Sennyuji Temple: Certificate of Dharma Transmission

JAPAN, Kyoto; Kamakura period

This work was written by Shunjo, an esteemed monk of Japan. The certificate affirms that he transmitted the Dharma to his chief disciple Shinkai Ajari in 1227. In the text, Shunjo not only narrates Shinkai’s diligence in meditation, but also praises him for devoting immeasurable efforts to his study of the doctrines. It was listed as a National Treasure in 1952.
The elongated characters of this piece are rendered with a light hand, but are careful to not overly display the scratchy texture of the flying white effect used, showing the skilled control of the calligrapher over his brush. Although this work adopts the style of Huang Tingjian, strict stylistic boundaries and uniformity are discarded in favor of flexibility in the formation of each character.
A native of Higo (present day Kumamoto), Shunjo was an accomplished monk who was known commonly as Master Gachirin or Fukaki. He was given the posthumous title of National Master Shobo. Shunjo traveled to Song dynasty (960–1279) China in 1199 to seek the essence of the vinaya. After his return to Japan, he devoted himself to the propagation of the vinaya and founded Sennyuji Temple in Kyoto.