Sano Daiki 佐野大義 (1918-2007)

A powerful portrayal of the legendary founder of Zen Buddhism, Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma, known as Daruma in Japanese, serves as the central figure in the founding myth of Zen Buddhism and is therefore a popular figure in the texts and images of the Zen Buddhist canon. Usually depicted as a bald-headed, full-bearded man with a huge nose and chin, and elongated ears adorned with golden rings to indicate his noble lineage, Bodhidharma displays many characteristics that stereotype him as an Indian monk who came from afar to teach Buddhism in the East Asian regions.

Legend has it that he even had a conversation with the Chinese emperor himself, leaving him clueless with his answers to the most pressing questions of Buddhism, which in fact taught him everything and nothing. Equally cryptic is the inscription on the painting next to Daiki's version of Bodhidharma, showing him in a few quick brush strokes as a grumpy old man. The Chinese character wu 無 (Jap, mu) refers to the notion of "nothingness" and has been supplemented with a repetition mark to emphasize its significance as a central teaching in Zen Buddhism.

Sano Daiki was born in Ōzu city of Ehime prefecture. At the age of fifteen, he was ordained by Gotō Izan, the head priest of Hōrin-ji temple. While living as a trainee priest, he graduated from the predecessor of Hanazono University. Later, as a student in the Faculty of Literature, Ryūkoku University, he went to war under the student mobilization order. After the war, he joined training at the meditation hall of Enpuku-ji temple of Kyōto. Later he served as the chief priest of Hōjū-ji temple of Ayabe city, Kyōto, for 16 years. He became the 11th head priest of Hōrin-ji (popularly known as Daruma-ji) temple in 1963, where he has remained the rest of his life.

At the request of Yamada Mumon (1900-1988), the former president of Hanazono University, he worked as the head of the general affairs department and accomplished a number of reforms, including the relocation of the university. He successively held various posts, such as chairman of the Kyōto Buddhist Club (Kyōto Bukkyō Kurabu), first chairman of the Kyōto Temple Association (Tsūshō Tera no Kai), executive director of the Asia-South Pacific Friendship Association, executive director of the Keihan Temple branch of the Rinzai sect's Myōshin-ji School, and chairman of the Thirteen Famous Temples of the Japan Daruma Association.

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