The inscription may be interpreted as: "Sit in long and peaceful meditation; live closely in harmony with nature." One meaning of Zen is "Live completely and naturally in the present," and that is what this Daruma symbolizes. The brushwork here is supple with a very pleasing effect.
Tiger Hill (Kokyu) was a disciple of Shaku Soen, the monk who introduced Rinzai Zen to the West at the 1893 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Tiger Hill succeeded his master as abbot of ancient Engaku-ji in Kamakura. Not much is known about Tiger Hill, and he did not brush many zenga, but he had a distinctive, bold style.
