Zen Stone No.16

31*40cm

Mixmedia Print

Zen Stone - Illuminating Daoxin's Pure Mind-Essence

The entire artwork is steeped in a soft, grayish-beige background, which can be seen as the "pure mind-essence" (心体清净) emphasized by the Fourth Patriarch of Zen, Master Daoxin—it is apart from all forms, without opposition, and the source from which all dharmas arise, thus presenting an all-encompassing, perfectly equal backdrop.

The two brown ovals at the very top of the canvas, stably stacked together, symbolize Master Daoxin's teaching of "liberation through sitting meditation" (坐禅解脱)—that is, by focusing the mind through seated meditation and ceasing delusive thoughts, one attains a state of physical and mental peace that accords with the Way. The brown is profound and stable, like the firm posture of a meditator, hinting at the merit of persistent practice. Their interdependence also reflects the "interdependent and continuous" process of cultivation, gradually deepening.

Immediately below, the white oval, with its purity and brightness, can be seen as a direct embodiment of "the mind that recites Buddha is Buddha" (念佛心是佛). Master Daoxin advocated "reciting Buddha is reciting one's own mind"; when the mind is pure and every thought is inseparable from the Buddha, then one is instantly the Buddha. White symbolizes the purity and luminosity of the mind, where vexations are completely eliminated and self-nature manifests, like a spotless mirror.

The black oval below it is filled with coarse, mottled textures and patterns, like all the "delusive thoughts" (妄想) and "distinctions" (分别) of the mundane world. It forms a strong contrast with the pure white above, yet they are not entirely separate. This is precisely an exposition of Master Daoxin's "all-equal" (一切平等) Dharma-gate—"vexations are precisely Bodhi, samsara is precisely nirvana." The black textures represent the defiled phenomenal world, but the white waves and patterns contained within hint at the opportunities for liberation and the manifestation of wisdom even amidst vexations. This means that when practitioners contemplate all dharmas with an equal mind, defilement and purity are non-dual, and vexations become helpful aids in practice. This unified yet dynamic structure is a profound insight into "everything being a manifestation of Buddha-nature."

Through its minimalist colors and abstract forms, this artwork presents Master Daoxin's essential Zen teachings of "entering the Way with a settled mind" (入道安心) and "perfect equality" (平等无二) to the viewer in an intuitive and powerful way. It silently guides us to reflect upon our own minds, to understand that mind-nature is inherently pure, and thereby to practice Zen in daily life, achieving ultimate liberation and freedom.