Zendo, great Teacher of Buddhism

This is the last painting that Insho produced before his death. Shandao (Zendo in Japanese) was a well-known Buddhist priest who lived in China in the seventh century. He is said to have worked for 30 years spreading the teachings of Pure Land Buddhism, copying 100,000 volumes of Amitabha sutras and making 300 drawings of the Pure Land. It is said that every time he recited a sutra, he emitted bright light from his mouth.This painting is composed exclusively of gentle lines of Chinese ink and gold foil against a white background, except for faint reddish violet pigment used for a somewhat abstractly drawn face. Could this be also a self-portrait of the artist himself, about to attain nirvana?