Object

Single-line Calligraphy by Gaoquan Xingdun

Keio Object Hub
Person
Date
制作年 AD17
Title
コウセンショウトンヒツイチギョウショ
Collections
Depository
Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko) Campus Mita
Ref. number
AW-CEN-001499-0000
License
CC BY Images license
Creditline

慶應義塾(センチュリー赤尾コレクション)

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Classification
Art
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Gaoquan Xingdun (1633-95, Jp. Kosen Shoton) was an Obaku-School priest in Ming Dynasty China who was born in Fuquing in Fujian Province. Since his parents had died when he was young, he started his monk training at 13 years of age. He studied under Huimen Rupei (Jp. Emon Jyohai), the successor to Ingen Ryuki (Ch. Yinyuan Longqi; 1592-1673). He used the pseudonyms Ungai and Donka-Dojin. When he was 29, he sailed to Nagasaki along with Mokuan Shoto (Ch. Muan (Muang) Xingtao, 1611-1684) upon Ingen Ryuki’s request. Later he went to serve at the Obaku-Zan Mampukuji in Uji, Kyoto. Beseeched by devout followers including the Lord of Kanazawa, Maeda Tsunanori (1643-1724) and Emperor Gomizuno-o, Shoton finally decided to become naturalized. After founding the Bukkokuji in Yamashiro-Fushimi in Kyoto, he became the 5th head priest of the Obaku-Zan Mampukuji in 1692 at age 60, where he was admired for contributing to the prosperity of the Obaku School. In 1695, Shoton went up to Edo to deliver a sermon to the 5th Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, but died in October of the same year. He was posthumously named Daien-Koe-Kokushi and Bucchi-Josho-Kokushi. As a highly talented writer, he was nicknamed ‘Kosen the writer’. His calligraphy writing was comparable to that of Dong Qichang (1555-1636), and exhibited a dignified beauty which was held in the highest esteem among the works of art executed by the talented priest-painter-calligraphers of the Obaku School. The phrase calligraphed here was originally found in the chapter entitled ‘Yunmen Wenyan Zhang’ (Yunmen Wenyan; Jp. Unmon-Bunensho) in Jingde Yundenglu (Jingde Chuandenglu; Jp. Keitoku Dento-Roku; The Record of Transmission of the Lamp). When asked to sum up Buddha’s law, someone replied, “When the spring comes, grass will automatically turn green.” This anecdote signifies that it is useless to ask others when realization occurs since all existences change with the shifting nature, time and the laws of cause and effect. It admonishes people not to run against the natural flow of events. The calligraphy is likely to have been rendered when Shoton was in his prime, residing at the Bukkokuji.

(印「臨濟正宗」)春来草自青佛國高泉書(印「仏国主人」)(印「性潡」)

Rights

Ref. number
AW-CEN-001499-0000
License
CC BY
Creditline

慶應義塾(センチュリー赤尾コレクション)

Images
license

Depository and ID

Depository
Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido Bunko)
Campus Mita
URL
Classification
Art

Components

OPEN DATADESIGN

Details

Identifiers

Title (EN)
Single-line Calligraphy by Gaoquan Xingdun

Physical description

Weights and quantities
Quantity 1幅

Identifiers

Title (EN)
Single-line Calligraphy by Gaoquan Xingdun

Physical description

Weights and quantities
Quantity 1幅