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Wuzhun Shifan

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Wuzhun Shifan
Portraitof Zen master Wuzhun Shifan, painted in 1238,Song Dynasty.
TitleCh'an-shih
Personal
Born1178
Sichuan Province,China
Died1249
China
ReligionBuddhism
NationalityChinese
SchoolCh'an
OccupationBuddhist monk, calligrapher, diddler, painter
Senior posting
Based inChina

Wuzhun Shifan(Chinese:Vô chuẩn sư phạm;Wade-Giles:Wu Chun Shih Fan;1178–1249) was a Chinese calligrapher, andZenBuddhistmonkwho lived during the lateSong Dynasty(960-1279).

Life

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Wuzhun Shifan was born inZitong,Sichuanprovince, China. He eventually became a Buddhistabbotat the Temple of MountJingshan.[1]He was once summoned byEmperor Lizong of Song( lý tông; r. 1224-1264) in 1233 in order to share with him the doctrine of Chán (Zen) Buddhism, discussingDharmawith the emperor.[1]For this Wuzhun was given the titleFo gian Yuanzhao Chanshi(Mirror of theBuddha,Zen Teacher) as well as a gold-embroidered kaśaya that he wears in his portrait painting of 1238.[1]

Wuzhun had manydiscipleswho studied under him. This includedEnni Ben'en( viên ngươi biện viên; 1201–1280; Shoichi Kokushi), who studied under Wuzhun in China from 1235 to 1241 and later brought Wuzhun's teachings toJapan.Afterwards, Enni helped cement greater acceptance for Zen teaching in Japan and aided in the establishment of theTōfuku-jitemple ofKyotoin 1236.

Calligraphy and artwork

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A painting of Wuzhun Shifan kept atGunma Prefectural Museum of History,Takasaki, Gunma, Japan, by an anonymous Japanese artist of theNanbokuchoperiod (1334-1392)

Some of Wuzhun's writtencalligraphythat was handed down to Enni is still preserved on plaques found at Tōfuku-ji, and a scroll of Wuzhun's calligraphy was even presented to theTokugawa familyas a gift to theshōgun.There is also awritten letterof Wuzhun Shifan, dated to 1242, that is now preserved as anational treasure of calligraphyat theTokyo National Museum.

Wuzhun Shifan's written inscription appears on the 13th centuryChinese paintingA Monk Riding a Mule,housed in the Collection of John M. Crawford Jr.[2]It is possible that he painted the picture, although it is unknown if he is the true author of the artwork.

Wuzhun's portrait was painted in 1238 by an anonymous artist, taken to Japan by Enni Ben'en in 1241, and is still located at Tōfuku-ji in Kyoto, Japan.[3][4]It has been designated atNational Treasure in the categorypaintings.The painting also bears an inscription penned by Wuzhun Shifan.[4]Bernard Faurewrites that it is painted in the Chan priest portrait style, known asdingxiangorzhenxiang(Japanese:chinzō).[1]Like others of its style, the Chan monk sits in a lotus posture, donning in full monastic robes, with the monk's shoes placed at a footstool below and his right hand grasping a whisk or staff.[5]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^abcdFaure, 43.
  2. ^Embree, 113.
  3. ^The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002.ISBN3-936122-20-2.Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
  4. ^abLauer, 31.
  5. ^Faure, 43–44.

References

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  • Embree, Ainslie Thomas(1997).Asia in Western and World History: A Guide for Teaching.Armonk: ME Sharpe, Inc.
  • Faure, Bernard. (2003).Chan Buddhism in Ritual Context.New York: RoutledgeCurzon.ISBN0-415-29748-6.
  • Lauer, Uta. (2002).A Master of His Own.Stuttgart: Steiner.ISBN3-515-07932-7.
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