Since ancient times, the Yamabushi Zen priests in the mountain regions of Japan have practiced a form of sacred esoteric art known as Single-Stroke Serpent Painting.
Quieting the mind through meditation, the spontaneous form of the serpent arises. Ink for the painting is a carefully blended mixture of high quality sumi-e ink, India ink, and minerals. With a specially prepared calligraphy brush, the entire body of the serpent is painted in a single stroke. In this way, no two serpent paintings can ever be the same. Like serpents in nature, they are unique.
Each serpent painting is an expression of the moment: the spontaneous flow of being, where ink, brush, and canvas come alive; a symbolic whole created to bring joy to the beholder. According to the folklore of the region, serpent paintings bring good fortune and special protection to their owners.
Richard Daiensai Kirsten, well known for his sacred art, learned this art in Japan from a Yamabushi roshi named Khendo Khani in the 1960s. At that time, these paintings were common in the countryside. However, in recent travels to Japan, even in remote traditional villages, Daiensai found no new paintings and it remains unclear whether there are any priests still practicing this ancient art. He passed his serpent painting lineage to his grandson, Dorje Kirsten. Giving him the Zen name Shinno, meaning "heart king," he encouraged Dorje to preserve the tradition by "spreading the sacred serpent paintings everywhere."
Dorje Kirsten
-Shinno and his family live on the coast of Northern California. Dorje practices meditation, astrology, and feng shui, and, like his grandfather, studies sacred art. |
