Five Hundred Arhats No.373 · The Venerable Removing the Net of Doubt | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.373 The Venerable Removing the Net of Doubt

'Removing the net of doubt' means cutting the net of uncertainty, decided on the true Dharma without doubt, the sword of wisdom severing doubt, beyond the trammels of doubt's net; the name marks one skilled in ending uncertainty, decided without doubt. The venerable makes a resolving gesture with a clear, decisive look, possessing the decisiveness of removing doubt's net, decided on the Dharma, the wisdom-sword cutting doubt, beyond uncertainty's bonds with a decided heart.

Painted by Li Zongyi in the freehand Chinese ink (xieyi) tradition, the brushwork is fluent and the ink tones layered from dense to pale, capturing the arhat’s spirit in a few assured strokes. The blank paper itself breathes Zen; figure and spirit are one, blending monastic solemnity with the literati’s ease. Each of the Five Hundred Arhats bears its own name and practice, uniting faith, art and collectibility — an original, non-reproducible hand-painted work.

Size: approx. 100×50cm (4.5 square chi) | Traditional hand-painted Chinese ink Zen Buddhist figure painting | On paper