A Study on the Appearance of Ink & Water Painting in relation to Chan Gong-an

ABSTRACT

Since the appearance of Chan (Kor. Seon Jap. Zen) in China, the school has developed along with the ar ts and liter atur e. Ther efor e, the influence of Chan on ink and water painting and the interchange between the two is spontaneous and natural. Originally, Chan Buddhism was founded on “separate transmission outside of the teaching (敎外別傳)” and “no dependence on words and letters (不立文字)” doctr ine. The early philosophy of Chan emphasized “seeing one’s own nature and (directly) accomplishing buddhahood (見性成佛)” and “directly pointing to people’s minds (直指人心)” The popular slogans encourage practitioners to seek direct experience for themselves, rather than relying on the words and explanations of teachers and scriptures. Accordingly, Master Huineng (慧能 638-713) left the only text the Platfor m Sūtr a of the Sixth Patriarch (六祖壇經), However, from the Chan of Song dynasty, Chan Buddhism sought another method to practice. As the change of social atmosphere of the times, the original method of investigation was not enough for the realization. Instead, various kinds of gong-ans, Chan words appeared. From this time on, the character of Chan Buddhism became “dependence on words and letters (不離文字)’ instead of “no dependence on words and letters (不立文字)” doctrine which means the transition from “inner realization Chan (內證禪) to literary Chan (文字禪). At this time Gong-an and poem were two most important parts of the literary Chan. Especially poems used as the medium to seek enlightenment. The poems of the times used simple letters, reflecting the implicative image of the thought. This trend of simplification led the uniformity of ‘Poem & Chan (詩禪一律論)’ and ‘Poem & Painting (詩畵一律論)’, resulting the simple stroke of brush in painting as seen the implication of letters. As the trend of the implication in poem, the simple stroke of brush in painting was very popular and went too far. This trend led the way of brushing from the mere imitation of forms to the world of imagination through generalization and simplification. This style of expression applied not only to landscape painting but also to portrait painting, making it the main style of Chinese painting.