Vast as the sky, great wisdom unfolds, free and serene,
In deepest practice, formless and pure, enlightenment is seen.

A carved wooden couplet hangs on the left wall of the passage connecting the Grand Buddha Hall and the Guanyin Hall at Tung Lin Kok Yuen. Written in intaglio style with dark blue characters, the inscription, gifted by Hu Hanmin, the first President of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China, is signed “Hu Hanmin” and bears two seals: “Seal of Hanmin” in red and “Written by Zhantang” in white.

The upper couplet highlights profound wisdom, free from attachments, enabling insight into universal truth without obstruction. “Deep practice” refers to advanced meditation or cultivation of Prajñā, while “formless” indicates the impermanence of phenomena. “Deep practice of formlessness” represents the ability to transcend worldly appearances and detach from illusions, ultimately achieving a state of “pure bodhi,” where the mind is cleansed and enlightenment is realized.

The lower couplet emphasises purifying one’s true essence through meditation by transcending external forms and revealing the awakened self.