Triptych of One-Column Calligraphies on Auspicious Natural Imagery
Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen Ryūki) Chinese
Not on view
The Chan master Yinyuan Longqi founded Manpukuji Temple in Uji, on the southern outskirts of Kyoto, in 1661. His arrival in Japan from China marked a revitalization of Rinzai Zen monastic practice, and his robust calligraphy—in great demand by followers as well as members of the public—established a legacy in which Ōbaku monks excelled in the medium. Here, Yinyuan created a tableau of auspicious phrases using metaphors from nature; from right to left, it reads:
寿山青不老
慧日映慈門
福海碧無窮
The mountain of longevity,
evergreen, never grows old.
The sun of wisdom illuminates
the gateway to compassion.
The sea of good fortune,
deep blue, is boundless.
—Trans. John T. Carpenter
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