On 'Wholly Manifest, Wholly Bare'

mei reki reki ro dou dou — Wholly Manifest, Wholly Bare.

On the origin

From the Recorded Sayings of Yuanwu Keqin (Engo Kokugon), where a monk raises the phrase “wholly manifest, wholly bare” and the master answers, “the eight-edged staff in the diamond hand.”

On the reading

Wholly manifest, wholly bare — nothing held back, nothing covered over. Truth is not far off or hidden deep; it stands plainly in front of the eyes. Willow green, flower red; the mountain high, the valley low. When the mind that strains to see grows still, the world is already showing itself as it is.

On the garment

The seal for this phrase was hand-carved in Tokyo by the artist Satake Hōsen. The front carries this phrase’s seal; the back and inside label carry the Hōsen seal (寳千), printed in vermilion.

The garment is Bella + Canvas 3001 (short sleeve) or Gildan 2400 (long sleeve). A vessel for the word, not the subject itself.

― hosen, tokyo