Sacred Verse (Gāthā) from the Sutra of Buddhist Teachings (Hokku-gyō)

ca. 1380s–1405

Not on view

Characterized by fluent ligatures, this striking one-column calligraphy (ichigyō mono) was executed by Zekkai Chūshin, a Rinzai Zen monk. After serving the monk Musō Soseki (1275–1351) at a young age, he traveled to China to study at the most prominent monasteries. This inscription serves as a simple yet poignant reminder of the Buddha’s teachings. The choice of this phrase—from a dialogue of the early ninth century between the reclusive monk Niaoke Daolin and the poet Bai Juyi introducing the basic principles of Buddhism—suggests that the work was created for a lay patron:

諸悪莫作　衆善奉行

Refrain from all evil.
Practice all that is good.

–Adapted from Jonathan Chaves

Artwork Details

絶海中津筆　法句経偈
Title: Sacred Verse (Gāthā) from the Sutra of Buddhist Teachings (Hokku-gyō)
Artist: Zekkai Chūshin (Japanese, 1336–1405)
Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)
Date: ca. 1380s–1405
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
Dimensions: Image: 47 1/2 × 8 in. (120.7 × 20.3 cm)
Overall with mounting: 77 3/16 × 10 1/4 in. (196 × 26 cm)
Classification: Calligraphy
Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2024
Object Number: 2024.412.3
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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