Critiquing the Reliance on Koans

Tōkei Sōboku Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 228

In this dynamically executed calligraphy, the Zen monk Tōkei Sōboku quotes Dahui Zonggao (1089–1163), a Chan monk of the Song dynasty, to criticize the Rinzai sect’s reliance on koans—paradoxical anecdotes and riddles meant to provoke spiritual wisdom.

Critiquing the Reliance on Koans, Tōkei Sōboku (Japanese, 1454–1517), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan

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Critiquing the Reliance on Koans, Tōkei Sōboku (Japanese, 1454–1517), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan
Critiquing the Reliance on Koans, Tōkei Sōboku (Japanese, 1454–1517), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan

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