Three Notes

These three notes are ascribed to the hand of Furukawa Taiko, a Zen master of the Rinzai sect and 629th chief abbot of the Myoshin-ji temple in Kyoto. Each note begins with the word "awaken" followed by an itemized list, which in each case begins with "1700 oak boxes." As indicated at the end of each note, these items appear to have been delivered by a Mr. Yasubei to the residence of a certain Mr. Watanabe. The exact nature of this transaction remains unclear.

It is unusual to find an example of modern quotidian writing mounted as a hanging scroll. This format is usually reserved for more formal composition. However, Zen—often called a "teaching without words"—is mistrustful of words. Even though most Zen masters are prolific calligraphers, the act of writing is intended to communicate more than linguistic content. Rather, as an "imprint of the mind"—a sign of the artist’s intellectual, psychological, and spiritual state of being—Zen calligraphy attempts to convey the inner character of its creator. In this case, Furukawa’s uncontrived, spontaneous notations provide a glimpse into his unfettered state of enlightenment—apparent in a sharp brush stroke here or a blurred smudge of ink there.