Portrait of Rigen Daishi

In this portrait, master monk Shōbō (832–909), referred to as “Rigen Daishi” after his death, takes a seated position on a raised chair with shoes placed before him. In his right hand he holds a vajra, a Buddhist ritual weapon used in esoteric Buddhist rituals. Rigen Daishi was the founder of Daigoji, a Shingon Buddhist temple in southeastern Kyoto. Shingon (True Word”) is a sect of Esoteric Buddhism founded in Japan in the 900s, and stresses the importance of meditation through complex ritual ceremonies and objects. Esoteric Buddhist teachings are transmitted orally in secret which cannot be found in texts. The inscription at the top is drawn from Hishō mondō (Collected Questions and Answers on Esoteric Matters) by Raiyu (1226–1304), a later Shingon monk. 般若 皆従意宝生 所説之妙法 皆以轉成就 Prajñā All things are formed by the mind The path to wisdom that is spoken of comes entirely from quietude