“The First Patriarch came to the West but did not explain a single word—Deiryū”¹                       

As Nantenbō’s principal disciple, Deiryū Kutsu clearly reflects his master’s influence in his paintings, though his brushwork tends to be softer, employing lighter washes of gray, such as those that delineate Daruma’s face. The inscription recounts the Zen patriarch’s pilgrimage through China while also obliquely referencing his curt and laconic replies in some of his famous dialogues, such as the one with the Chinese Emperor. In addition, the inscription implies that the transmission of Buddhist dharma somehow transcends verbal explanation and that Daruma’s life and acts are more important to under­standing his teachings than any words he could offer.

—Bradley Bailey