Teaching on Enlightenment

CHINA; Yuan dynasty

Chan Master Liaoan Qingyu wrote this work at the age of 45 for the Japanese monks who traveled to China to seek the Dharma. It praises them for their diligence and sought to assist them in their practice of the way. Considered an important piece of artwork used in the study of intercultural exchanges between Chinese and Japanese Chan masters during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), it was listed as a National Treasure of Japan in 1952. The calligraphy was written in a gentle and elegant style, with a mix of regular and running scripts. The brushstrokes are solid and swift, and the characters are angular. The work is energetic and evocative of the approach used by Zhao Mengfu.
Liaoan Qingyu, also known as Nantang, was a Yuan dynasty Chan master from Taizhou (present day Zhejiang). He was a well-known disciple of Chan Master Gulin Qingmao, and studied together with Yuelin, Shishi Shanjiu, and Zhuxian Fanxian. Quotations from Chan Master Liaoan Qingyu is his written work.