Page 207 - Sothebys Important Chinese Art April 3 2018

Carved with a charming figure of a reclining dog, the face 方印田黃質，色如橘皮。頂雕臥犬為鈕，雙眼圓睜，四肢
to this seal reads Weishan shui guniu (Wei Mountain Water 臥於腹下，表情溫馴。雕琢細膩，髦髮細緻入微，栩栩
Buffalo). Weishan refers to Weishan Lingyou (771-853), a
如生。
Chinese Chan master and cofounder of the Weiyan sect of
Chan Buddhism. The shui guniu (water buffalo) is a further 印章由程頌萬刻識，溥心畬（愛新覺羅．溥儒）於1921年
reference to Weishan Lingyou, as when he was on his
所贈，溈山海印長老如獲至寶，刻溈山靈祐之「溈山水牯
deathbed, he vowed to be reborn as a water buffalo at the foot
牛」，藏密印寺為珍寶。「溈山」一指大溈山，亦指百丈
of the mountain to serve and labour for others. His teaching,
‘To be a great leader of Buddhism, one must first do service 懷海之弟子溈山靈佑。溈山靈佑禪師，不求作佛，但求開
for all sentient beings’, symbolises the Bodhisattva practice 悟，願百年後，為百姓家做一頭水牯牛。「水牯牛」便是
of loving-kindness and compassion to help all beings attain
靈佑禪師自在、自由的精神境界，禪宗之楷模。
enlightenment.
The inscription on this seal reads and can be translated as 溥儒，《溥儒集．下》，浙江人民美術出版社，2015年，
follows: 頁930-931記載： 一九二一年（辛酉）：二月十六日，海
On the second month of the xinyou year (1921) in Wei 印上人自北平還山，有《辛酉二月十六日都門還山途中雜
Mountain, Haiyin Zhanglao returned from the north and 感兼寄心畬居士》。稍後，又作有《雪夜讀心畬居士詩札
brought along with him a stone presented by Xinyu Jushi 書感》。 三月，海印上人至武昌，訪程頌萬，以儒所作懷
[Puru] with a message of Lingyou Chan Master. It was the
程氏詩及贈上人印章見示，程氏作詩寄答。
treasure of the Miyin Temple in the Wei Mountain. Signed by
Cheng Songwan.
海印（1861-1924年），又名憨頭陀，俗姓張，湖南益陽
The same journey is recorded in a poem written by the monk 人。清末民初高僧，與寄禪並稱詩僧。他習醫，詩、書、
Haiyin Shangren (also known as Haiyin Zhanglao) entitled 畫三絕，著有《曼陀羅室遺稿》四卷、《碧湖集》等。十
Xinyou Eryue Shiliuri Dumen Haishan Tuzhong Zagan Jianji
Xinyu Jushi [The miscellaneous thoughts during the withdrawal 六歲剃度，潛心佛理，畢生行腳，弘揚佛法，六十四歲
from Du Gate and of Xinyu Jushi], whereby on the 26th day 圓寂。
of the 2nd month in 1921 (xinyou year), he returned to Wei
Mountain from Beijing. This poem was in turn collected by 密印寺為中國佛教南禪五大宗之一溈仰宗的起源地，禪宗
the famous painter Puru (1896-1963) and published in Puru ji 有「一花五葉」之說，溈仰宗為五葉之首，位於湖南省長
[Collection of Puru], xia [vol. 2], Zhejiang, 2015, pp. 930-931. 沙市寧鄉縣溈山山腰、毗盧峰下。靈祐禪師於唐憲宗元和
Another poem, Xueye Du Xinshejushi shilishu gan [Thoughts 二年（807年），來溈山開法，後由唐宣宗李忱御筆親書
after reading poems by Xinyu Jushi in a snowy night], was 「密印禪寺」門額，建立此寺廟。
also composed commemorating related events, providing the
account of Haiyin Shangren arriving in Wuchang in March to
visit the artist Cheng Songwan. Haiyin presented Cheng with
a poem from Puru expressing his longing for Cheng, and also
showed him the seal. In return, Cheng composed a poem,
which is likely that inscribed on the seal.
Haiyin Shangren (1861-1924) is one of the two famous shiseng
(poet-monks) from Hunan active from the late Qing dynasty
and an influential figure in Puru’s knowledge of Chinese
classics, painting and calligraphy. Also from Hunan and an
acquaintance of Haiyin, Cheng Songwan (1865-1932) was a
rare talent active in Shanghai in the early twentieth century,
excelling in a wide range of arts including painting, calligraphy,
embroidery and poetry. He was a founding member of two ci
societies where literati gathered, the Xiangshe in Hunan and
Oushe in Shanghai, as well as holding important positions
in renowned academies, such as the Yuelu Academy in
Changsha.

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