Five Hundred Arhats No.88 · The Venerable of the Moon-Disc of Contemplative Practice | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.88 The Venerable of the Moon-Disc of Contemplative Practice

'Contemplative practice' is cultivation grounded in awareness, and the 'moon-disc' likens the pure mind to a full, clear mid-autumn moon; the name marks one whose contemplative practice is deep, whose mind-moon hangs alone and whose light embraces all forms. The venerable lifts his head as if facing the bright moon with a clear expression, showing the limpid state where the mind-moon is full and bright, the clouds of affliction scatter, and absorption and wisdom are equal.

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