“In the midst of the world’s corruption, she is white jade.”¹

 

Reigen’s depiction of the Bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteshvara, in Sanskrit) clearly reflects the

influence of Hakuin, especially in the soft femininity imparted to the traditionally genderless deity. The inscription, which alludes to her purity amid worldly corruption, is echoed in Reigen’s brushstrokes; the lines that compose Kannon are smooth and sinuous, while the ledge on which she reclines is rendered in darker, jagged brushstrokes, simulating craggy rocks. This contrast is further enhanced by the inscription’s reference to white jade, a precious stone.

           

—Bradley Bailey