Bokutotsuso: Studies on the Calligraphy of the Zen Master Muso Soseki (1275-1351)

Muso Soseki (1275-1351), one of the most important Zen patriarchs of the early fourteenth century in Japan, devoted his life to spreading Buddhist wisdom in his writings. As a member of the Gozan movement, he belonged to the literary elite and had a profound knowledge of Chinese und Japanese poetry. He left behind numerous calligraphies, among them those now housed in the temples Engakuji and Zuizenji in Kamakura and in Tenryuji and Saihoji in Kyoto. Muso signed many of his calligraphies with his pseudonym Bokutotsuso, which means the wooden stutterer. Most of Muso’s calligraphies are composed in cursive script and deal with themes of particular interest to him, such as nature and religious education. This book examines how these themes relate to the different stages of Muso’s life. It also analyses his attitude toward calligraphy and the influence of other calligraphers on his artistic development. For this purpose, pivotal calligraphies that reveal Muso’s stylistic development, his aesthetics and underlying message as well as the trajectory of his life have been chosen for closer examination. The research for this book was conducted at the temples that were at the center of Muso’s activities. The first work to discuss Muso’s calligraphy in a Western language, this book offers insights into his texts together with illustrations of Muso’s brushwork.