Sengai
Sengai • Illustration — ○△□ or Marusankakushikaku or The Universe Sengai Gibon was a Japanese monk of the Rinzai school (one of three main schools of Zen Buddhism in Japan, the others being the Sōtō school and the much smaller Ōbaku school). He was known for his controversial teachings and writings, as well as for his lighthearted sumi-e paintings. After spending half of his life in Nagata near Yokohama, he secluded himself in Shōfuku-ji in Fukuoka, the first Zen temple in Japan, where he spent the rest of his life.
Also recorded as Ayō · Entsū Zenji · Sengai Gibon · Muhōsai
Sengai
Sengai · catalogue · Public domain
- Born
- 1750. · Mino.
- Died
- 1837. · Fukuoka.
- Nationality
- Japan.
- Occupation
- buddhist monk, painter and calligrapher.
- Languages
- Japanese.
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Documentary summary
Sengai • Illustration — ○△□ or Marusankakushikaku or The Universe Sengai Gibon was a Japanese monk of the Rinzai school (one of three main schools of Zen Buddhism in Japan, the others being the Sōtō school and the much smaller Ōbaku school). He was known for his controversial teachings and writings, as well as for his lighthearted sumi-e paintings. After spending half of his life in Nagata near Yokohama, he secluded himself in Shōfuku-ji in Fukuoka, the first Zen temple in Japan, where he spent the rest of his life.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q1370392 · wikipedia · Sengai
In this article
Works
Works
Though the Rinzai sect is particularly known for its hard-to-understand teachings, Sengai tried to make them accessible to the public.
Shimada Toranosuke is recorded as having studied under Sengai. The recorded working language is Japanese. Places of work recorded in the authority are Kansai region. Work by Sengai is recorded in the collections of National Gallery of Victoria, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Yale University Art Gallery.
One of his most notable paintings depicts a circle, a square and a triangle. Sengai left the painting without a title or inscription, save for his signature. The painting is often called Marusankakushikaku, written as "○△□", or "The Universe" when referred to in English.
Gallery
Gallery
• Illustration — Praise to Hotei Pointing to the Moon • Illustration — Year of the Dog Celebration
Identity
Identity
Sengai is recorded with the occupation Buddhist monk. Recorded with the occupation calligrapher. Recorded with the occupation painter. Recorded as buddhist monk, painter and calligrapher.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1750
Sengai was born on 1 January 1750.
1837
Sengai died on 1 January 1837.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Mino.
Birth place
Fukuoka.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Sengai”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1370392: Sengai
General reference · Wikidata
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
He also worked under the name Gibon Sengai. The authorities additionally record the headings Ayō, Entsū Zenji, Sengai Gibon, Muhōsai and Kyohaku. His recorded language was Japanese. His recorded confession was Buddhism. Formation and teaching. Each of those relationships is stated by the authority record rather than inferred from style.
Identity and origins
Recognition and collections
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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