It is said that Sakyamuni once delivered his teachings on the Holy Eagle Peak. He plucked a flower and held his silence for a long while. Those who gathered before him were quiet, confused and waiting for him to speak. Only Kashyapa was suddenly enlightened and broke into a faint smile. Sakyamuni then responded with this: “I am aware of a path, the dharma, to nirvana. Not restricted by form, not limited to non-form, the path does not conform to textual description. So one shall not confine my teachings with words, and one shall learn the path to nirvana beyond readings and learnings of inscribed doctrines. And here I pass the helm in leading the path to Kashyapa.” Kashyapa since became the first Chinese patriarch of the Zen Buddhism who later on passed the helm to Ananda to preserve the dharma lineage. Depicted in the painting are Sakyamuni and his accompanying disciples with the first patriarch Kashyapa on the right and the second patriarch Ananda on the left. Done with Gongbi techniques added with strong colors, the painting has free-flowing ink-and-wash lines to highlight complex yet exquisite clouds, mists and decorative patterns on the Lotus Seat. Layers upon layers of colors, densely beautiful yet not flamboyant, give an impression of grounded solidness and lend a touch of dignified full complexion to the facial expressions in the character portrait.
简中｜一佛二弟子
Paintings
Xia Jing Shan
colors on paper
192x134
1996
bj5875
