Zen Stone No.14

31*40cm

Mixmedia Print

Zen Stone - Embodying Linji's Immediate Acceptance and Freedom

This artwork, through its abstract colors and forms, presents the essence of the Linji (Rinzai) school's Zen practice of "immediate acceptance" (当下承当) in a direct and dynamic way. It guides us to transcend dualistic distinctions, directly explore our true nature, and thus attain ultimate liberation and freedom.

The entire canvas is dominated by a soft, off-white background, which can symbolize the "nothing to do" (无事) state spoken of by the Linji school—a mind that does not abide anywhere, clings to nothing, and transcends all opposites. This pure backdrop is both the starting point and the ultimate destination of spiritual practice.

The topmost grey oval in the painting, interwoven with dark, mottled textures, is like the initial "studying Zen" (参学) state of a practitioner, carrying worldly impurities and doubts. Grey symbolizes the uncertainty before enlightenment, while the internal textures represent the fluctuations and struggles of the mind. However, its stable placement at the top suggests that even with doubts, one has already embarked on the path of seeking the Way.

Immediately below it, the brown oval, with its steady and substantial presence, symbolizes the state where the practitioner's mind, after undergoing a profound "great death" (大死一番), has become tranquil and unshakable. Brown is like the earth, signifying a stable foundation and deeply hidden wisdom. This is precisely the state of "wherever you stand, be master of your situation; wherever you are, that is the true place" emphasized by the Linji school—wherever one is, one can abide in their own mind, unswayed by external circumstances.

At the bottom of the canvas, the contrast between black and white is most pronounced: a pure white abstract form seems to leap out from a deep black area, or perhaps merges with it. White represents the clear and bright self-nature, ultimate wisdom, and the state of "true Buddha has no form." The black area is filled with rough, irregular ink marks and textures, which can symbolize all the "tangled vines" (葛藤) or complex entanglements of the world.

The lowermost fleshy pink area, with its soft and warm tones, symbolizes the compassion and freedom that manifest after enlightenment. It contrasts with the "black and white struggle" above, hinting that after a period of spiritual practice, one returns to an ordinary yet wise state of life. This artwork, with its minimalist composition and strong contrasts, profoundly reflects the sharp Dharma essence of the Linji school: "directly pointing to the human mind, seeing one's nature and attaining Buddhahood." The juxtaposition of abstract forms and colors in the painting is a visual presentation of the realm where truth and delusion are not two, ordinary beings and sages are one, and one does not fall into either extreme.