Sainenji Temple: Master Huike Cutting off His Arm

JAPAN, Aichi, Tokoname; Muromachi period

This painting depicts a story from the life of Huike, the Second Patriarch of the Chan school of Chinese Buddhism. It is said that when Huike asked Bodhidharma to accept him as a student, he was refused. To prove his resolve, Huike stood in the snow all night outside the cave near Shaolin Temple where Bodhidharma was meditating. When Bodhidharma still refused to teach him, Huike cut off his arm and offered it to the master as a sign of his sincere wish to learn the Dharma. This artwork, painted by Sesshu Toyo when he was an old man, is listed as an Important Cultural Property. Sesshu was a monk and a prolific painter who lived during the Muromachi period (1392–1573). He pioneered a new style of ink and wash paintings featuring creative use of space and bold brushstrokes; this painting is a fine example of his innovative art.
Bodhidharma wears a hooded white robe and sits in meditation facing the wall of a cave. He has long eyebrows, a thick beard, and bright, piercing eyes that gaze upwards dramatically. Behind him, Huike, with a humble expression, offers his severed arm. Sesshu’s unique approach is exemplified by his decision to leave the space within Bodhidharma’s robe blank, a symbolic gesture that also serves to emphasize the central figure. The texture of the walls of the cave is rendered using a method known as “cunfa,” or “chap,” which involves variations of strokes and shading within thick outlines to bring out the contours of the rocks. The richness of the ink applied to the cave walls contrasts with the light ink used to outline the robes of the two figures.