Artist, peace and environmental worker, and renowned calligrapher, Kazuaki Tanahashi, turns 90 on October 4. As a writer and translator, he has produced more than forty books, including important translations of the Heart Sutra and works by Dogen. Explore this selection of Tanahashi’s art and Buddhist wisdom to give hope in a time of global crisis from his book Painting Peace. Find more calligraphies by Kazuaki Tanahashi in the Lion’s Roar Store.

Pine Needle

A pine needle
in an ocean of trees.
Timeless serenity
of this very moment.

A pine needle
lying in the stone garden.
Timeless serenity
of this very moment.

A pine needle
flying in a stormy wind.
Timeless serenity
of this very moment.

“Nanjing Lamentation” by Kazuaki Tanahashi.

Courage

True courage is composure
in all situations

True courage is being thoughtful
in all situations

True courage is loving compassion
in all situations

True courage is being nonviolent
in all situations

True courage is maintaining peace
in all situations

“Journey of the Akatsuki Maru” (a ship owned by the Japanese government whose 1992 voyage from France to Japan carying 1.5 tons of weapons-grade plutonium sparked international protests) Painting by Mario Uribe. Calligraphy by Kazuaki Tanahashi.

Encounter

for Linda

Human to human
encountering at this very moment.
How rare, how precious!

Human to human
knowing each other at this very place.
How rare, how precious!

Human to human
loving each other in this lifetime.
How rare, how precious!

Human to human
forming a family in this world.
How rare, how precious!

Circle of Peace

A circle of peace.
From its brilliant green
I receive a hope for the future.

A circle of peace.
In its ocean blue
I deepen my commitment to
community.

A circle of peace.
In its sunlight orange
I collect energy for healing.

A circle of peace.
With its crimson red
I carry passion to engage.

A circle of peace.
In its full rainbow
we find wholeness in our work

Gift of Gifts

for Ko

My son, my love,
wondrous is your gift.
Your peaceful mind
is so precious to me.

My son, my love,
wondrous is your gift.
Your march for peace
is so precious to me.

My son, my love,
wondrous is your gift.
Your faith in nonviolence
is so precious to me.

My son, my love,
wondrous is your gift.
Your smile in peace
is so precious to me.

“The Circle of All Nations” by Kazuaki Tanahashi, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

Hand

for Karuna

Your hand.
My hand.
We plant flowers.

Your hand.
My hand.
We will not shoot guns.

Your hand.
My hand.
We will not build weapons.

Your hand.
My hand.
We will not drop bombs.

Your hand.
My hand.
We write peace songs.

“One Million Suns” by Kazuaki Tanahashi.

Four Commonplace Truths

The four noble truths, taught by Shakyamuni Buddha soon after his enlightenment, have functioned in Buddhism as the most essential understanding of life and as suggestions for ways to achieve liberation. They are:

1. Suffering is pervasive in life.
2. The cause of suffering is craving/self-centered desire.
3. Nirvana (experience of nonduality) is a realm free from suffering.
4. The means for attaining nirvana is the practice of the eightfold noble path.

The eightfold noble path is wholesome understanding, wholesome thoughts, wholesome speech, wholesome action, wholesome livelihood, wholesome effort, wholesome mindfulness, and wholesome concentration.

The aim of these principles is to rescue individuals from anguish so that they might achieve personal liberation.

Social services, such as care of the sick and aged, feeding the hungry, and education, have all been important elements in Buddhist practice. In this regard, Buddhism has been engaged in social issues throughout history. But when an increasing number of people in the Western world started practicing Buddhism in the last half of the twentieth century, the concept of Engaged Buddhism emerged. It is an attempt to apply Buddhist teaching to the realm of social transformation, including peace and environmental work.

Then, there arises a question: Are the Four Noble Truths sufficient to be the guiding principles for social transformation? Or do we need other principles for social engagement?

Some of you may say that the Four Noble Truths are enough and all we need to do is to reinterpret them at a time when the survival of humanity and the earth is at stake. Others may say that we need new principles of action to supplement the Four Noble Truths.

I personally felt a need to summarize the commonsensical and basic belief I have been following unconsciously while participating in peace and environmental work. Thus the concept of the four commonplace truths has emerged. These truths are:

1. No situation is impossible to change.
2. A communal vision, outstanding strategy, and sustained effort can bring forth positive changes.
3. Everyone can help make a difference.
4. No one is free of responsibility.

You may notice the Buddhist teaching of impermanence in the first principle. These principles have been inspired by the Buddha’s teaching, more than two and a half millennia old.

But action for peace, the environment, and social justice should not be confined by religion or ideology. Likewise, these principles ought to be universal. They must be tested in all situations by all groups of people before they can definitely be called “truths.” Until then, these four principles will merely be candidates for truths.

“Breakthrough” by Kazuaki Tanahashi.

Ten Laws of Breakthrough

1. Breakthrough may or may not occur. The result is unpredictable, and how it happens is mysterious. All we can do is to work toward breakthrough.
2. Some breakthroughs are life-affirming, and others destructive.
3. The chance for breakthrough increases when the objective and the process are clearly stated.
4. The chance for breakthrough increases when the blocks are clearly identified.
5. The smaller the objective is, the larger is the chance for breakthrough.
6. An effective, intense, and continuous effort builds a foundation for breakthrough.
7. The more forces combine, the larger is the chance for breakthrough.
8. The greater the objective is, the easier it is to bring together force for breakthrough.
9. The chance for breakthrough increases when more attention is directed to the process than to the goal.
10. Nonattachment is a crucial element for breakthrough.

Tanahashi creating “Where Are We Going?”

What Does an Artist Do?

1. Dreams and fantasizes, envisioning what seems to be impossible as possible. In this regard many scientists, social reformers, and entrepreneurs are artists.
2. Creates concepts, perspectives, paradigms, terms, languages, mottoes, images, symbols, sounds, feelings, and forms.
3. Communicates by drawing attention, asking questions, sending messages, and persuading.
4. Helps bring people together by involving them in common creative activities, discussions, and sharing of thoughts and visions.

From Painting Peace: Art in a Time of Global Crisis, by Kazuaki Tanahashi © 2018 by Kazuaki Tanahashi. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications.