Five Hundred Arhats No.377 · The Venerable Guiding Cord of Light | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.377 The Venerable Guiding Cord of Light

'Guiding cord of light' means taking light as the guiding cord that holds all dharmas, like the head-rope of a net, uniting the wisdom-pāramitā of light and drawing beings up; the name marks one who upholds the true Dharma with the cord of light-wisdom. The venerable makes a drawing-up gesture with a disciplined look, possessing the orderliness of light as the cord, holding all dharmas, uniting wisdom, drawing beings out of darkness by the guiding cord of light.

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