“Death—the great activator of the patriarchs of old and the basis of human life.”¹

This calligraphy is one of several by Hakuin to feature insouciant inscriptions about death. The characters, which were painted with a wet brush, heavy with ink, bleed into the paper, giving them a glowing, ephemeral quality. As the inscription indicates, Hakuin did not regard death as something to be feared. Instead, death offers the opportunity for transcendence, change, and renewal. By referring to death as “the great activator of patriarchs of old,” Hakuin implies that his Zen forebears actually have a richer existence after their passing, as their words and teachings are studied and they transform from mere humans into legends—something that would eventually happen to Hakuin himself.

—Bradley Bailey