Ikkyū Sōjun: A Rebel Monk Who Shaped Zen Art and Literature Ikkyū Sōjun (一休宗純, ikkyū sōjun, february 1, 1394 – december 12, 1481) was an eccentric, iconoclastic Japanese zen buddhist monk and poet. He had a profound impact on the infusion of japanese art and literature with zen attitudes and ideals, as well as on zen itself—specifically challenging monastic teachings with his stance against celibacy. While often portrayed as a mischievous boy-hero in popular culture, particularly through the animated TV series *Ikkyū-san*, Ikkyū’s true legacy resides in his radical rethinking of buddhist pra…