Sacred Verse (Gāthā) from the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment (Engaku-kyō)

Zekkai Chūshin Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 224

Inscribed by Zekkai Chūshin, these two columns of cursive Chinese characters feature a famous passage from the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment, a foundational scripture in Zen (Chan) Buddhism. This text provides guidance on how to free oneself from delusion and rediscover one’s original, inherent state of enlightenment. Zekkai lectured on this sutra at various times in his career, including to the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (r. 1368–94).

住妄想境　不加了知
於無了知　不辯真實

Dwelling in the realm of delusional thinking,
one cannot attain a clear understanding.
Without a clear understanding of things,
one cannot discern actual reality.

Sacred Verse (Gāthā) from the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment (Engaku-kyō), Zekkai Chūshin (Japanese, 1336–1405), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan

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Sacred Verse (Gāthā) from the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment (Engaku-kyō), Zekkai Chūshin (Japanese, 1336–1405), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan
Sacred Verse (Gāthā) from the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment (Engaku-kyō), Zekkai Chūshin (Japanese, 1336–1405), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan
Sacred Verse (Gāthā) from the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment (Engaku-kyō), Zekkai Chūshin (Japanese, 1336–1405), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan

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