Hakuin Ekaku
Shoki
Shoki(C.,Zhong Kui), a legendary Tang Dynasty figure who is said to have appeared in Emperor Xuanzong’s dreams to subdue malevolent spirits, was venerated by commoners in Japan as a figure with talismanic power.
Hakuin was fond of shook, painting him alone in some works, as here, and in other compositions placing him at the center of the seven gods of gods of good fortune.
The inscription, which translates as, “And, below the corridors of the jeweled palace / stealthily concealing his sword,” is believed to be a verse of a song from the Noh play shoki and recalls the legend of Zhong Kui quelling demons in the palace of Xuanzong. More than as mere talismans, however, perhaps the reason Hakuin so often painted images of shoki was for their ability to fend off demons (worldly desires) that might disturb the practice of Zen.
Artist
1685~1768
He was born in Suruga. (now Shizuoka pref.) He became a Zen(禅) priest when he was 15. He practiced asceticism around Japan. Then he became a temple master of Syouin-temple(松陰寺) when he was 33.
Most of Hakuin's paintings and calligraphies that remain today are from his 60s and later. Hakuin, who was completely self-taught, showed a flexible state of mind that transcended any pretense of skill. Hakuin's appeal has been more quickly appreciated overseas than in Japan.
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