(*)
Zuio H. Inagaki
Mr. Motoyasu Kitagaki was born in Hyogo Prefecture on March 20, 1907. He learnt calligraphy under Kaido Tanaka, Osaka. Interest in copying Buddhist sutras budded in him and grew very strong. He used to spend weekends and holidays at the Shoso-in, Nara, to learn this art by copying ancient copied sutras. Soon he found himself on the way to become a master calligrapher.
His works were accepted for exhibitions of the Nippon Academy more than a dozen times since 1949. He also won prizes from the Mainichi Newspaper and from the President of the National Railway for which he was working. His copied sutras were donated to many temples in Japan and abroad, where they are kept as temple treasures. His works were also dedicated to the Emperor and members of the imperial family.
In 1966 he became a lecturer of calligraphy at the Bukkyo University, Kyoto, and was promoted to an associate professor in 1969. He died of cancer on August 5, 1972.
Being a devout follower of the Jodoshinshu, Mr. Kitagaki lived a life of Nembutsu. Anyone who met him never failed to feel Amida’s compassion emanating through his warm and sincere personality. He was really a white lotus in the muddy pool of the human society.
According to what his widow, Maki, humbly recounts, a few days before Mr. Kitagaki
died, he exclaimed to her: “Amida Sama has come to welcome me!”
“Where?” she asked.
“Can you see, Maki? Right there! How beautiful! With all the flowers, purple
and yellow! Just as they are described in the sutras!”
“Do you see golden and silver towers, too?”
“Yes, I do, indeed!”
Mrs. Kitagaki had never seen her husband look so happy.
(*) cardboard box with original golden calligraphy on dark blue cardboard, and accompanying text (in English)
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Ekō 116 - Schatten op Zolder |
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