Zen Skull – Return To One, The Great Death Painting

Zen skull calligraphy and ink painting brushed on rice paper. This Zen skull painting is mounted as a hanging scroll with soft green silk with a fine pattern and a natural wooden roller at the bottom. This Zen skull, brushed with black sumi and ink washes, shows a withered skull lying between weeds. Above the Zen skull stands the Japanese calligraphy KI ICHI or Return To One, two characters taken from the Zen koan: All things return to One. Where does the One return to? Usually, skulls are a reminder of impermanence, but the idea behind this Zen skull painting is not only impermanence, but also spiritual awakening, the death of the false self, the great death. In Zen terms this means that one sees into one’s own Nature, into the One, the Buddha nature that is neither born nor destroyed. Size of the scroll in cm: 205 x 56 x 0.2 cm. The width of the scroll without the roller is 49,5 cm or 19.48 inches. The skull scroll will be shipped rolled in a traditionally-made silk box.