Uchiyama Gudō
Uchiyama Gudō | |
|---|---|
内山 愚童 | |
| Born | May 17, 1874 |
| Died | January 24, 1911 (aged 36) |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Burial place | Rinsenji Temple |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Years active | 1897–1911 |
| Known for | High Treason Incident |
| Religion | Sōtō Zen Buddhism |
| Ordained | 1897 |
Uchiyama Gudō (内山 愚童; May 17, 1874 – January 24, 1911) was a Sōtō Zen Buddhist priest and anarcho-socialist activist executed in the High Treason Incident. He was one of few Buddhist leaders who spoke out against the Meiji government in its imperialist projects. Gudō was an outspoken advocate for redistributive land reform, overturning the Meiji emperor system, encouraging conscripts to desert en masse and advancing democratic rights for all. He criticized Zen leaders who claimed that low social position was justified by karma and who sold abbotships to the highest bidder.