This painting of the Hua-yen Trinity, or Sakyamuni Buddha with his two bodhisattva attendants, Manjusri and Samantabhadra, is at his sides. The three deities are each riding on a cow, a lion, and an elephant. With simple colors, lyrical ink lines created an interesting contrast between the solemn divine figures and the mystical beasts. The background painted with thick overlapping shades of ochre shows shifting colors of ink, with the subject-object relationship between the trinity highlighted.
Xia’s masterful brushwork and composition correspond with the virtues elucidated in the inscription. The inscription is derived from Master Hsing Yun’s preface for his book published in 1996, A Treasury of Chinese Buddhist Classics: “Through reading the Śūraṅgama Sutra, one would never have to experience the dregs and chaff of the sentient world. Through studying the Flower Garland Sutra, one is fulfilled with Buddhist teachings.” Xia also upheld these words in his own Buddhist practice.
繁中｜華嚴三聖
Paintings
Xia Jing Shan
color on paper
138.2X73
2012
題跋：認識華嚴經，方知己是佛法富貴人，自讀首楞嚴，從此不嚐人間糟糠味。壬龍春末於北京夏荊山，時年八十八春。印記：新篁拂雲、萬法心生、荊山藏畫、聖像妙法廣結善緣、心淨、楠竹居士、夏氏藏畫、不空不有、明心見性見性成佛、聖像妙法寶鑑
BU-00002
