SHUNSO JOSHU
(1751–1839)
Shunso Joshu was ordained at the age of eleven by the chief priest of Jizo-ji in his hometown of Oita on the island of Kyushu.
When Shunso was seventeen, he embarked on a long journey with the intention of visiting and learning from a variety of skilled Zen masters. He consequently studied with many of the illustrious Zen teachers of his day, including Ranzan and Reigen. Later, he studied under Hakuin's disciple Suio for several years, eventually becoming his dharma heir.
At age thirty-five, Shunso was invited to become the ninth abbot of Jiko-ji. When he was sixty-three years old, the Emperor requested that Shunso head the prestigious temple of Myoshin-ji. That same year, Shunso was awarded the purple robes—one of the highest acknowledgements in the world of Japanese Zen Buddhism. For the remainder of his eighty-nine years, Shunso was an active and prominent Zen master in Kyoto.
Shunso's brushwork is strong and powerful, and shows something of the influence of his teacher, Suio.
Shunso is featured in The Art of Zen by Stephen Addiss.
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NOTE: ALL OF THE PAINTINGS BELOW HAVE BEEN SOLD
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