Everyone who comes to the Obaku Temple in Kyoto sees the inscription carved on the gate: “First Principle.” The unusually large hieroglyphs of the inscription always delight calligraphy connoisseurs. These hieroglyphs were drawn by Kosen two hundred years ago.
The master depicted hieroglyphs on paper, and the carver enlarged them and carved them on wood. Kosen painted in the presence of a student who made several gallons of calligraphy ink and was so bold that he never missed an opportunity to criticize the master's work.
“This is not good,” he said to Kosen after the first drawing.
- How about this?
- Badly. Even worse than before.
Kosen patiently wrote down sheet after sheet until he had eighty-four “First Principles,” still not approved by the student. When the young man went out for a few minutes, Kosen thought: “Here is a chance to hide from his watchful gaze,” and hastily, without scattering his thoughts, wrote: “First Principle.”
The student entered and declared:
- Masterpiece!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru