Lay Practitioners and Monastics

CHINA; Qing dynasty

The contrasting concepts of staying home and leaving home are unified in the context of this seal. Staying home refers to lay practitioners of Buddhism who have taken refuge in the Triple Gem and practice the Five Precepts, yet do not leave family life. In contrast, leaving home is a reference to the monks and nuns who renounce their home lives in favor of completely devoting themselves to the practice of the Dharma.
This piece was carved as a rotating character seal, which is read in a clockwise manner starting from the top right. Characters are well-spaced and the lines are strong. Significant care is evident in the design of the sinuous seal script characters. This can be observed in the two instances of the character for “jia” (home), which although appearing similar, are not entirely the same; subtle variations in the composition of each character prevent monotony. Reminiscent of Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) jade seals, the piece is altogether a conventional work of seal art.