About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherShambhala Publications, Incorporated

ISBN-101590305787

ISBN-139781590305782

eBay Product ID (ePID)79709018

Product Key Features

Book TitleSound of One Hand : Paintings and Calligraphy by Zen Master Hakuin

Number of Pages288 Pages

LanguageEnglish

TopicZen, Individual Artists / General, Asian / General, Asian / Japanese, Subjects & Themes / General

Publication Year2010

IllustratorYes

GenreArt, Philosophy

AuthorStephen Addiss, Audrey Yoshiko Seo

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height1 in

Item Weight54.5 Oz

Item Length12 in

Item Width8.7 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

LCCN2010-005932

Dewey Edition22

TitleLeadingThe

Reviews"This handsome, richly illustrated book offers an insightful, wide-ranging, and always lucid account of one of Japan's most inventive artists. Seo and Addiss examine Hakuin's work in religious, philosophical, and social contexts, but they never forget that the paintings and calligraphies are aesthetic objects; much of the commentary helps readers to enjoy the artistry of specific works."-Sylvan Barnet, PhD, Tufts University, author ofA Short Guide to Writing about Art, coauthor ofZen Ink Paintings "The Sound of One Handis a masterful account of the art and poetry of the famous eighteenth-century Zen master Hakuin, but it is so much more. The way in which the authors have juxtaposed image, history, and biography not only succeeds in making Hakuin's spirit relevant to any reader today, but their essays provide a virtual textbook of how to approach, and understand, the long history of Zen in Japan. Humor, profundity, charm, and satire can be found here in images, calligraphy, and poetry alike. The whole book provides any reader with a striking lesson in how to look."-J. Thomas Rimer, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Japanese Theater, Literature, and Art, University of Pittsburgh, coauthor ofTraditional Japanese Arts and Culture: A Sourcebook "What a treasure trove this book is for all those interested in Zen Buddhism as well as Japanese religion, art history, and folklore. Reading this book and viewing its plates and figures is an exhilarating and thought-provoking experience for the way it insightfully captures East Asian culture and aesthetics."-Steven Heine, PhD, Professor of Religious Studies and History and Director of Asian Studies, Florida International University, author ofOpening a Mountain: Koans of the Zen Masters, "This handsome, richly illustrated book offers an insightful, wide-ranging, and always lucid account of one of Japan's most inventive artists. Seo and Addiss examine Hakuin's work in religious, philosophical, and social contexts, but they never forget that the paintings and calligraphies are aesthetic objects; much of the commentary helps readers to enjoy the artistry of specific works."-Sylvan Barnet, PhD, Tufts University, author of A Short Guide to Writing about Art , coauthor of Zen Ink Paintings " The Sound of One Hand is a masterful account of the art and poetry of the famous eighteenth-century Zen master Hakuin, but it is so much more. The way in which the authors have juxtaposed image, history, and biography not only succeeds in making Hakuin's spirit relevant to any reader today, but their essays provide a virtual textbook of how to approach, and understand, the long history of Zen in Japan. Humor, profundity, charm, and satire can be found here in images, calligraphy, and poetry alike. The whole book provides any reader with a striking lesson in how to look."-J. Thomas Rimer, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Japanese Theater, Literature, and Art, University of Pittsburgh, coauthor of Traditional Japanese Arts and Culture: A Sourcebook "What a treasure trove this book is for all those interested in Zen Buddhism as well as Japanese religion, art history, and folklore. Reading this book and viewing its plates and figures is an exhilarating and thought-provoking experience for the way it insightfully captures East Asian culture and aesthetics."-Steven Heine, PhD, Professor of Religious Studies and History and Director of Asian Studies, Florida International University, author of Opening a Mountain: Koans of the Zen Masters

Dewey Decimal294.3/927092

SynopsisHakuin Ekaku (1685-1768) is one of the most influential figures in the history of Zen. He can be considered the founder of the modern Japanese Rinzai tradition, for which he famously emphasized the importance of koan practice in awakening, and he revitalized the monastic life of his day. But his teaching was by no means limited to monastery or temple. Hakuin was the quintessential Zen master of the people, renowned for taking his teaching to all parts of society, to people in every walk of life, and his painting and calligraphy were particularly powerful vehicles for that teaching. Using traditional Buddhist images and sayings--but also themes from folklore and daily life--Hakuin created a new visual language for Zen: profound, whimsical, and unlike anything that came before. In his long life, Hakuin created many thousands of paintings and calligraphies. This art, combined with his voluminous writings, stands as a monument to his teaching, revealing why he is the most important Zen master of the past five hundred years. The Sound of One Hand is a study of Hakuin and his enduringly appealing art, illustrated with a wealth of examples of his work, both familiar pieces like "Three Blind Men on a Bridge" as well as lesser known masterworks.

LC Classification NumberND1059.H26A4 2010