Calligraphy of Waka Poem, entitled “This mind is Buddha” and composed by Zen Master Dōgen

Daien Buttsū (?-1825) was a Sōtō Zen monk of the late Edo period. He lived at Eishōji Temple in Yamashiro and left in Bunsei 5 (1822) to open Kōmyōji Temple in Settsu. He called the place where he lived in seclusion ‘Hekigankutsu’ and was known as ‘Tora (tiger) Buttsū.’ He was recognized as one of the four monks known for their extremely harsh Zen style, alongside ‘Gyū (cow) Monkō,’ ‘Ōkami (wolf) Genrō,’ and ‘Shishi (lion) Reitan.’

Buttsū was fond of writing Dōgen’s words. This calligraphy is excerpted from a Japanese waka poem composed by Dōgen.