Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Buddhist Layman Vimalakīrti

Hakuin Ekaku

Date

18th century

Medium

Hanging scroll, ink on paper

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Hakuin Ekaku was a Buddhist monk at Shō in-ji, a temple located in modern-day Shizuoka prefecture to the east of Kyoto. He was an amateur painter and calligrapher and used his works to spread the teachings of Buddhism to the masses. Vimalakīrti (in Japanese, Yuima koji) was a wealthy merchant in ancient India who attained a superior level of understanding of Buddhist doctrine that surpassed even that of bodhisattvas. Here, Hakuin depicts him seated in a chair, ready to debate the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī. Asia

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