Takuan Soho
The wise monk who challenges the swordsman to find peace beyond the blade.
Takuan Sōhō is a Japanese Buddhist prelate of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism, active during the Sengoku and early Edo periods. Born December 24, 1573, as the second son of samurai Akiba Tsunanori, he entered temple life at age eight after his clan's defeat. He studied under Kaoru Sotada and Shunoku Sōen, became the 154th head abbot of Daitoku-ji in 1609, and was later banished for protesting the shogunate's "Purple Robe Incident." After a general amnesty in 1632, he became a trusted advisor to Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, who built Tōkai-ji for him in 1639. Takuan died in Edo on January 27, 1645, writing the kanji for "dream" moments before death. He refused to give Dharma transmission, calling any claimant a "Dharma thief."
Quick Facts
- Born
- 24 December 1573
- Birthplace
- Izushi, Tajima Province, Japan
- Died
- 27 January 1645
- Place of death
- Edo, Japan
- Religion
- Buddhism
- School
- Rinzai
Did You Know?
- Takuan Sōhō was born December 24, 1573, as the second son of a samurai and senior retainer of the Yamana clan.
- He was appointed the 154th head abbot of Daitoku-ji in 1609 but left after only a few days, claiming he neither sought nor wanted the responsibility.
- In the 'Purple Robe Incident' of 1627, he was arrested and banished to Kaminoyama for protesting the shogunate's confiscation of purple robes awarded by Emperor Go-Mizunoo.
- He is popularly credited with the invention of the yellow pickled daikon radish that carries the name 'takuan'.
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