The Buddhist recluse in the late Heian (794–1185) and early Kamakura (1185–1333) periods as seen through Kamo-no-Chômei’s Hôjôki and the poems of Saigyô

Authors

Scott Lloyd, University of Arkansas

Keywords

Buddhism, recluse, Saigyo, Hojoki

Abstract

Kamo-no-Chômei and Saigyô,two of Japan’s most well-known aesthete-recluses and open a window through their works not only into the life of the recluse as an individual but also into the broader culture. The following pages will attempt to shed light on the overall concept of reclusion and its importance by looking specifically at what they had to say about their own experiences: Saigyô through his collected poems, and Chômei through his seminal poetic essay Hôjôki “Ten-Foot- Square Hut”, written in 1212.

Recommended Citation

Lloyd, Scott (2011) "The Buddhist recluse in the late Heian (794–1185) and early Kamakura (1185–1333) periods as seen through Kamo-no-Chômei’s Hôjôki and the poems of Saigyô," The Ozark Historical Review: Vol. 40, Article 4.

Available at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/ohr/vol40/iss1/4