Calligraphy of Muan (1611 - 1684)木菴性瑫 at Philadelphia Museum of Art

http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/303399.html?mulR=980253270|2

Original Patriarch Daruma Daishi

Mokuan Shōtō, Chinese, 1611 - 1684

Geography:
Made in Japan, Asia
Period:
Edo Period (1615-1868)
Date:
Mid- 17th century
Medium:
Ink on paper, mounted as a hanging scroll
Dimensions:
Exclusive of mount: 55 × 11 1/2 inches (139.7 × 29.2 cm)
Curatorial Department:
East Asian Art
Object Location:
Currently not on view

Accession Number:
2008-87-1
Credit Line:
Purchased with funds donated by Andrea M. Baldeck, M.D., and William M. Hollis, Jr., 2008

Label:
Mokuan was the second patriarch of the Japanese Obaku Zen sect, which still has its headquarters at Mampuku-ji, a Chinese-style temple located at Uji, near Kyoto. He emigrated to Japan from Fukien, China in 1655. The following year he assisted the first patriarch, Ingen (1592 - 1673) in founding Mampuku-ji, and Mokuan became the second abbot in 1664.

The six characters inscribed on this hanging scroll translate to "the first patriarch Daruma." This is a reference to the founder of Zen Buddhism in India, whose name is pronounced "Daruma" in Japanese. Mokuan may have also meant this phrase to serve as an homage to Ingen (as the first patriarch of the Obaku sect in Japan).

Mokuan was renowned during his lifetime for his outstanding calligraphy, with its strong, thick brushstrokes and subtle gradations of ink. As in this one line calligraphy, the even spacing and rounded characters have a powerful yet elegant effect, balanced by the wiry, angular signature at the left.

Kaifukuji 海福寺: Another Famous Obaku Temple during the Edo Period

Obakushu Kaifukuji

It is a pure coincidence that we discovered the famous Obaku temple Kaifukuji 海福寺 was next to Rakanji. It was founded in 1628 and was first led by the then Soto monk Dokuhon 獨本性源, who was later converted to Yinyuan when he arrived in Nagasaki. Dokuhon accompanied Yinyuan to Edo for his audience with the shogun Tsunayoshi. He thus changed his temple Kaifukuji to the new Obaku sect and asked Yinyuan to be the symbolic founder. During the Edo period, it was one of the two "contact temples" (furegashira 觸頭) for the Obaku sect and a "famous attraction" as well. (The other was Zuishoji 瑞聖寺.) We found Yinyuan's memorial pagoda and other relics for later Obaku abbots. We talked to the young abbot as well and learnt a lot about its history.  The original place was in Fukagawa 深川 and the temple was moved here in 1910 (Meiji 43).

Memorial Pagados of early abbots, shot by Jiang Wu

After reading the temple history I was given, I realized that the temple structure also kept relics from another Obaku temple called Taiunji 泰雲寺 which was founded by the famous Obaku nun Ryonen了然 (1646-1711). She was a lady in waiting for the retired Emperor Gomizunoo's wife Tofukumonin 東福門院 but was converted to Obaku. She was famous because she burned her beautiful face to show her determination of conversion. The temple was original located in Shinjuku but was an abandoned temple in the late Bakumatsu period. Therefore the temple plaque wrote by Yinyuan's disciple Mu'an 木庵 and the main gate were moved here. It is funny that because the plaque was so big and the character "ji" 寺 has to be cut to mount the plaque.

Plaque for Taiunji by Mu'an, photo by Jiang Wu

Obaku nun Ryonen has attracted some attention from Western scholars because she represented exemplar Zen women. See Engendering Faith: Women and Buddhism in Premodern Japan by
Barbara Ruch, Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan, 2002.

Yinyuan's Memorial Pagoda, photo by Jiang Wu

Main Gate, originally from Taiunji, photo by Jiang Wu

The temple also preserved a bronze bell cast with inscriptions by Yinyuan.

Bell with inscription by Yinyuan, photo by Jiang Wu

Portrait of Buddhist Monks of the Obaku Sect at Cleveland Art Museum

Portrait of Yueshan Daozong

Recently, Prof. Susan Huang at Rice University pointed to me an interesting group portrait of Obaku patriarchs in the collection of Cleveland Art Museum. I immediately examined the image posted on their website and ordered a print for study. According to the website, this group portrait was acquired in 2003. The inscription has the painter's name Nanyue Yueshan 南嶽悅山  and two seals: Yueshan 悅山 and Daozong 道宗. It is clear that this work was painted by the Chinese monk Yueshan Daozong (1629-1709), who was the seventh abbot of Manpukuji and a dharma heir of Mu'an Xingtao 木庵性瑫. He was known as a good calligrapher. But it is rarely known that he was good at portrait painting as well. It is still not clear who were these monks, Chinese, Japanese, or mixed? I have to wait until I receive a better image of this interesting picture. His name was mentioned in my book but only in a passing way.

Portrait of Buddhist Monks of Obaku Sect

Portrait of Buddhist Monks of Obaku Sect from Cleveland Art Museum