The wondrous world of Zen Master Hakuin

Look at the picture above. Is it a manga-picture? No! Is he an old western man? No! Does he look headstrong? No!
He is Hakuin, a famous Japanese Zen priest of about three centuries ago, and this is his self portrait. What does he see with his big-open eyes? Anyway, it is current for a three-century-old picture.
This picture is Darma, the Indian Zen creator, painted by Hakuin. Probably Dahma was the supreme enlightened person in Zen. So he must have had a calm face like a Buddhist statue, but does he have doubtful eyes?
The lady in this picture is Kannon, the goddess of mercy in Buddhism, and it is said that she always works to give whatever people want by her thousand hands.
Nonetheless, she looks relaxed and she seems to abandon to respond to people’s wishes. This picture was painted by Hakuin as well.
The naked fat man is Hakuin, then he looks free with a smile. Why is he naked with a flower in his right hand and a bucket in his left hand?
I can’t judge whether those pictures are good or not for art. But yet those pictures attract me somehow.


What is the sense of beauty in this world?
Seven years ago “a very terrible fresco painting of Jesus” gave rise to hostile criticism in the world.
A rural aged lady repainted the image of Jesus on an old discolored fresco painting of Jesus. She felt that the discolored Jesus looked poor and she wanted Jesus to be healthy by her repainting. However, she was an amateur painter, so her skill lead her trial to a terrible result.
I felt terrible about the reprinting of fresco at that time. Nonetheless rather, I feel differently after seeing Hakuin’ paintings. It looks kind of kawaii. Actually the fresco lost artistic value but I think that it got some vitality of love in exchange for the beauty of Christian painting, because I don’t have the typical image of Jesus.

What did Hakuin aim at?
Hakuin was a Zen priest in the eighteen century during the Edo period. He was vigorously active during the declining time after four centuries passed since the first flourishing of Zen in the fourteenth century, so he is called the ancestor who rejuvenated Zen, especially the Rinzai Sect of Zen.
Rinzai Zen puts importance on Zen questions and answers. All Zen questions are very difficult, for example, “when you clap your hands, a sound occurs. So then, what sound can you hear from one hand?” If you answer you can’t hear any sounds, you must drop out of a class. If you were a zen-priest you would be hit severely by a Zen pole. Hakuin might have given answers on his independent ideas of Zen thoughts to many Zen questions like such a question through his life of being hit strongly by a Zen pole.
Hakuin’s paintings are popular but nobody can explain properly about the value of them. I don’t have good ability to explain about Hakuin’s works, but I can think about his works focusing on each of features of his works.
His big eyes in the first picture may be the suggestion that you must see an important thing by opening your eyes.
The doubtful eyes of Darma may be the suggestion that you must have doubt about the customs of this world. And the two features may be the suggestion that you must consider everything behind customs of this world. And the two zen-priest portraits might have been painted for not normal people but for zen-priests. So the two portraits have severity.
Then what does the goddess of mercy suggest?
What does the naked old man suggest?
 Both pictures are kind of rude and might be beyond customs. Those are not severe but relaxed and those are different from the previous two portraits. It is said that Hakuin was popular with the people at that time and the people wanted him to paint pictures for them. Then the pictures of the goddess and the naked male must be painted for normal people. If that were true, what are those for? Firstly, those are easily acceptable. And I think that the two pictures seem to be Zen questions by painting. And rather, his self-portrait and the picture of Darma are Zen answers or introductions by painting as well. Besides, I think it is a very important fundament in his pictures, that all the people in his pictures are imperfect. That is love for humanity and the origin of Japanese kawaii.

To change the paradigm of this world 
If we are tied to customs of this world, fields of our thinking must become narrow. Then, we need to reconsider whether the customs of this world should continue or not. And at least, we must have another view point whenever a question occurs.
Now, look at the picture above. Why is the bald-headed old man wrapped in a big cloth? What do three mice do? What is the relationship between the man and mice?
Hakuin never painted any manga pictures even though you think it is like a manga picture. Then this picture must have a Zen question. Try to make your own Zen answer and try to make your own new-viewing-point.

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