Suga Gendō – 須賀玄道 (1919-?) – 竹葉々起清風 – Take Yō Yō Seifū Wo Okusu – Each Bamboo Leaf Makes A Cool Breeze

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Suga Gendō was a zen priest of the Daitoku-ji school of the Rinzai sect. The chief priest of the Zuisen-ji temple, he was born in Ōita prefecture and began his training under Ashikaga Shizan, who lived to be 101 years old. This conditioning, coupled with the excellent environment of Zuizen-ji, and the fact that there has yet to be a date of death for Suga-san to have surfaced online yet, means it is possible that he is now 102 and still safely in the care of his disciples. He is / was, a master of calligraphy and the traditional tea ceremony.

Take Yō Yō Seifū Wo Okusu is a very interesting Zen phrase to translate because it requires that you put your mind in the state of being one with a bamboo grove. A bamboo grove is a refreshing place to be on a hot day. The bamboo moves in the wind and generates more breeze around themselves as a result. Thousands of leaves are a part of this. We can relate a bamboo grove to a community of spirits in harmony together. Leaving that community is to leave on a refreshing breeze. This Zen phrase reminds us to be like the cool breeze and to be in harmony with our friends so that there is purity in parting from them. Thousands and thousands of bamboo leaves on the swaying trees, waving goodbye with a cool breeze.

If used for a tea ceremony or rotated seasonally, this scroll is appropriate for summer and early autumn. Very good condition (slight foxing – see pictures). With original inscribed kiwamebako (storage box of authenticity). *Please click the top left corner of each picture to expand them.

14″ x 70″ – $250 CAD. – Comes with a sealed document of authenticity and 3 hours worth of further reading and documentary viewing. Price includes shipping worldwide! All prices in Canadian dollars.