Sixth Patriarch

JAPAN; Kamakura period

This picture depicts Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of the Chan school. Huineng lost his father at an early age, and his family was very poor. He spent his days following after his mother, helping her collect firewood for a living. One day, after hearing someone chant the Diamond Sutra, he had a great awakening. He sought out Hongren, the Fifth Patriarch, and became his disciple. This 13th century painting shows Huineng at the start of his training, when he was put to work for eight months husking rice for the monastery kitchen. It is listed as an Important Cultural Property.
Huineng wears a headscarf and has his hands hidden in his wide sleeves. His lips are tightly closed and his eyes are narrowed. Bending forward slightly, he carries a rice husking pestle on his back. His simple robe is tied with a sash, and his pants hang in loose folds below the knees. Lines of varying thickness are used on the face, robe, and shoes, adding interesting textures to the image. An inscription by Chan Master Wuxue Zuyuan is written in the upper register.