“Fate brought Daruma across the river. Where is he? Among the thorns.—Respectfully inscribed by Old Cloud.”¹

 

Both Reigen and Ishin were students of Hakuin. Though Ishin made few paintings, Reigen made many works that reflect his master’s style, as seen here in Daruma’s expressive face and the dramatic brushstrokes of his robe. Daruma was said to have crossed the Yangtze River on a single reed, and Ishin’s inscription compares Daruma’s river crossing to the master’s act of introducing Zen to the world by declaring that he is now “among the thorns,” a poetic metaphor for the corruption and material concerns of the world, which, like thorns, can ensnare the undisciplined mind.

 

—Bradley Bailey