Near two barren tree branches and a moss-dotted boulder, a wagtail raises its head as if distracted by the poetic inscription above—an allegory on Zen training and the pursuit of enlightenment. Near two withered branches and a moss-pocked boulder, a scraggy wagtail raises his head as if distracted by the inscription above, which is an allegory on Zen training and the pursuit of enlightenment. Both painting and poem were composed by Taiko Genju, a monk and amateur painter who trained with the eminent Yakuō Tokken (1245–1320) at Kenchōji in Kamakura before journeying to Yuan-dynasty China to study with Chan (Japanese: Zen) masters like Lingshi Ruzhi (active first half 14th century) in Hangzhou. The poem reads:By a withered tree with no twigs or leaves, A wagtail pecks at a straggle of lichen. Within the rock is a block of jade. When will he manage to dig it out?—Trans. Aaron RioThe pecking of the bird at the rock is compared to the monk’s search for the truth within himself.