Hotei Riding a Waterbuffalo c. 17th century

Kano Yasunobu rendered this image of Hotei riding a water buffalo with ink on paper. Hotei, with his ever-present smile and distended belly, is a symbol of contentment and abundance in Zen Buddhism. Here, he is mounted upon a water buffalo, an animal closely associated with Zen enlightenment. In Zen tradition, the journey of spiritual awakening is often depicted through a series of images showing a herdsman gradually taming a wild bull. The water buffalo is a symbol of untamed nature and primal instincts, its control signifies mastery over one's own base desires. The imagery evokes something profoundly human. This motif isn't unique to Zen Buddhism; we see similar themes across cultures, where the hero or deity tames a wild beast, symbolizing the triumph of order over chaos, reason over instinct. This visual language taps into our collective unconscious, resonating with our deepest aspirations for self-mastery and spiritual harmony. Thus, the image of Hotei, jovial and serene upon the buffalo, is not just a depiction of a deity but a potent symbol of our own potential for inner peace.