Chinese Poem Celebrating the Great Buddha Hall - Mu'an Xingtao

A masterful example of Obaku Zen calligraphy by Mu'an Xingtao, celebrating the Great Buddha Hall of Manpukuji temple through fluid, expressive brushwork.

This work is a fine example of calligraphy by Mu'an Xingtao, a prominent figure in the Obaku school of Zen Buddhism. Mu'an was a disciple of Ingen Ryūki, the founder of the Manpukuji temple in Uji, Japan. The text serves as a poetic tribute to the Daiyū Hōden, the Great Buddha Hall of the temple, which remains a significant architectural site.

The calligraphy displays the characteristic energy of the Obaku style. The brushwork is fluid and expressive, showing a command of ink density and stroke speed. Mu'an employs a rhythmic variation in the characters, balancing the weight of the ink with the negative space of the paper. The composition follows the traditional vertical format of a hanging scroll, with the characters arranged in columns that guide the eye from right to left.

As a practitioner of Zen, Mu'an viewed the act of writing as a meditative practice. The spontaneity of the strokes reflects the Chan (Zen) philosophy of direct transmission, where the physical movement of the brush is an extension of the mind. The seals present on the scroll provide historical authentication, linking the piece to the monastic environment of seventeenth-century Japan. This print captures the texture of the original ink on paper, preserving the nuances of the brushwork for contemporary display. It offers a glimpse into the cultural exchange between China and Japan during the early Edo period, a time when Obaku monks introduced new styles of art, architecture, and religious practice to the Japanese archipelago.