima province (present-day Hyōgo Prefecture). At the age of 8 in 1581 young Takuan began his religious studies and 2 years later he would lead a life at a Buddhist monastery. By the age of 14 in 1587, Takuan started studying the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism under the tutelage of his sensei Shun-oku Soen.

By the impressive age of 36 in 1608, Takuan's mastery of Zen granted him the privilege of being made abbot of the Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto, Japan. Unfortunately, Takuan's appointment was shortened as he left for a prolonged period of traveling. Throughout his journeys, Takuan raised and collected funds for the renovation of Daitoku-ji Temple and other Zen temples.

In 1629, Takuan was banished to northern Japan by the Shogunate of Hidetada Tokugawa due to his protest of political interference in Buddhist temple matters pertaining to ecclesiastical appointments. By 1632, there was a general amnesty after the death of Hidetada Tokugawa and Takuan’s period of banishment came at an end. Later, Takuan was invited by Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604–51) to become the first abbot of Tokai-ji Temple in Edo, which was constructed especially for the Tokugawa family.

Takuan Sōhō died in Edo (present-day Tokyo) in December of 1645. At the moment before his death, Takuan painted the Chinese character 夢 ("dream"), laid down his brush and died. His tomb is located in the Shinagawa area of Tokyo at Oyama Cemetery of Tokaiji Temple.

It is stated that Takuan advised and befriended many persons, from all social strata of life. Some of those include:

* Miyamoto Musashi (kenjutsu master)
* Matsudaira Dewa no Kami (Daimyo)
* Ishida Mitsunari (Daimyo)
* Kuroda Nagamasa (Christian Daimyo)
* Yagyū Munenori (Daimyo and kenjutsu master, head of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū style of swordsmanship) - Takuan's writings to kenjutsu master, Lord Yagyū Munenori, are commonly studied by contemporary martial artists.
* Go-Mizunoo (abdicated Japanese Emperor)
* Tokugawa Iemitsu (Shogun)
* Itō Ittōsai (swordsman)With regards to his character, Takuan remained largely unaffected by his popularity and famed reputation. Known for his ascerbic wit and integrity of character, Takuan exerted himself to bring the spirit of Zen Buddhism to many and diverse aspects of Japanese culture, such as Japanese swordsmanship, gardening, Sumi-e, Shodo, and Sado. His collected writings total 6 volumes and over 100 published poems, including his best known treatise, "The Unfettered Mind". His influence still permeates the work of many present-day exponents of Zen Buddhism and martial arts. He has also been credited with the invention of the yellow pickled Daikon radish that carries the same name, "Takuan."

He is featured as a character in "Vagabond", a manga series, which is largely based on Eiji Yoshikawa's equally successful book, "Miyamoto Musashi".

External links

* [http://www.zenstoriesofthesamurai.com/Characters/TakuanSoho.htm "Takuan Soho."]
* [http://www.gaia.com/quotes/Takuan_Soho Quotes from Takuan Soho]


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  • Takuan Soho — Takuan Sōhō (jap. 沢庵宗彭; * 1573; † 1645) war ein buddhistischer Zen Mönch bzw. Zen Meister im Japan des 17. Jahrhunderts. Sein Gesamtwerk umfasst 6 Bände, die sehr einflussreich auf die weitere Entwicklung des Zen und der Kampfkunst waren. Takuan… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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  • Takuan Soho — Takuan Sōhō Takuan Sōhō (沢庵 宗彭, 1573 1645). Né à Izushi dans la province de Tajima, il est issu d une famille de samouraï du clan Miura mais commence ses études de prêtre dés l âge de 10 ans en étudiant le bouddhisme Jōdo. Il devient plus tard… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Takuan Sōhō — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Takuan Sōhō (沢庵 宗彭, 1573–1645) fue una de las personalidades más importantes de la escuela Rinzai de budismo zen. Obtenido de Takuan S%C5%8Dh%C5%8D Categorías: Monjes budistas zen | Líderes religiosos de Japón |… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Takuan Sōhō — (沢庵 宗彭, 1573 1645). Né à Izushi dans la province de Tajima, il est issu d une famille de samouraï du clan Miura mais commence ses études de prêtre dès l âge de 10 ans en étudiant le bouddhisme Jōdo. Il devient plus tard une figure majeure de l… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Takuan Sōhō — ▪ Japanese priest born 1573, Tajima province, Japan died 1645, Shinagawa, near Edo [Tokyo]       Japanese Rinzai Zen Buddhist priest responsible for the construction of the Tōkai Temple. Takuan was a poet, calligrapher, painter, and master of the …   Universalium

  • Sōhō — Takuan Sōhō (jap. 沢庵宗彭; * 1573; † 1645) war ein buddhistischer Zen Mönch bzw. Zen Meister im Japan des 17. Jahrhunderts. Sein Gesamtwerk umfasst 6 Bände, die sehr einflussreich auf die weitere Entwicklung des Zen und der Kampfkunst waren. Takuan… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Takuan — Sōhō Takuan Sōhō (沢庵 宗彭, 1573 1645). Né à Izushi dans la province de Tajima, il est issu d une famille de samouraï du clan Miura mais commence ses études de prêtre dés l âge de 10 ans en étudiant le bouddhisme Jōdo. Il devient plus tard une… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Takuan (desambiguación) — Takuan puede referirse a: Takuan, encurtido tradicional japonés hecho de rábano daikon. Takuan Sōhō (1573 1645), monje zen. Takuan Seiyo, escritor estadounidense (pseudónimo). Esta página de desambiguación cataloga artículos relacionados con el… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Takuan — For the Japanese Zen Buddhist, see Takuan Sōhō. For a volcanic complex in Papua New Guinea, see Takuan Group. Traditional takuan Takuan (沢庵 …   Wikipedia

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