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Subject:scroll - monk enjoying go.
Posted By: Ger Sun, Sep 17, 2023 IP: 2a02:a46d:cada:1:150

Please read the text on this scroll depicting, according to the given description, a monk enjoying go. Here is what I got.

The painter was given as:
Shūnin Kagao (加賀尾秀忍)( January 5 , 1901 - May 14, 1977 ) who was a Shingon sect priest
加賀尾秀忍 - Wikipedia
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/加賀尾秀忍

An interesting person. As I understand it he was against the death penalty and tried to reverse it for convicted war criminals. The text seems to start with something like "Laughing in the face of death...". Go being a game of life and death the priest might show how this is done during a game?

The seal is explained in the Encyclopedia of Japanese Buddhist Sects:
日本仏教宗派事典 コンパクト版 | テーマ別データベース | リサーチ・ナビ | 国立国会図書館
https://rnavi.ndl.go.jp/books/2013/07/000002297159.php
click - 日本人名情報索引(人文分野)データベース
人物名: 加賀尾秀忍
別名: 無塵,僧忍
Indeed Shūnin Kagao, given above as the painter, used the alias of Mujin.

However I do not recognize his name in the picture.



Subject:Re: scroll - monk enjoying go.
Posted By: I.Nagy Mon, Sep 18, 2023

My reading and rough translation of the inscriptions,

死中乃活可大笑
智愚不分亦有妙
主孝

Shichū no katsu wa taishō subeshi
Chigu no fubun wa mata myō ari
Shukō (Aruji)

To live in the midst of death is a good thing to laught at
It is also weird, there is no distinction between wisdom and stupidity
Master

Seal,
無塵 Mujin

With regards,
I.Nagy

Subject:Re: scroll - monk enjoying go.
Posted By: Ger Fri, Sep 22, 2023

Thanks!
To understand it I have tried to translate the text literally.

死 中 乃 活 可 大笑
death middle of living should not big laugh

Rikai gives for 可: must not / should not. Isn't this plausible?

智 愚 不 分 亦 有 妙
wisdom stupidity not know also is weird

Is 亦 here: not knowing the difference?

主孝
master.

Please comment.
Regards, Ger.

Subject:Re: scroll - monk enjoying go.
Posted By: I.Nagy Sat, Sep 23, 2023

Thank you for your translation attempt. For Sino-Japanese texts like this the Kanbun (Sino-Japanese) grammar rules should be applied within certain limits.
可 is interpreted "beshi" "subeshi" i.e. "surubeki" = should do, ought to do
in negative aspect would be 不可 "subekarazu" =
should not do, ought not to do
亦 is "mata" also, too, again
Perhaps he may to say: Here (in the other world, too) there no difference between wisdom and stupidity.
With regards,
I.Nagy


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