Enkū

Enkū
Personal life
Born1632 (1632)
Died1695 (aged 62–63)
Miroku-ji temple, Seki, Gifu, Japan
Religious life
ReligionBuddhism
SchoolTendai Jimonshu
Senior posting
SuccessorEncho

Enkū (円空) (1632–1695) was a Japanese Buddhist monk, poet and sculptor during the early Edo period. He was born in Mino Province (present-day Gifu Prefecture) and is famous for carving thousands of wooden statues of the Buddha and other Buddhist icons, many of which were given in payment for lodging on his pilgrimages to temples throughout Japan.