For most Westerners, the Orient refers to China, Japan, and Korea, countries that use Chinese characters. For this reason, most Westerners associate the Orient with Chinese characters, Buddhism, bamboo; plum blossoms, kimonos, and women, etc. (Interestingly Oriental men are not included when women included.) See my collection of "Orientalism.")
 
Before Buddhism was introduced from India, Chinese religions included Taoism and Confucianism. When Buddhism was first imported, the Chinese understood it through the philosophical framework of Taoism. However, the Chinese gradually developed their own style of Buddhism, "Chan Buddhism." It flourished during the Tang Dynasty (7-10th century) and lasted until 13th century in China. Although the Chinese developed their own style Buddhism, it was just as exogenous as Christianity. Consequently, during the 12th century of the Southern Song Dynasty, Chu Hsi eventually developed "Neo-Confucianism, which includes a moral, ethical and metaphysical philosophy of the cosmos. This is in contrast to Confucianism, which only involved secular ethnics, as Confucius said, "How can I know about death when I don't understand life?" Neo-Confucianism lasted until the early 20th century before China was conquered by Western science. Indeed, it flourished for more than 700 years in China. Similarly the Joseon Dynasty (14-19th century) of Korea was in the philosophical framework of Neo-Confucianism. For this reason, Chan Buddhism was not developed in China and Korea, while it was lasted until the Edo period (17-19th century) in Japan. This may be the reason why Zen is more famous than Chan.
 
The Chu Hsi school represented the golden age of Korean religious philosophy. Indeed, metaphysical research reached its apex in the scholarly debate between Yi Hwang and Ki Dae Seung, which was lasted for eight years. I can see the issues of the 21th century in their debate. My Polyvore sets concern some issues of their debate. (See www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=36088577 and www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=50491911)

"Six Persimmons"--excluding one persimmon-- is among the most important Chinese Chan paintings. It was executed by Chan Buddhist monk Mu Qi in the 13th century. The painting's reputation arose because it incorporates tremendous brushstroke skills. (An online lecture on it by James Cahill, professor at Univ. of California Berkeley, an authority on Chinese art, is available. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X7NzvEnDhs)
Currently, the painting is housed at Daitoku-ji in Kyoto. Since Daitoku-ji has a very beautiful Zen garden, I have visited there several times. (It takes just one and half hour flight from Seoul to Osaka-- near to Kyoto)
 
Chan Buddhism was developed significantly in Japan, which is why the Japanese word "Zen" is more famous than the Chinese word "Chan." Why was Chan Buddhism not more developed in China? To understand this requires understanding the Orient--including China, Korea, and Japan. I will discuss this in the subsequent set.

Just as William Blake could see a world in a grain of sand, for the Chinese universe can also be comprehended in a piece of rock. Rocks first entered the literature of the Northern Sung Dynasty (960-1127 A. D.) of China as the object of scholarly appreciation, and consequently became one of the favorite subject matter of literati paintings in China, Korea, and Japan.

The Oriental orchids are very different from those of Western. As you can see in this set, although it is not splendid, its leaves are slender and more delicate, and its fragrance is very elegant and mysterious. When I was young, one room was full of orchids, and I still remember the elegant silhouette of the orchid leaves. I don't know if this was the reason I specialized in ink monochrome orchid paintings from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897 A.D.) of Korea at the graduate school. In Chinese art, plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboos are called together the "Four Gentlemen(四君子)." The Four Gentlemen have been important subjects in the literati painting since the Norther Song Dynasty (960-1127 A.D.) in China, and they have been adopted in Korean and Japanese art.