Kenchoji Temple: Advice on Diligence in Meditation Practice

JAPAN, Kanagawa, Kamakura; Kamakura period

This scroll is believed to have been written by Master Lanxi Daolong, also known as Rankei Doryo, when he was abbot of Kenchoji Temple during the Kamakura period (1185–1333) in Japan. Lanxi advises the monks to strive hard in their meditation practices and persevere in their paths towards Buddhahood in this work. These were earnest words to foster diligence. The scroll was listed as a National Treasure of Japan in 1952.
This work is part of a pair of couplets written by Lanxi; the other scroll is entitled Temple Discipline. The calligraphy, influenced by Zhang Jizhi’s style, was scripted with swift execution. Lanxi’s sincere and humble demeanor is apparent in the honest, unembellished form of the work.
Lanxi Daolong was a calligrapher of the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) from Fuzhou, Xishu (present day Fuling, Sichuan). He was a master of the Linji school of Chan Buddhism. Lanxi went to Japan in 1246 and founded Kenchoji Temple. He strongly advocated Chan calligraphy throughout the country, having a great impact on the development of Buddhist calligraphy in Japan.