Ch: Huxi sanxiao. An allegory in which three Eastern Jin 東晋 literati realize by accident that spiritual purity cannot be measured by artificial boundaries. One day the poet Tao Yuanming (Jp: *Tō Enmei 陶淵明) and the Taoist Lu Xiujing (Jp: Riku Shūsei 陸修静, 406-477) traveled to the Donglinsi temple (Jp: Tōrinji 東林寺) on Mt. Lushan (Jp: Rozan 廬山) to visit the Buddhist theologian Huiyuan (Jp: Eon 慧遠, 334-416) who lived there as a recluse, vowing never to cross the stone bridge over the Tiger Ravine (Ch: Huxi; Jp: Kokei 虎渓) that marked the boundary of the sanctuary. After an evening together, Huiyuan accompanied his friends as they left the temple. Deeply absorbed in conversation, Huiyuan inadvertently walked with them across the Tiger Ravine bridge. When the men realized what had happened they broke out in spontaneous laughter -- hence the title of the anecdote Kokeisanshō (The Three Laughers of the Tiger Ravine). It is this moment that is usually depicted in paintings. The story probably originated with the late Tang Chan (Jp: Zen 禅) poet Guanxiu (Jp: Kankyū 貫休, 832-912). Variations on the theme stress that the three men represent China's three creeds -- Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism -- and that in the instant that they crossed the bridge all were enlightened in that they realized narrow adherence to one philosophy or religion was contrary to true wisdom. In this way the theme is related to the similarly ecumenical subjects *Sankyō 三教 and *sansan-zu 三酸図. Notable illustrations include works by Ma Yuan (Jp: Ba En 馬遠, late 12th century), and, in Japan, by Chūan Shinkō 仲安真康 (mid-15th century), Shōkei 祥啓 (late 15th century, Daitokuji Kohōan 大徳寺孤逢庵), Kano Sanraku 狩野山楽 (1559-1635, Myōshinji 妙心寺), and Ike no Taiga 池大雅 (1723-76, Manpukuji 萬福寺), Kyoto.