Enso Painting by Chuho Sou (1759-1838)

[Iaido dude]

Chūhō Sōu (宙宝宗宇, 1759-1838) was the 418th chief priest of Daitokuji Temple in Kyoto. His Buddhist name was Chūhō, his given name was Sou, and he was known as Shogetsu (昇月), which means "Rising Moon." He trained under Sokudo Soki, the 406th bishop of Daitokuji Temple and was a highly revered Japanese Zen master, calligrapher, potter, and tea connoisseur. Chūhō admired and was influenced by his contemporary Jiun Onko. Two works below are excellent examples of his unique style and deep comprehension of the Zen aesthetic and the enlightened mind.

 

This is the 3rd work by Chūhō Sōu in my collection. Here he signs as Shōgetsu rōsō (松月老僧), meaning "Old priest 'Moonlight on the Pine Trees.'" The colophon that appears at the bottom is found on some of his brush works and crafts such as tea scoops. Together with his characteristic seal, this work is confirmed to be authentic.

 

 

I now have seven Enso paintings with and without calligraphy by notable Zen masters from the 18th to 21st centuries. The artists start painting at different positions of the circle, but always going clockwise. The two most contemporary ones start at the bottom. This one is unique because the mei and stamp are within the Enso, as if to say that the artist is also infathomable and fathomable, empty and full, and infinite within the finite. Here are other Enso in my collection. From left to right: Kaisan Sokaku (1768-1846), Kogan Gengei (1748-1821), Nakahara Nantenbo (1839-1925), Tachibana Daiki (1898-2005), Hosoai Katsudo (1919-1985), and Kobayashi Taigen (1938-). I consider unadorned iron plate tsuba to be "Enso" that you can hold in your hand and carry in your pocket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 25 by Iaido dude

[eternal_newbie]

Very nice! The Enso is one of my favourite subjects for calligraphy.

[Iaido dude]

I'm a Zen student of the Chosei Zen Dojo in Madison, WI that follows the Chozen-ji Rinzai lineage that was established by Tenshin Tanouye Rotaishi and his teacher Omori Sogen as the first training monastery outside of Japan. Later, Kenneth Kushner Roshi founded Chosei Zen on the mainland. Gordon Greene Roshi, current Abbot and my teacher, then established the Spring Green Dojo nearby as a rural training community. I live in Florida, but do both virtual and in-person intensive training with Chosei Zen and private training with Gordon.

 

We all practice a martial art and a Japanese fine art to enhance our Zen training because it's an extremely physical practice through posture and breathing. Tanouye Roshi believed that we could enter Zen through the body and that "Zen without the accompanying physical experience is nothing but empty discussion." In my case these physical practices are kyudo, iaido, and shado. When we do calligraphy, often copying from a manual by Yamaoka Tesshu that he brushed for his wife, it feels like martial arts. The brush is like a sword. Breathing and focus are critical. Ink is laid down not through the wrist, but through the entire body. It is said that painting the Enso is one of the most illuminating activities for a Zen calligrapher. The result is a direct reflection of the state of one's mind, here and now, in this very moment. When I gaze on the Enso works displayed in my home, I feel the presence of Zen masters and their teachings (Nakahara Nantenbo in particular), stretching back 400 years and even more. The transmission of the mind-seal (inka shomei) from master to disciple ensures that the experience of enlightenment and the teaching of dharma is an unbroken strand that reaches all the way back to Siddhartha Gautama.

Edited April 26 by Iaido dude

[jawob]

Steve, As an amateur artist I have tried to teach myself shodo, with a focus on Enso. It is exhausting. Everything has to be right

[Iaido dude]

Absolutely. One of the concepts I have been taught is that what we paint evolves as our minds evolve, becoming truer as we discover the depths of our True Self/Original Nature--like a spiritual diary. I have seen motifs rendered before and after Zen masters had their enlightenment experiences; they often brush the same motif hundreds or thousands of times during their lives. There is greater and greater clarity. Keep at it!! If you would like to see examples of Enso painted by Zen masters through the ages, you should get the book "Enso--Zen Cirecles of Enlightenment" by my friend Audrey Seo. Here is my Kaisan Sokaku included in this lovely book.

 

 

 

Compare Yamaoka Tesshu's mei from age 37-52 as his enlightenment deepened. They have even done an analysis of the ink grains in his strokes to show the complete absence of hesitation when the grains line up in one direction. He brushed more than 1 million works, as part of his practice, but also as a means of raising funds for a temple and providing for lay Zen practitioners. Yamaoka literally wanted to save all of the souls in Japan living in his time. I have works by him across this timeline. He died at age 52 of stomach cancer. It is said that he is the only known case of a Zen master from the Meiji who died upright in meditation.

 

Edited April 26 by Iaido dude

[Iaido dude]

Just finished hanging a series of three Enso paintings (most recently acquired) from among those I shared on this thread. Some of them like the Kaisan Sokaku, Kogan Gengei, and Nakahara Nantembo have hung on other walls for nearly two decades and belong with their neighboring scrolls that are museum quality as originally intended.

 

 

Edited June 8 by Iaido dude