Ink Drawing of Bodhidharma

Kakugan Jitsumyō (1793-1857) was a Sōtō Zen monk of the late Edo period. He was born in Kyoto. He was ordained at the age of 9. After that, he studied at Seiryōji Temple in Ōmi Province under Kansan Dōitsu and others. He lived in various places such as Saikyōji Temple in Harima, Shōjuan Temple in the same country, Myōjuji Temple in Osaka, and Chōkokuji Temple in Shinano. In Tenpō 10 (1839), he lived in seclusion at Kaifukuji Temple in Harima Province and opened Hannyarin.
He was a skilled writer, and was known for his many pictures of Dharma, especially the upper body Dharma shown in this painting.

In the inscription “松風蘿月,” the wind blowing across the pine trees and the moon seen through the ivy and kudzu leaves symbolize the tranquility of the world. This haiku symbolizes tranquility. “心印” refers to the union of the hearts of master and disciple. It refers to the core of enlightenment that has been handed down from generation to generation by the Buddha’s ancestors.