The Life and Scholarship of Jiun
Born in the Takamatsu Domain warehouse district on Nakanoshima, Ōsaka, Jiun was the son of Kōzuki Yasunori. Following his father's dying wish, he was tonsured at age 13 at Hōraku-ji in Settsu Province, where he studied Esoteric Buddhism and Sanskrit under the abbot Nin’kō Teiki. His intellectual journey led him to Kyoto at age 16 to study Neo-Confucianism with Itō Tōgai, and later to Nara to study Shingon Buddhism and Shintō. After receiving full ordination in 1738, he became the abbot of Hōraku-ji. He later studied Zen with the Sōtō monk Daibai in Shinano Province. In his later years, he resided at the hermitage Sōryū-an on Mt. Ikoma and later entered Kōkiji in Kanan.
Religious and Literary Contributions
Jiun was a Shingon monk who emphasized the Vinaya and advocated “Shōbōritsu” (True Law Vinaya). He was the founder of Unden Shintō, an original theory of Shintō that interpreted the tradition through the lens of Shingon mandala doctrine. As a scholar, he authored several significant works, including:
In addition to his religious and literary pursuits, Jiun was a distinguished calligrapher and a writer. He was known by several names and styles, including his secular surname Kōzuki, his Buddhist name Onkō, and the honorific Jiun Sonja.
Questions & Answers
How can I follow Jiun's work year by year?
A timeline of Jiun's works exists: the artist's Artwork Timeline page orders the artworks by creation date.
Where can I find statistics about Jiun's works?
The Stats page of Jiun presents statistics computed from the artist's artworks listed on this website.
What are the birth city and country of Jiun?
Jiun was born in Kyoto, in Tokugawa shogunate.
Can I browse Jiun's works by color palette?
Jiun's works can be browsed by color palette on the artist's By Palettes page.
![For A Hundred Years [i Have Been] A Person With No Attachments — Jiun](/media/artworks/images-thumb/da/71/da7160a5ef48eb4669b6fda75bd0e093.jpg)
