The pairing of a tiger amid bamboo and a dragon emerging from clouds is a classic and ubiquitous one in East Asian art, as the two creatures represent opposites: one an earthbound predator, and the other an auspicious heavenly beast. In the context of Zen, this pairing is thought to represent a harmonious balance between the spiritual (embodied by the dragon) and the physical (symbolized by the tiger). Above each animal, Ōbaku Sokuhi has written the characters for tiger and dragon, respectively, using bold, gestural strokes that add to the action and movement of each panel.

—Bradley Bailey