No Amida in the South, second half 18th century, Kan Tenjū, Japanese, 1727 - 1795, 49 3/16 × 8 in. ( × cm) (image)74 1/2 × 10 in. ( × cm) (mount, without roller), Ink on paper, Japan, 18th century, A skeptic of Buddhism, Kan humorously plays with the literal interpretation on the phonetic translation of a Sanskrit Buddhist chant, namu amida butsu ('I take refuge in Amitābha Buddha') to indicate his doubts about this religion. He writes that as the Amitābha Buddha is neither in the North nor the South, Buddhism is a practice in vain. Kan’s cursive brush visibly thins out

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Size: 1576px × 9739px
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Photo credit: © Penta Springs / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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