The animation "Smart Ikkyu" was officially released in 1975
One of the most popular animations in Japanese history: "Smart Ikkyu"
In 1975, Japan's NET TV station broadcast a cartoon with a young monk as the protagonist. This animation Produced by Toei, it was well received once it was broadcast. It aired 296 episodes continuously for 7 years, becoming the longest-running animation in the history of Japanese television. It was not until 2007 that this record was broken by " One Piece ".
The name of this animation is " Smart Ikkyu" (original Japanese name: Ikkyu さん). The protagonist is the monk Ikkyu Sojun in the Muromachi period of Japan. It tells the story of Ikkyu Sojun when he was a boy and became a monk at Anguo Temple. Ikkyu uses his unique cleverness and wit to get into danger again and again in deliberate difficulties. The plot is gripping and always makes the audience sweat for Ikkyu in times of crisis.
The origin of the animation "Smart Ikkyu"
During the Genroku period of the Edo period, more than 200 years after the death of Ikkyu Sojun, folk artists compiled a text story " Ikkyu Du " in memory of Ikkyu. "Ikkyu Du" is based on Ikkyu Based on interesting stories from his lifetime, and adding anecdotes about other eminent monks at that time to Ikkyu, the character of Ikkyu became more respected and full of mystery.
The story of the Edo period folk tale "Ikkyu Du"
" Ikkyu Du " has also become the main script source for the "Smart Ikkyu" animation. Therefore, not all the stories we see in the animation are about Ikkyu. What happened was largely deductive. The protagonist Ikkyu in the animation "Smart Ikkyu" always has a smile on his face. Although he sometimes misses his mother, he is always happy most of the time. However, the historical Ikkyu Sojun is an out-and-out tragic figure. .
In the animation "Smart Ikkyu", there is a Kikyo shop owner Kikyo Ribei who is always domineering and his daughter Yayoi . These two people always find trouble for Ikkyu. As merchants selling rice, they had no grudge against Ikkyu. The reason why they had trouble with the young monk was because they were influenced by the government and the general Ashikaga Yoshimitsu . In the anime, the general Ashikaga Yoshimitsu always poses problems for Ikkyu, and sometimes he even looks fierce and wants to get rid of him quickly.
The historical prototype of the story of "The Tiger retreats behind the screen" in the animation "Smart Ikkyu"
What is the deep hatred between a commoner monk Ikkyu and Japan's top executive at the time Ashikaga Yoshimitsu? This starts with Ikkyu’s life experience.
Ikkyu Sojun in history
Ikkyu was born in the Japanese royal family and was the biological son of Emperor Komatsu . Ikkyu's mother was Fujiwara . He was once favored by Emperor Gokomatsu, but because Fujiwara wanted to assassinate the emperor, the incident happened She was kicked out of the palace and gave birth to Ikkyu. This is the official history recorded in " Ikkyu Monk Chronicle ", but a little analysis shows that it is full of loopholes.
First of all, Fujiwara was already pregnant with the prince (Ikkyu) at the time, and her relationship with the emperor was very close. How could she assassinate her husband if they were together every day? And if we have been together for many years and really want to assassinate him, how could we fail? If he really assassinated the emperor, which was a serious crime, how could the Fujiwara clan be exiled? There are rumors that the emperor summoned Ikkyu several times after Ikkyu grew up. This shows that the expulsion of the Fujiwara clan from the palace was not the intention of the emperor himself. So who was the emperor forced to expel his pregnant wife?
Portrait of Ikkyu's father, Emperor Gokomatsu
Ikkyu Sojun was born in 1393 (4th year of Gotoku), which was during the and Southern and Northern Dynasties periods in Japan. Ikkyu's mother, Fujiwara, was the wife of Emperor Komatsu of the Northern Dynasties. In this year, Emperor Komatsu 's father Emperor Gogenyō passed away. It was Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third generation general of the Muromachi shogunate , who forced the emperor to abdicate. The relationship between Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and Emperor Gogenyō can be said to be a fire and water. Not tolerated.
The conflict between the emperor and the general originated from Ashikaga Takauji, the culprit of the division of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's grandfather. Because Takauji's monopoly on government affairs caused the emperor's dissatisfaction, the emperor at that time fled to the south carrying the three artifacts symbolizing the power of the royal family, while Takauji The establishment of a new emperor created a confrontation between the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The emperor of the Northern Dynasties became a puppet with no real power and dared not speak out against the Ashikaga Shoguns.
In the generation of Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, conflicts with Emperor Gogenrong broke out several times, and he was finally forced to give way to Emperor Gokomatsu. Emperor Gomatsu's favorite concubine and Ikkyu's mother, the Fujiwara clan, was a member of the Southern Dynasty. The daughter of a high-ranking official, the political enemy Emperor Gogenyō died in 1393. Ashikaga Yoshimitsu took the opportunity to purge the imperial family. The Fujiwara clan, who had connections with the Southern Dynasties, became the first target of the purge, and was expelled on unfounded charges.
The place where Ikkyu became a monk is Ankokuji Temple, one of the ten temples in Kyoto of the Rinzai Sect.
Ikkyu entered the Ankokuji Temple in Kyoto at the age of 6 and became a monk. In history, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu actually escaped into Buddhism a few years earlier than Ikkyu (1395) Years), therefore, in the real history of the anime "Smart Ikkyu", the shogunate who lived in Ikkyu's boyhood was actually Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. However, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's becoming a monk was just a cover-up. Although he gave up the position of shogun and the real power It is still in his hands, so why did Ashikaga Yoshimitsu become a monk?
The General's Killing Intention
Since Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the 5th century AD, it quickly took root and became popular. Even in modern Japan, there are 84.7 million Buddhists. In ancient Japan, Buddhism became independent of the government and local daimyo The third force of , whether it is the royal family, generals, or daimyo, are trying their best to win over Buddhist forces.
Portrait of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third generation shogunate of the Muromachi shogunate
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third generation shogunate of the Muromachi shogunate, had this political background when he became a monk in 1395. As a prince, Ikkyu became a monk at Ankokuji Temple, which made the general I felt a little uneasy in my heart. If Ikkyu becomes an eminent monk in the future and controls the Buddhist forces in Japan, coupled with the royal status of Emperor Gokomatsu, it will definitely have an impact on the rule of the Muromachi Shogunate. Therefore, "Smart Ikkyu" "In the animation, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu attempted to kill Ikkyu several times, which is indeed consistent with real history.
Shin'emon and Koba
There is another interesting character in "Smart Ikkyu" - a senior official of the shogunate and a young samurai Ninagawa Shin'emon . His duty in the animation is to monitor Ikkyu. If you don’t understand this period of history and don’t understand its origins, it’s hard to understand the intentions of General Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, right? Shin'emon in the anime is a completely funny character with a sense of humor, but he is also full of justice. He has saved Ikkyu from danger many times, and the two have become true friends.
Ninagawa Shin'emon was not made up out of thin air. There was a real person in history. The prototype of Shin'emon was called . Ninagawa Shin'emon was a hereditary shogunate official who managed the accounts. Like Ikkyu, he also liked Renge. He is a famous renditionist. In his later years, he and Ikkyu became close friends because of their common hobbies.
Portrait of Ikkyu Sojun and Mori Waiter
There is also a female character in the "Smart Ikkyu" animation, Xiao Zizi, the "childhood sweetheart" who is full of sympathy for Ikkyu. As the animation ends, many viewers are actually very concerned about the final outcome of Ikkyu and Xiao Zizi. What happened? Of course, some people think that it is impossible for Ikkyu, who lives in Buddhism, to have a good ending with Xiao Yezi. In history, Ikkyu really had a female confidant, and the two even had a formal relationship!
1 In 1470, the 77-year-old Ikkyu began a formal relationship with the blind waiter Mori. This move caused a sensation at the time and was even reported as an anecdote. In the animation "Smart Ikkyu", is Xiao Zizi based on Mori? The prototype is unknown, but some people can't help but ask, what kind of Buddhism does Ikkyu believe in, and how can he still be allowed to associate with women?
Stills from the animation "Smart Ikkyu"
Ikkyu and the Rinzai sect
After Buddhism was introduced to Japan, it became a complex sect. At one time, it developed to 13 sects: Huayan sect, Hoxiang sect, Ritsu sect, Shingon sect, Tendai sect, Nichiren sect, Pure land sect, Pure land sect , the Nenbutsu sect, the Toki sect, the Soto sect, the Rinzai sect , and the Huangbo sect. Ikkyu believes in one of the 15 sects of the Rinzai sect, the Daitokuji sect.
Speaking of Linji Sect, its history has a very long history. The earliest founder of Linji Sect is Bodhidharma, the ancestor of Zen Buddhism, and the most famous one in history is the sixth ancestor of Zen Buddhism Huineng . At that time, Zen Buddhism The Fifth Patriarch Hongren was old and planned to select the best among his disciples to pass on his mantle, so he ordered his disciples to write a poem that best expressed his state of mind. Hongren's disciples were the most enlightened because of their beauty and wisdom.
Portrait of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng
The poem written by Shenxiu is: "The body is a bodhi tree, and the heart is like a mirror stand. I always brush it diligently to prevent dust from being left. "
Huineng's poem is: "Bodhi has no tree at all. A bright mirror is not a platform. There is nothing in the first place, so how can it cause dust? ”
In Shenxiu’s poems, Hongren felt that his heart was still a little tied to the world, while Huineng’s poems were much more open-minded and different from Hongren’s. The idea of Zen was in perfect harmony, so Hui Neng accepted the mantle of the Fifth Patriarch and became the Sixth Patriarch of Zen.
After being introduced to Japan, the Rinzai sect was highly praised by the samurai sect. Before the Muromachi period of Ikkyu Sojun, it was mostly a Buddhist sect believed by samurai, because the Rinzai sect emphasized being open-minded and not caring about gains and losses. , pursue the unpretentiousness that comes from the heart, abandon all worldly rules in life, and finally achieve goodness that comes from the heart and save all sentient beings.
Ikkyu's poems and his calligraphy
The life of the people in the Muromachi period was very difficult. In addition to growing mason tea, they also grew food. However, even if they grew food, they could not eat real food in the end and could only rely on rough grains. To survive, because farmers need to pay tribute to the lord (daimyo) of the land where they live, they also have to hand over food and be responsible for the food supply of the samurai in their territory. The status of samurai is higher than that of farmers. Farmers had no status in the Muromachi period.
And Ikkyu spread the Rinzai sect he believed in widely to the lower class people in the place, allowing the Rinzai sect to spread quickly among ordinary people, although the Rinzai sect did not care about the lives of the lower class people who lived a hard life. It has no improvement effect, but it allows them to see a glimmer of hope in the sea of suffering and adds some comfort to the difficult life. This is undoubtedly a precious life-saving straw, so many people remember Ikkyu's name, and Ikkyu. One of the important reasons why it was eventually erected and passed down.
China's Ikkyu
In the animation "Smart Ikkyu", when Ikkyu encounters difficulties, he will sit cross-legged on the ground and then meditate for a period of time. Ikkyu's sitting posture on the ground is: first put his right foot on his left leg, and then put his right foot on his left leg. Place the left foot on top of the right foot. This kind of meditation is called " Ruyi sitting ".
Ikkyu's "Ruyi Sitting"
" Ruyi Sitting " meditation method is not achieved overnight. Long-term meditation practice is the same as exercise. It can smooth the meridians, clear the ears and eyes, and is very helpful to the body.
China also has a very famous master of the Linji Sect - Master Yancan . Master Yancan was the first abbot of Shuiyue Temple in Cangzhou, Hebei. Because during an interview, a monkey fell on his shoulder, but The mage was still as calm as water and finished what he wanted to say with a smile on his face.
Master Ikkyu Yancan from China
Master Yancan speaks with an accent and sounds a bit humorous, but he is also full of the open-minded, optimistic and positive attitude of the young monk Ikkyu in the "Smart Ikkyu" animation.
" Life is a chop, and life is a stab. People in the nest, Gong Tong told you. The happy ones are small, the angry ones are small, the ropes are life, and the stems are green. Rong, soil life, stem evaluation alum, soil life, stem Huihuang "
References:
1, the official website of the Japanese Buddhist Association (JBF)
2, "Shenxiu Huineng Interpretation"
3, "Ikkyudu" (folk) Written by the artist)
4, Japan Zen Culture Research Institute official website (ZBK)
5, Toei Animation "Smart Ikkyu" (Ikkyu さん) official website information
6, "Chronology of Monk Ikkyu"
