Three-piece Set of Ink Drawing of Hanshan, Shide and Fenggan (Fenggan)

Butsujō Jisen (1798-1870) was a Sōtō Zen monk of the late Edo period. He was born in Echizen Province. After traveling extensively, he became the abbot of Chōtokuji Temple in Nagato. He also served at Sagami Saijōji Temple and other temples. At the 600th anniversary of Dōgen’s death in Kaei 5 (1852), he served as the Godō (instructor of ascetic monks) at Eiheiji Temple and devoted himself to promoting Buddhist memorial services.
He used a unique caricature-like painting style and was particularly skilled in Taoist and Buddhist paintings.

Hanshan and Shide, the subjects of the painting, were legendary hermits of the Tang dynasty who lived in Guoqing Temple on Mt. Tiantai in Zhejiang Province. Although they looked like beggars, their words and deeds were connected to the Buddha’s will, and it was said that Hanshan was an incarnation of Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva and Shide was of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. It is said that Hanshan suddenly appeared to Shide, who was working as a rice cook on Mt. Tiantai.
The ‘Hanshan and Shide,’ which is based on the crazy anecdotes about Hanshan and Shide, was much favored in Zen temples, and there are many examples of its creation. As shown in this painting, Hanshan is often depicted holding a sutra scroll (or brush) and Shide is often depicted holding a broom (or pointing towards the heavens).

Fenggan was the master of Shide and Hanshan, and this painting depicts the three of them as a cohesive trio. They are known as the ‘Tiantai Trio’ because they lived in seclusion at Guoqing Temple on Mount Tiantai. The name ‘Shide’ was given to him by the Zen master Fenggan, who took him in as his disciple. Legend has it that Fenggan rode a tiger during his travels, and this painting, depicting the three sleeping with the tiger, is called ‘Four Sleepers.’
The inscription is a five-character quatrain, with Shide’s line read from the left side.