Calligraphy of a Sermon by Ikkyū

Gentō Sokuchū (1729-1807) was a Zen monk of the Sōtō sect in the late Edo period. He was also known as Kūgean, Dansakudōjin, Kuronoō, and others. He inherited the Dharma of Gangoku Kankei and lived at Zennōji Temple in Mino as the 11th resident priest, the 6th resident priest of Butsugenji Temple in Settsu, the 11th resident priest of Entsūji Temple in Bitchū, and the 47th resident priest of Ryūonji Temple in Musashi before becoming the 50th resident priest of Eiheiji Temple in Kansei 7 (1795). In the following year, he was given the title of ‘Tōshū Kōshin Zenji’ by the Imperial court. He succeeded in restoring the old rules handed down from Gesshū Sōko, Manzan Dōhaku, and Menzan Zuihō, and spent his life striving to restore Dōgen and Eiheiji Temple. While residing at Eiheiji Temple, he devoted himself to the 550th anniversary of Dōgen’s death in Kyōwa 2 (1802) and also published the 95th volume edition of the “Chōkoku Shōbōgenzō.” He established the foundation of today’s Eiheiji Temple and is called the founder of Eiheiji Temple’s revival.

Based on the signatures and other information, this calligraphy was written during the Eiheiji Temple period (1795-1806), and the description of the written age indicates that it was created in Kyōwa 3 (1803).