Five Hundred Arhats No.242 · The Venerable Dhṛṭaka | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.242 The Venerable Dhṛṭaka

Dhṛṭaka is the fifth Indian patriarch in the Zen lineage of transmitted Dharma, who carried the line from master to disciple; listed among the five hundred arhats, the name signifies passing the lamp and unbroken succession. The venerable has the air of a patriarch with a deep, solemn look; the title is kept objectively without miraculous legend, conveying only the gravity of transmitting the Dharma, continuing the Buddha's wisdom-life and calmly handing it on.

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