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Hakuin Ekaku
Hakuin Ekaku (16857-1768)
possessed an unusual ability to convey the meaning of Zen to
large numbers of people from all classes and religions. Though
he chose to work at a small temple in the countryside, he was
frequently invited to lecture, and his writings were published,
eventually bringing him fame. His writings could be rough,
humorous, or sometimes even shocking, intended to rouse his
followers from their complacency into a deeper contemplation of
religion and spiritual life. His copious writings continue to
maintain pivotal importance within the Rinzai Zen sect. His
work, both as spiritual leader and as painter, had a profound
effect on all subsequent Zen study and Zen painting.
Hakuin practiced painting late in
life, beginning in his sixties and continuing until his death at
eighty-four. As he grew older, he increasingly relied on it as a
means of communicating Zen ideals. By the end of his life, he
had produced well over one thousand paintings and calligraphies
in a remarkable range of styles and subjects, often suffused
with humor. Though he painted a variety of subjects, the one
that he returned to the most was Daruma. Daruma is typically
shown with attributes thought to be South Asian-a heavy beard,
large, bulging eyes (reflecting a legend that he pulled off his
eyelids after becoming sleepy during meditation), and the
elongated ears of an Indian noble, stretched by heavy earrings.
However, the hooked nose, high cheekbones, and oval visage are
seen again and again in Hakuin's paintings of various subjects
and may, in fact, reflect the physiognomy of the artist himself.
Related Topic:
Other
Japanese Painters:
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