Five Hundred Arhats No.323 · The Venerable Abiding in the World | Traditional Hand-Painted Chinese Ink Zen Buddhist Figure Painting | 100×50cm

Five Hundred Arhats · No.323 The Venerable Abiding in the World

'Abiding in the world' means not resting in nirvāṇa nor abandoning beings, remaining in the world through compassionate vow to liberate them, softening one's light to mingle with the dust; the name marks one who abides through compassionate vow, guiding as conditions allow. The venerable looks down upon beings with compassion, possessing the mercy of not resting in nirvāṇa, not forsaking the world, abiding by vow, liberating beings broadly amid worldly toil.

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