Nothingness (mu), early 19th century
Kaimon Zenkakuexpand_more
Ink on paperexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.251
Not on Viewexpand_more
Kaimon, a Zen monk, varies the size of his writing to emphasize the importance of the single character to the right: “mu,” meaning nothingness, an important concept in Zen Buddhism. The calligraphy traces its origin to the prominent monastic teaching of Zhaozhou Congshen (778-897 ad), a Zen master monk. A fellow monk asks Zhaozhou if a dog has Buddha-nature, to which Zhaozhou replies, “no.” The monk then argues that everything has Buddha-nature. Zhaozhou ends the conversation by pointing out that the dog is misguided by Original Ignorance, implying that the monk himself is the ignorant dog for asking “yes or no” questions.
The bold and unbroken brushstrokes render the character compact yet forceful, and creates a form that resembles a seated person in meditation. Kaimon’s writing embodies how the mighty force of Zhaozhou’s “no” shattered the conventional wisdom and helped
practitioners polish their mind.
無
趙州露刃劍
寒霜光焰焰
Nothingness
Monk Zhaozhou's drawn sword
glistens like chilly frost blazing bright
Details
- Title
- Nothingness (mu)
- Artist Life
- 1743 - 1813
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.79.251
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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