Letter to Monk Sekibyō
This letter was written by Zekkai Chūshin, a Rinzai Zen monk who served as abbot to both Tōjiji and Shōkokuji temples. It is written in twenty lines, dated the second month, nineteenth day (of an unspecified year), and is addressed to “the great monk Sekibyō.” Starting with a flowery greeting “Chūshin greets you again with respect and begs to write,” it congratulates the addressee upon his appointment to the abbacy of Tenryūji, Kyoto, one of the most prestigious Zen temples in Japan. The letter is written with carefully conducted brushstrokes and ends with the signature and a note, “Chūshin, sending greetings to you with respect.”
Zekkai Chūshin, one of the two greatest scholar-poet monks in the history of Zen Buddhism in Japan, is said to have been a disciple of Musō Soseki (1275–1351), with whom he is believed to have begun his Zen apprenticeship as a youth in 1349. Still using his youthful name Yōkan, he traveled to China from 1368 to 1376. In 1372 Yōkan received the name Zekkai from a prominent Chinese Zen monk, and in 1376 he was granted an audience with the Ming emperor. Upon his return home, Zekkai held numerous important posts, a temple that was the top administrative and scholarly post at Shōkokuji in Kyoto, which was under the direct patronage of the ruling shogun.
Zekkai Chūshin, one of the two greatest scholar-poet monks in the history of Zen Buddhism in Japan, is said to have been a disciple of Musō Soseki (1275–1351), with whom he is believed to have begun his Zen apprenticeship as a youth in 1349. Still using his youthful name Yōkan, he traveled to China from 1368 to 1376. In 1372 Yōkan received the name Zekkai from a prominent Chinese Zen monk, and in 1376 he was granted an audience with the Ming emperor. Upon his return home, Zekkai held numerous important posts, a temple that was the top administrative and scholarly post at Shōkokuji in Kyoto, which was under the direct patronage of the ruling shogun.
Artwork Details
- Title: Letter to Monk Sekibyō
- Artist: Zekkai Chūshin (Japanese, 1336–1405)
- Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)
- Date: 14th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 12 1/4 × 16 5/16 in. (31.1 × 41.4 cm)
Overall with mounting: 45 3/8 × 21 1/2 in. (115.3 × 54.6 cm)
Overall with knobs: 45 3/8 × 23 3/4 in. (115.3 × 60.3 cm) - Classification: Calligraphy
- Credit Line: Gift of Sylvan Barnet and William Burto, 2014
- Object Number: 2014.718
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Zekkai Chūshin
ca. 1380s–1405
Zekkai Chūshin
ca. 1380s–1405
Monk Saigyō
late 12th century
Musō Soseki
early to mid-14th century
Fujiwara no Yukinari (Kōzei)
11th century
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.