Ink Drawing of Bodhidharma Riding a Reed

“Ink Drawing of Bodhidharma Riding a Reed” admired by Manzan Dōhaku. The artist is unknown.

There are various subjects depicting Dharma, the founder of the Zen sect. Dharma came to China from India and was invited by Emperor Wu of Liang to preach Zen, but finding no occasion, he crossed the Yangtze River (Changjiang) to Northern Wei. The painting is based on the legend that he crossed the Yangtze River riding on a reed. It is characterized by the depiction of a reed stalk and the surface of the water at Dharma's feet. It is one of the most popular Dharma paintings and has been familiar since the early Suibokuga (Ink painting) period of the 14th century. Two well-known examples are the work of Yishan Yining at Jōdōji Temple (Shizuoka Prefecture) and Kozan Ikkyō at Gyokuzōin Temple (Kyoto City).

The inscriptions (Seven-character Quatrain) on this Dharma painting are read from the left side of the painting, as Dharma is facing left. These phrases are based on the Dharma transmission verse that Dharma is said to have composed when he succeeded to the Dharma to the second patriarch Hui-k’o.