Five Hundred Arhats No.494 · The Venerable Attaining Power Through Absorption | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.494 The Venerable Attaining Power Through Absorption

'Attaining power through absorption' means psychic powers arising from samādhi, absorption-powers unhindered, the six knowledges arising within absorption, absorption and wisdom both attained; the name marks one whose powers arise from absorption, free in them. The venerable makes a power-arising gesture with a still look, possessing the calm of powers from absorption, unhindered absorption-powers, free six knowledges, guiding through psychic power born of absorption and wisdom.

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