Rinkoin Temple: Poem by Master Xuefeng Dongshan

JAPAN, Kyoto; Muromachi period

This scroll is a copy of a Buddhist poem composed by Chan Master Xuefeng Dongshan. The original poem was addressed to the ascetic Xu of Xiangshan, and emphasizes the aim of Buddhist practice, which is return to one’s true self and not be affected by the ebbs and flows of external phenomena. It was copied by Zekkai Chusin during the Muromachi period (1392–1573).
Practicing the calligraphic styles of others, including that of Zhao Mengfu, the works of Zekkai Chusin are often considered to surpassed these masters. The style of Zhao Mengfu’s letter writing can be observed in this example, in which Zekkai kept very much to the character form and structure. The overall work assumes a nature of both harmony and solemnity, and is generally regarded as a well-executed imitation of Zhao Mengfu’s style.
Zekkai Chushin was an early Japanese Rinzai school monk. He studied under Zen Master Muso Soseki, a well-known monk, calligrapher, and poet. Zekkai went to China to study in 1368, and returned to Japan to head Tojiin and Shokokuji temples. Alongside Gido Shushin, a monk and poet, he was known as one of the Twin Jade Discs among those involved in the Literature of the Five Mountains.