Calligraphy of a Zen Mondo from the Yunmen kuangzhen chanshi guanglu (J. Unmon koroku, E. The Record of Yunmen)

This calligraphy is written entirely in Chinese characters by a Japanese Zen master. The text details what is today known as a "dharma combat"or Zen dialogue, which occurred between the Chinese Chan (Zen) master Yunmen Kuangzhen (864–948) and a disciple. This kind of dialogue would have been studied by Zen monks in training. In a tearoom it also stimulates discussion and imbues the gathering with a thoughtful atmosphere and Zen aesthetic.

The priest Seigan Soi became a monk at age nine, initially studying under Gyokuho Sojo, chief abbot of Daitokuji—the large Zen temple complex in Kyoto. Seigan Soi later succeeded his teacher and became the temple's 170th generation chief abbot. Because of this connection, this hanging scroll belongs to a category of works known as Daitokujimono, or objects with a Daitokuji provenance. Daitokujimono are among the most type of revered of artworks used in the Way of Tea.