Jiun

1718 - 1805

Factsheet

  • Died: 1805
  • Museums on this site: Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Works on this site: 2
  • Also known as:
    • Jiun Onkō
    • Jiun Sonja
    • Onkō
    • 慈雲
    • Kōzuki
  • Nationality: Tokugawa shogunate
  • Art period: Early Modern

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 many artworks by Jiun are available to browse?

You can browse 2 artworks by Jiun on the All Artworks page.

Can I explore Jiun's works by keyword?

Jiun's works can be explored by keyword on the artist's By Keywords page. Each keyword groups the related artworks.

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.

Is there a timeline of Jiun's works?

Jiun's artworks can be seen in chronological order on the artist's Artwork Timeline page.

Self-test

There is only one correct answer for each question.

Question 1:
In which city was Jiun born?
Question 2:
At what age was Jiun tonsured?
Question 3:
Which art movement influenced Jiun's artistic style?
Question 4:
What was Jiun's secular surname?
Question 5:
Which museum holds one of Jiun's works in the catalog?