Three Laughers of Tiger Ravine

Yosa Buson

second half 18th century

Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Three elderly men in traditional robes converse under a large, gnarled tree. One man holds a staff, and all appear to be smiling or laughing. Three elderly men in traditional robes converse under a large, gnarled tree. One man holds a staff, and all appear to be smiling or laughing. The scene depicted here—three Chinese men laughing heartily—represents the climax of an ancient Chinese Buddhist parable known as “Three Laughers of Tiger Ravine, ” which teaches that one must push boundaries in the pursuit of understanding. The story tells of an imagined meeting of three Chinese religious and cultural luminaries. The man with a large walking staff at left is Huiyuan (334–416), a Buddhist monk who established the famed Donglin Monastery on Mount Lu in 386. Huiyuan had taken a