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 and, after extensive travels, became the resident priest of Chōtokuji Temple in Nagato. He also served at Sagami Saijōji Temple and other temples. During 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 excelled at Taoist and Buddhist paintings.

Hanshan and Shide, the subjects of this painting, were legendary hermits from 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” theme, based on the eccentric anecdotes about Hanshan and Shide, was popular in Zen temples, and many works depict this theme. 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 to the heavens).

Fenggan was the master of Shide and Hanshan, and this painting depicts the three of them as a cohesive trio. They are called the “Tiantai Trio” because they lived in seclusion at Guoqing Temple on Mount Tiantai. The name “Shide” comes from the Zen master Fenggan, who took him in as his disciple. Legend has it that Fenggan rode a tiger when he traveled, 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.