Book launch
http://www.dajf.org.uk/event/zen-life-ikkyu-and-beyond
Zen-Life: Ikkyū and Beyond
This book examines the Japanese culture of the Muromachi epoch (14-16
centuries) with Ikkyū Sōjun (1394-1481), a celebrated monk and poet, as its
focal point. Ikkyū’s contribution to the culture of his time was all-embracing
and unique. He can be called the embodiment of his era, given that all the
features typical for the Japanese culture of the High Middle Ages were
concentrated in his personality. This multidisciplinary study of Ikkyū’s
artistic, religious, and philosophical heritage reconstructs his creative
mentality and his way of life. The aesthetics and art of Ikkyū are shown against
a broad historical background. Much emphasis is given to Ikkyū’s interpretation
of Zen. The book discusses in great detail Ikkyū’s religious and ethical
principles, as well as his attitude towards sex, and shows that his rebellious
and iconoclastic ways were deeply embedded in the tradition. The book pulls
together materials from cultural and religious history with literary and visual
artistic texts, and offers a multifaceted view on Ikkyū, as well as on the
cultural life of the Muromachi period. This approach ensures that the book will
be interesting for art historians, historians of literature and religion, and
specialists in cultural and visual studies.
13 May 2014
Event time: 6:00 – 7:00pm
Drinks reception from 7:00pm
13/14 Cornwall Terrace, Outer Circle, London NW1 4QP
Organised by The Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation
Matthew Stavros
Matthew Stavros, PhD
Acting Chair of Indian Subcontinental Studies
Acting Director of the Buddhist Studies Program
Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies | SLC
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The University of Sydney
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A. Charles Muller
University of Tokyo
Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, Faculty of Letters
Center for Evolving Humanities
7-3-1 Hongō, Bunkyō-ku
Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
Office: 03-5841-3735
Web Site: Resources for East Asian Language and Thought
http://www.acmuller.net
<acmuller@l.u-tokyo.ac.jp>
