“Zen and Calligraphy”

~ Dialogue between William Reed and Senior Master Shuken Furukawa ~

The event has successfully concluded. Thank you to everyone who attended.

First and foremost, we are deeply grateful for the overwhelming turnout, which exceeded our expectations by more than double. Your presence made the event a great success.

We would also like to take this opportunity to apologize for any inconveniences or shortcomings that may have occurred during the event. We are sincerely grateful for the support of everyone at Erinji Temple and the efforts of all who helped make this event possible.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
We truly appreciate it.

This special dialogue was realized on the occasion of William Reed Sensei’s calligraphy work, “Kissa Ko” (Drink Tea and Go), being offered as a dedication.

“Zen and Calligraphy” Dialogue: Exploring the Boundary Between “Calligraphy and Ink Traces” through the Lens of “Kissa Ko（喫茶去）”

The phrase “Kissa Ko”, often used in a casual tone, carries a profound depth, like a mysterious cave.
With hearty laughter, William Reed Sensei and Senior Master Shuken Furukawa ventured boldly deeper and deeper into this cave of meaning during their dialogue.

It was truly a remarkable exchange.

We also received comments from Maejima Soshu Sensei (a teacher at Wa no Mori), who prepared tea for the event:

William Reed Sensei’s ever-flowing spring of new ideas and his flexible perspective were met with sharp analysis and Zen interpretations by Senior Master Shuken Furukawa. This combination likely brought valuable insights to many in the audience.

The dialogue began with a discussion of the circumstances surrounding the creation of “Kissa Ko.”

On that day, it was a performance using a brand-new, large brush for the first time, along with a large sheet of hand-crafted Nishijima washi paper.

The dialogue began with a discussion of the circumstances surrounding the creation of “Kissa Ko.”

On that day, it was a performance using a brand-new, large brush for the first time, along with a large sheet of hand-crafted Nishijima washi paper.

Amidst the tension of using such a large brush and paper for the first time, coupled with the added pressure of not being able to make mistakes, he explained that he neither panicked nor tried to control the brush. Instead, he said he “slowly wrote while attuning himself to the subtle flow of energy (kiryaku, 気脈) within the paper.”

Did William Reed Sensei write the calligraphy, or was it the brush that used him to write?

Senior Master Furukawa immediately posed this intriguing question: “Did you write the calligraphy, or did the brush use you to write it?”
While pondering the question, Reed Sensei replied, “The only thing I can say is that I didn’t feel like I was writing it myself. It felt as though I was watching a series of movements unfold. It was a collaboration between the atmosphere, the people, and the objects at that moment.”

Having never experienced such a sensation myself, I couldn’t fully grasp the concept. However, it was a moment that allowed me to feel the profound and refined spirit of Reed Sensei.

From this exchange, Senior Master Furukawa began to discuss Okakura Tenshin’s The Book of Tea.。

The renowned guqin master Bo Ya (伯牙) was able to play a guqin that no one else could make sound. When asked about the secret to his success, he replied:
Others failed because they sang only of themselves. I entrusted the guqin to choose its own musical expression. Whether it was the guqin playing Bo Ya, or Bo Ya playing the guqin—I truly could not tell myself.”

~Tuning the Guqin~

In Okakura Tenshin’s The Book of Tea, the unity of self and other is described as “the essence of appreciating art,” exemplified by this story.

The guqin plays as it wishes to sound, and as Bo Ya continues to perform, he and the guqin become one. He reaches a state where he cannot distinguish whether it is the guqin playing Bo Ya or Bo Ya playing the guqin.

Both Bo Ya and William Reed Sensei seem to have reached a similar state—an experience beyond our comprehension. Perhaps it is this intangible “something” that Reed Sensei feels in his heart at each moment that gives rise to such extraordinary works.

urthermore, Senior Master Furukawa remarked, “This event itself was made possible by a variety of pieces coming together. Without the calligraphy performance, there wouldn’t have been a dedication ceremony. Was it sparked by the large sheet of hand-crafted washi made by artisan Mr. Kasai? Or perhaps by the large brush? It’s hard to say what the exact catalyst was, but if even one of these pieces—be it the paper, the brush, or anything else—had been missing, neither the calligraphy performance nor this dialogue would have come to life.”

This is the essence of “serendipity.”

William Reed Sensei added, “If I were to describe my life in a single word, it would be a series of serendipities.”

This dialogue event was also the result of countless layers of wonderful coincidences, coming together to make it a reality.
We hope that everyone who participated experienced some kind of serendipitous encounter or discovery through the event.

Finally, we are planning to share the video of this dialogue in some form.
When it becomes available, we will share it on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram. Please keep an eye out for it!