Days Gently Prolonged

This Japanese hanging scroll features the calligraphy Hakujitsu Nagashi (“Days Gently Prolonged”) by Seihan Mori, chief Buddhist priest of Kiyomizu-dera Temple in Kyoto, paired with a painting of a gourd by another artist.

Hakujitsu Nagashi expresses the gentle, unhurried passage of time - when time stretches out so softly that the day itself feels long. In contrast to the busyness of everyday life, it suggests a spacious rhythm where you can breathe with the seasons and find richness in everyday moments.

The gourd, a traditional symbol of good fortune and prosperity, brings a sense of warmth to the piece with its rounded form. Its hollow interior symbolizes freedom from attachment, gently conveying that there is no need to fill every space - that time, just as it is, can already be complete and fulfilling.

This hanging scroll quietly invites you to pause, breathe, and experience time in its quiet fullness.