Fushiki, Fukushima Keidō

Exhibition Label: “From the Way of Writing to the Weight of Writing," Jun-2007, Ai-lian Liu This dynamically brushed calligraphy consists of two enormous characters that read fushiki, or “not know,” a phrase attributed to Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of Zen Buddhism. According to legend, Bodhidharma was an Indian monk who traveled to China in the sixth century. His reputation preceded him, and Emperor Wu, a devout patron of Buddhism, invited him to court. A famous question-and-answer session ensued: “How much Buddhist merit can one accrue from building temples and supporting monks?” “None at all.” “What is the first principle of the holy doctrine?” “Vast emptiness, and there is nothing holy about it.” “Who are you?” “Not know.” The puzzling response of Bodhidharma reflects the unconventional teaching of Zen Buddhism that defies rational understanding. Similar dialogues in Zen Buddhist lore are often adapted in Zen calligraphy. Archive Label 1999: This dynamically brushed calligraphy consists of two enormous characters that read fushiki, or “not know,” a phrase attributed to Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of Chan or Zen Buddhism. According to legend, Bodhidharma was an Indian monk who traveled to China in the sixth century. His reputation preceded him, and Emperor Wu, a devout patron of Buddhism, invited him to court. A famous question and answer session ensued. “How much Buddhist merit can one accrue from building temples and supporting monks?” “None at all.” “What is the first principle of the holy doctrine?” “Vast emptiness, and there is nothing holy about it.” “Who are you?” “Not know.” Fukushima Keidō is Head Abbot of the Tofukuji Sect (of Rinzai Zen Buddhism) and Zen Master of Tofukuji Monastery in Kyoto, Japan. Archive Label: This dynamically brushed calligraphy consists of two enormous characters that in Japanese read fushiki, or "not know." The phrase refers to a famous Zen saying attributed to Daruma (Bodhidharma), the first patriarch of Zen. Daruma traveled from India to China in the sixth century, at one point visiting the Emperor Wu, who asked him a series of questions. The emperor, a great patron of Buddhism, first asked Daruma how much Buddhist merit one could accrue from building temples and supporting monks. Daruma said, "None at all." The puzzled emperor probed further: "What is the first principle of the holy doctrine?", and Daruma replied, "Vast emptiness, and there is nothing holy about it." Emperor Wu then angrily demanded to know who Daruma was, and Daruma curtly answered that he did "not know." This response seems to reflect the patriarch's quest for inner understanding and ultimately addrdesses the question of enlightened self, a concept central to Zen. Fukushima Keidō is a Zen master from Kyoto who visited the Spencer Museum in February.