Zen Masterpiece Showdown! Comparing Sesshū’s and Hakuin’s “Eka Danpi-zu” (Painting of Dazu Huike Offering His Severed Arm to Bodhidharma)

Eka Danpi-zu (Painting of Dazu Huike Offering His Severed Arm to Bodhidharma)

“Eka Danpi-zu” is a picture of Huika’s determination to appeal to Daruma to become his disciple. It has a very deep meaning for Zen.

Shinkō visited Daruma (Bodhidharma) at the Shaolin Temple, where Daruma continued to sit in zen meditation facing the wall and asked to become Daruma’s disciple, but received no reply.

Again and again, Shinkō wished to do so, and the master explained the difficulty of Shinkō’s request, and then Shinkō took out his sword and cut off his own left arm.

In response, Daruma allowed him to become his disciple, and Shinkō changed his name to Huika and succeeded the first founder, Daruma, to become the second founder.

It is a kind of horrific anecdote, but it is also known for its many masterpieces on the subject of painting.

Sesshū Tōyō

The master of ink and wash painting, Sesshū Tōyō created this zen masterpiece at the age of 77.

Sesshū depicted Daruma in his white robes with thick lines, sitting for nine years against a wall in heavy rock.

In spite of the horror of the situation, the powerful portrayal of Daruma, who does not move, does not make us feel the horror of the situation.

It is a masterpiece of tension and sanctity.

Eka Danpi-zu by Sesshū Tōyō

Hakuin Ekaku

In Hakuin’s “Eka Danpi-zu”, which was done in ink, the sublimity of Daruma was symbolically expressed by drawing him in a circle.

The image of Shinkō gritting his teeth and holding out his left arm is clearly drawn in graphic detail.

By doing this, Hakuin may have explained the situation in a way that is easy to understand for people who are not familiar with Buddhism.

Eka Danpi-zu by Hakuin Ekaku

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    Our Feelings For Kakejiku

     The Japanese people have long set a high value on aesthetic senses since ancient times. As a result, the
    peculiar culture which is not seen in other countries blossomed and many aspects of the modern Japanese
    culture come from it. Parts of Japanese culture has been introduced to people in other countries recently,
    so the number of people from other countries who are interested in Japanese culture has been increasing.
    However, the Japanese aesthetic senses, which are the bases of Japanese culture, have been nurtured
    through a long history, intertwining various elements intricately, such as climate, geographical features,
    religion, customs and so on. Therefore, they are very difficult to understand not only for people from other
    countries, but even for the Japanese people. I think the best tool which conveys these difficult senses
    understandably is a “kakejiku.”
     The kakejiku (a hanging scroll; a work of calligraphy or a painting which is mounted and hung in an
    alcove or on a wall) is a traditional Japanese art. It's no exaggeration to say that paintings are what
    express aesthetic senses at all times and places. The kakejiku is an art which expresses the Japanese
    aesthetic senses. The kakejiku has long been used in traditional Japanese events, daily life and so on since
    ancient times. As a result, there are various customs of kakejiku in Japan; kakejiku and the life of the
    Japanese are closely related. We can see Japanese values through kakejiku.
     The kakejiku is a cultural tradition which the Japanese people should be proud of. However, many people
    in other countries don't know much about it because it hasn't been showcased as much. This is why I
    decided to try to introduce it. The kakejiku world is very interesting and beautiful. We want not only the
    Japanese, but also many people from other countries to know and enjoy it. I hope that many people will
    love kakejiku someday.

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    Name Art Nomura

    President Tatsuji Nomura

    Founded1973

    Established1992

    Address7-23 Babadori, Tarumi-ku, Kobe city,
    Hyougo Prefecture, 655-0021, Japan


    Capital10 million yen

    URLhttp://nomurakakejiku.com

    Our Business

     Art Nomura is an art dealer which produces kakejiku (hanging scrolls). We mount many paintings and calligraphic works in kakejiku in my factory. Kakejiku are our main product. We also remount and repair old or damaged kakejiku. We share the traditional Japanese art of kakejiku with people all over the world.


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     The Japanese people have long set a high value on aesthetic senses since ancient times. As a result, the
    peculiar culture which is not seen in other countries blossomed and many aspects of the modern Japanese
    culture come from it. Parts of Japanese culture has been introduced to people in other countries recently,
    so the number of people from other countries who are interested in Japanese culture has been increasing.
    However, the Japanese aesthetic senses, which are the bases of Japanese culture, have been nurtured
    through a long history, intertwining various elements intricately, such as climate, geographical features,
    religion, customs and so on. Therefore, they are very difficult to understand not only for people from other
    countries, but even for the Japanese people. I think the best tool which conveys these difficult senses
    understandably is a “kakejiku.”
     The kakejiku (a hanging scroll; a work of calligraphy or a painting which is mounted and hung in an
    alcove or on a wall) is a traditional Japanese art. It's no exaggeration to say that paintings are what
    express aesthetic senses at all times and places. The kakejiku is an art which expresses the Japanese
    aesthetic senses. The kakejiku has long been used in traditional Japanese events, daily life and so on since
    ancient times. As a result, there are various customs of kakejiku in Japan; kakejiku and the life of the
    Japanese are closely related. We can see Japanese values through kakejiku.
     The kakejiku is a cultural tradition which the Japanese people should be proud of. However, many people
    in other countries don't know much about it because it hasn't been showcased as much. This is why I
    decided to try to introduce it. The kakejiku world is very interesting and beautiful. We want not only the
    Japanese, but also many people from other countries to know and enjoy it. I hope that many people will
    love kakejiku someday.

    (or press ESC or click the overlay)