An original hand-brushed Japanese shikishi (色紙) from the Myōshin-ji (妙心寺) Zen tradition, featuring a bold ensō together with the phrase 「和顔愛語」 (Wagen Aigo), written by Ōki Kanchū (大木閑忠).
Ōki Sōgen (大木宗玄) was a prominent Japanese Zen master of the Rinzai school (Myōshin-ji branch). He is highly regarded for his contribution to modern lay Zen practice and his refined Zen calligraphy (known as Bokuseki), often used to adorn tea ceremony rooms
The composition is dominated by a large, confident ensō, or Zen circle, painted in a single sweeping brush movement.
This Buddhist expression may be translated as:
“A gentle face and kind words.”
It expresses the ideal of meeting others with warmth, compassion, and sincerity. The phrase teaches that kindness does not always require grand actions; even a calm expression, a smile, or a few thoughtful words can bring comfort to another person.
In Buddhist teaching, this is closely related to the cultivation of compassion in everyday life. It reminds us that the way we look at and speak to others can itself become a form of generosity. The ensō is one of the most recognizable forms in Zen calligraphy. Painted with a single continuous brushstroke, it can symbolize emptiness, completeness, enlightenment, the universe, and the present moment.
Size: 24 x 27cm
