Ikkyū

Ikkyū was born in 1394, just before the basara shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu built Kinkakuji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion) in the Kitayama district of Kyoto. He died in 1481, when Ashikaga Yoshihisa was shogun. The Ōnin War (1467－77) had drawn to a close, but the Kaga Ikkō Ikki, a century-long series of revolts in Kaga province by adherents of a popular Buddhist sect, was growing more violent. Earlier, Ashikaga Yoshinori had implemented a reign of terror, only for his weakness to be revealed when he was assassinated by one of his vassals in 1441. Ikkyū was an unorthodox Zen master, well equipped for living through such turbulent times.

Asked to chant sutras at a funeral, he blithely agreed, only to arrive at the gravesite in ragged robes, which he then raised before shitting in front of the grave and departing. When asked what is the Buddha, or what is Zen, he would spit on the questioner and hurl all manner of abuse at him. He seemed to revel in playing the bad guy, in being a contrarian.