Master Hongyi
1. The artistic characteristics of "Hongyi"
The essence of calligraphy art is the form presented by words (including lines, structure, composition etc.), the content expressed by the text itself is irrelevant. It can be said that the calligraphy works of Master Guan Hongyi have achieved the perfect unity and integration of the essence, spirit and spirit of calligraphy and written words. They are simple and unpretentious yet deeply touching. Its realm can be said to be "beyond the Three Realms and not within the Five Elements"; his last verse may be the most consistent with it: "The branches are full of spring, the heart of the sky is full of moon."
Ma Yifu believed that Master Hongyi's calligraphy "left the dust in his old age and published outstanding works. It is always quiet and quiet, and it is regarded as a delicacy among calligraphers." Master Hongyi said that "the word "mortal" expresses: plainness, tranquility, and ease." When Goethe evaluated Greek art, he said, "noble simplicity, quiet greatness" may be borrowed as "sincere" "Tranquil, quiet and great", we can almost convey the basic spirit of "promoting unity". Its basic characteristics, in a nutshell, are: strokes without edges, fonts long and slender, the text clear and clear, and "comprehensive harmony".
Master Hongyi’s calligraphy can be roughly divided into the following types: sutra writing, letters, connections (including Buddhist sayings, aphorisms, warnings, etc.), writings, and pure creations. "Hongyi" is mainly used in calligraphy works such as writing scriptures, forming relationships, and creating works.
2. The development stages of "Promoting Oneness"
First of all, "Promoting Oneness" is constantly changing and evolving over time, and it has evolved from exploration, initial shape, shaping, and then refinement. And the state of perfection never remains still. Furthermore, the appearance of "promoting one body" is also different at the same time, with plumpness and thinness, moisturization and dryness coexisting and mutually reinforcing, and the multi-faceted progress has not stopped. This is called "brave and diligent". The author believes that its basic context is: from flat to square to reach slenderness, from plump to thin to toughness, from elegance to tranquility to statelessness, from being restrained to freedom; moistening and withering. The two main lines reached their respective peaks in 1941-1942 and merged with each other. Generally speaking, its development stage can be divided into three stages:
The first stage: the formative period (1923-1932)
This stage is Master Hongyi’s exploration of the art of calligraphy It is in the stage of experimentation and exploration, so the face of calligraphy is relatively complex. His representative work is "Buddha Speaks of the Mahayana Precepts Sutra" in 1924.
Master Hongyi never stopped his calligraphy activities after becoming a monk. From 1918 to 1923, Master Hongyi sought development along the path of the original Beibei Monument, but integrated Buddhist culture into it. Therefore, although it was still the same as the Monument, the sharpness and fierceness in his writing were reduced. In 1923, Master Hongyi received advice from Master Yinguang: "Writing scriptures should be like a Jinshi writing policy. One stroke must not be scrupulously simplified, and the style must follow the formal style." Therefore, he decided to change his approach and style of writing in accordance with the requirements of writing scriptures. He found the small regular script of Jin and Tang Dynasties, and the calligraphy style began to change. This can be said to be the starting point of "Hongyi". Success was achieved that year. In a letter to Du Shenfu on September 1st (lunar calendar), Master Hongyi said, "The purpose of writing this book is in the Jin and Tang Dynasties. It is no longer the custom of the Six Dynasties. I highly appreciate it." The main feature is the knot. The characters are from flat to square, with a refreshing spirit and gentleness, as gentle as jade. By 1929, Master Hongyi wrote a verse from Master Lingfeng, "If it's not so cold that it pierces the bones, how can the plum blossoms smell so fragrant?" The characters are slender, plump and thin, and the composition is clear and clear, which are the signs of the basic formation of "Hongyi". But there is still edge in each stroke. This kind of style is rare at this stage and can be regarded as a work of exploration.
In 1931, when he received the Bodhisattva precepts and recorded the Karma text, he began to feel cold and thin. However, among them, the strokes are drawn back and forth, the fonts are either square or long, the composition is natural and consistent, and several forms coexist on one piece of paper. Overall, it is still immature. This style is the only one seen at this stage, and it seems to be a test painting.
The second stage: the establishment period (1932-1939)
The representative work of this period is "The Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra" written in 1932. This is a letter written by Master Hong Yi to commemorate the 120th anniversary of his late father's death. The strokes are subtle, the font is long and the 16-panel 5-foot banners are sparse, simple and meticulous.
Liu Zhiping rated it as "the most important calligraphy treasure of his late master"; when it was exhibited in Shanghai in 1936, it was hailed as a "treasure of the calligraphy forest" by the "Buddhist Semimonthly". At this stage, the most important form of application of "promoting unity" - writing scriptures - matured. The Vajra Prajnaparamita Sutra was written in 1936 to commemorate the death of his friend Jin Zifu. It can be said that every word is precise, pure and wonderful, and has the mind of a heavenly Buddha.
Hanshou’s calligraphy is represented by his 1939 inscription for the "Collection of Nursing Paintings". "Collection of Paintings on Nursing Care" is intended to guide the general public and promote humanism. Therefore, the painting style is simple and the text is straightforward. The calligraphy requires first of all to be clear and easy to recognize, and secondly to be peaceful and simple, clean and gentle, so that readers can understand the picture and text when reading and reciting the text. Get inspired by it. This cold and thin calligraphy style became the mainstream understanding of "promoting unity" through the spread of "Husheng Painting Collection".
Representative works that combine both are the couplets, nave, horizontal drapes, banners, etc. written in 1938-1939. For example, he wrote in 1939: "Seek enlightenment with the heart, forget yourself and help others."
The third stage: the mature period (1939-1942)
The "promoting unity" of various styles such as writing scriptures, letters, and creations have matured and gradually merged together. It reached its peak in 1942. The representative work is the aphorisms of Master Yi written during the New Year's Day test in 1942. The strokes are tough and strong, and the texture is smooth and dry; the structure is long and slender, and it can be retracted and released freely; The realm shown is just as Master Hongyi said in his letter to Ma Donghan, "What the character "Xianren" expresses is: plainness, tranquility, and the result of ease." It is an insurmountable peak in the "sparse, tranquil" calligraphy.
Han's "Qujiang Autumn" poem scroll, written in early 1942, is a representative of the Hanshou calligraphy style. Both the person and the book are old and have reached the state of perfection. What embodies the highest achievement is "The Intersection of Sadness and Joy" written by Master Hongyi three days before his death. The font is majestic, flying white and boundless, which is different from the tranquility and tranquility of "Hongyi", and is extremely tense. Judging from the composition, the upper two characters are loose and have the tendency to press down to the left, while the lower two characters are tight and have the meaning of rising to the left. They are mutually exclusive. The contrast breaks the consistent balance in the "Hong Kong One", and what comes out is true temperament, strong life, and straight into the realm of selflessness, which is the strongest voice of lyrical calligraphy in the history of calligraphy.
3. The cause of "Hongyi"
Susan Lange believes that "the artist's spiritual vision, as well as the growth and development of his personality, are closely related to his art. of". Therefore, "To understand calligraphy, we must first understand calligraphers." As far as the case of "Hongyi" is concerned, it is precisely because of Master Hongyi's special experience as a calligrapher that he transitioned from a Confucian to a monk that the "Hongyi" came into being. Generally speaking, as Ye Shengtao said: "Most artistic things begin with imitation and end up with originality. Without imitation, we cannot lay a foundation... Those who imitate with a sincere attitude will naturally encounter a day of transformation. From then on. When it transforms from imitation, art gains new life. It is the so-called originality that does not conform to the tradition. The author believes that the root of "promoting oneness" lies in the word "sincerity".
1. The inevitable result of accumulation over the years
This accumulation includes two aspects: skills and knowledge. Master Hongyi worked hard on calligraphy in his early years, and also had a solid foundation in old learning. He was proficient in poetry, articles, painting, calligraphy, and epigraphy. Later, he was admitted to Nanyang Public School to absorb new learning, and then went to Japan to study and study music. , Western painting, drama and many other arts, my horizons and thinking will be broadened, my knowledge will be deepened, and my vision will be strengthened. This is determined by Master Hongyi’s historical background and personal environment. From the perspective of the times, dynasties were changing and wars were ongoing, which was an era of change; old learning still existed, Western learning was gradually advancing, and various ideas and cultures were constantly colliding; from the perspective of the environment, Master Hongyi was a son of a wealthy family at the time, and in the late Qing Dynasty, Beijing and Tianjin The children of wealthy families in the area are popular in playing music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Therefore, Master Hongyi was able to accumulate richly and comprehensively.
In terms of skills, Master Hongyi studied under the famous Tang Jingyan in his early years. He learned all kinds of seal script, Li, Zhen and Cao, especially the Northern Wei Dynasty stele style. Xia Zun said in the "Postscript of Li Xiweng's Lingu Calligraphy": "I often rise from the rooster's crow and write near the pond. When I pass by the tablet, I can see the spiritual resemblance. I have seen a wide range of people, especially the divine prophecy and Zhang Menglong. Monuments and statues of Wei and Qi."
It can be seen that Master Hongyi was extremely serious in copying, and he was able to look both spiritually and physically, so much so that it could even look real.
From the perspective of academic cultivation, Master Hongyi’s cultural knowledge structure mainly consists of three aspects: first, old learning, which is traditional culture; second, new learning, also known as democratic culture; third, Western learning, which is Western culture . These cultures come together, collide, infiltrate, and merge with each other, forming an inclusive, extensive and far-reaching cultural structure, which also creates the complexity of its cultural structure. Of course, we can be sure that Master Hongyi’s cultural structure pays more attention to humanistic self-improvement and self-care, which is called “self-saving”; after converting to Buddhism, Master Hongyi devoted himself to promoting Buddhism and saving all sentient beings, which is called “saving people”. .
Deep and comprehensive education improves understanding and awareness, which in turn promotes the rapid development of calligraphy skills. The two complement each other, making Master Hongyi both good at hand and eye. In a letter to Ma Donghan in 1938, he said: "When people write, they all follow the principles of Western painting patterns and try their best to arrange and harmonize the shape of the entire paper." Drawing on the composition of Western paintings can be said to be an example of the mutual advancement of knowledge and skills.
2. The inevitable result of life experience
Ascension and fall, just in a thought.
Master Hongyi’s experience determined his unique life experience since childhood. When he was a child, he saw his father die. Later, he became cynical because of the respect for the rich and the lowly and the poor in his family. The earliest poem he ever read was a fragment from 1894: "Life is like the sun on the west mountain, and wealth is like frost on grass." At the age of 15, this kind of understanding of life is very different from ordinary people. At the same time, he often copied the small regular script of Wen Zhengming's "Heart Sutra" that Liu Shi'an copied. Copying is also an experience. Therefore, the roots of Buddhism have been planted in Li Shutong's heart at this time.
Subsequently, Li Shutong began a colorful and even "extremely gorgeous" artistic life. As a handsome young man, a student studying in Japan, and an art educator, he experienced the charm of scholarly business, the feelings of a wandering wanderer, the sorrow of a weak country in chaos, and what started as freedom and joy and then gradually became "empty". artistic experience. Master Hongyi said in a letter to Liu Zhiping in 1918: "If you don't want to be near, you will be empty and silent, and you will be disgusted with worldly things." Life experience needs to rise and break through. Therefore, in 1918, Li Shutong became a monk and returned from "extreme splendor" to mediocrity. Since then, he has studied Buddhism and created calligraphy, and his life experience has evolved from artistic experience to a restrained and pious Buddhist experience.
Respectfully." Master Hongyi has also done this for 25 years. On the morning of the day when he wrote the last chapter of "The Intersection of Sorrow and Joy" in 1942, he also encouraged Huang Fuhai with the words "We must be sincere and respectful when we walk, sit, and sleep day and night." During his quarter of a century as a monk, Master Hongyi’s humble practice was the key to forming a restrained, quiet and tranquil style of writing scriptures. The so-called external factors must work through internal factors. Master Hongyi uses Buddhism to introduce calligraphy, or his continuous efforts to overcome loneliness with loneliness, and what he conveys in his writing is the religious experience of "transforming ordinary people's minds into the wisdom of the Tathagata". Therefore, the strokes of "Hongyi" are highly concentrated, using mostly continuous strokes and simple strokes. The horizontal strokes are shrunk to a minimum or even a point, and the vertical strokes are lengthened to the longest or even exaggerated. The characters are dense on the left and right and sparse on the top and bottom; between each line, There is no adhesion between the parts of each character. The sparse parts in the middle of each character can be lined up, and the dense parts cannot let the wind pass through, thus creating "warm and still" and "the most rigorous tension".
Master Hongyi has rarely been involved in literature, art and poetry since he became a monk. However, he became a close friend of Han Wo, a poet in the late Tang Dynasty, because he respected his loyalty. Moreover, the situation in the late Tang Dynasty was very similar to that of the time, which was also a time of war and chaos. , Master Hongyi still has a lot of passion in his blood. He expressed his ambition of martyrdom many times. For example, in 1937 he wrote the banner "Martyrdom" and inscribed it as "Martyrdom Church"; in 1941 he wrote the verse "A branch of chrysanthemum stands tall and vigorous. The color of the cloud is bright red, and martyrdom should bleed." !", and also wrote the motto "Never forget to recite Buddha to save the country, and to save the country, we must recite Buddha". The inscription of this volume says, "The Buddha is awakened and aware of the truth, and is able to sacrifice his life, sacrifice everything, work bravely and diligently, and save the country."
We can also see from this one of the reasons why he became a monk, which was to "awaken the truth" and for this he "was able to swear to sacrifice his life, sacrifice everything, and be brave and diligent." Observing his actions, he studied the Vinaya sect, promoted the Vinaya sect, and educated all living beings. He worked hard and wrote Buddhist words and made countless connections. At his heart, he was still a traditional Confucian scholar and worked hard to realize the ideal of "helping the world." It can be seen from this that Master Hongyi is still worldly at heart. As Zhu Guangqian said, he "does worldly work with a worldly spirit." Although "Hongyiyi" is plain and quiet, his bones are strong and strong, not weak, like steel that has been tempered a hundred times, which is why common people have it.
Ma Yifu said, "The master's writings are precise, pure and wonderful, just like Master Xuan's writings...the power of internal diffusion is naturally revealed", which is the best annotation of the "Hongyi" contemplation of life experience.
The last and highest external form of Master Hongyi’s life experience is his last work, “The Intersection of Sadness and Joy”. This relies on the power of awareness and concentration, and with the help of the power of death, breaks through the balanced pattern of "promoting oneness" and reaches an incredible realm that ordinary people cannot reach.
3. The inevitable result of the development of art
The Bible says: He who loses his life gains life. Phoenix Nirvana, reborn from the fire. The so-called life, whether it is human life or artistic life, is a kind of constant change, mutual prosperity and decline. When the vitality reaches its peak, it also symbolizes the beginning of decline, just like the ebb and flow of the tide, the tide recedes and then begins to rise. . This proves the development process of Master Hongyi's calligraphy art, which is very precise.
Let’s first look at the artistic inevitability of its inclusion in Buddhism. Hegel said, "The field that is closest to art and is one level higher than art is religion." "Religion is to add a pious attitude to this (the real mind as an art object)." First, only the world of art can provide spiritual comfort to geniuses like Master Hongyi. Then, when art reaches its peak, the sublimation of art can be achieved with the help of the power of religion. Feng Zikai once said that the highest point of art is close to religion. He believed that human life can be divided into three levels: the first level is material life, that is, food and clothing; the second level is spiritual life, that is, literature and art; and the third level is soul life, that is, religion. Only when you leave your raft and land on the shore can you climb high and see far away. This is called thoroughness. In 1918, the life of the man named "Li Shutong" in the world ended, and his artistic career ended with it. However, a monk named "Hong Yi" was reborn, and Master Hong Yi's "Hong Yi" was born with him. "Buddhist Book" - "Hongyi". In the pursuit of art, under the simultaneous action of internal and external reasons, "promoting unity" is the inevitable result of the development of artistic laws.
Master Hongyi became a monk in 1918. He had abandoned all his skills. However, upon the advice of layman Fan Gunong, he retained calligraphy and wrote Buddhist words to create connections and benefit lives. In 1929, Master Hongyi said in his "Preface to Li Xiweng's Lingu Calligraphy": "The master of music and calligraphy has become more and more relaxed, which is deeply admonished by the Buddha. However, those who study it can do their best to write Buddhist scriptures and spread them throughout the world. It is not useless to make all sentient beings happy to accept it, benefit themselves and others, and share the Buddha's path." Hegel said: "Only improving human beings is the use of art and the highest purpose of art." In 1935, Master Hongyi once said to Ye Qingyan, "The remaining calligraphy is the Dharma." This shows Master Hongyi's awareness and confidence in the art of calligraphy. The art of calligraphy is the raft on which Master Hongyi strives to "save himself", and it is also the boat he uses to educate all living beings and improve the national mentality to "save others".
Master Hongyi’s basic literary and artistic thought is: literature and art should be passed down from person to person, not from person to person; literature and art should be understood first and then by people. In short, that means, be a human being first and then be an artist. Master Hongyi’s artistic proposition is truth, sincerity, and enlightenment.
Lu Danlin, an old friend of Nanshe, said that Master Hongyi "is a true speaker, a real speaker, a person who speaks the truth, a person who does not lie, and a person who does not speak differently." He is also a sincere, conscientious and thorough person. Therefore, Master Hongyi's calligraphy art must move towards "Hongyi unity".
One thing is true. Hegel believed that “(art) consists in the soul feeling a need to regard its own inner life as the true form of reality, and only in this form can satisfaction be found”, “…works of art express themselves in a perceptual way Make reality - that is, mind - an object." Master Hongyi wrote a verse for the seal friends of Zhangzhou: "Metal and stone are as old as the present, but arts and crafts are always new."
If the truth is consistent with the truth, the Dharma will reveal its true nature; "Poems Inscribed on Zheng Qiao Song Wo Yun Lou": Every word and every word cannot be the truth. All around the Dharma Realm, there is boundless light; and "Manuscripts Inscribed on Wang Mengxing, Layman Laiyuan": It contains the inner truth and is an outstanding master. Being true and still being upright is work. This is the basis of "promoting unity". Ma Yifu said in the "Preface to the Collection of Paintings for Protecting Students" that "the Huayan family says that the mind is like a workman, and the painter can produce all images." That is to say, the mind is like a workman, and like a mirror, he can reveal the truth of all things. "Hongyiyi" works because of the truth, cuts out the complex and simplifies it, and returns everything to its origin, so it obtains everything.
The second is sincerity. Liu Zhiping, his disciple, described the master's writing style: "Concentrate on the writing, take a long time to write, every stroke, every stroke, do it with all your strength", which is also a pious attitude. Master Hongyi once said: "The famous works of artists have always been created unintentionally when they are overflowing with interest." This creation is also lyrical and smooth. Also, “no matter the writing or engraving, it is enough to express the author’s character” (this is a natural expression, not an intentional expression). Only with sincerity can we have a clear mind, only with clear mind can we taste, and only with a clear mind can we achieve the Tao. Because of piety, every word of "Hongyi" is imbued with the spirit of Master Hongyi. As Ye Shengtao said, it is like a room of humble and gentle gentlemen, gentle, peaceful, round and clear.
The third is enlightenment. That is, Buddhism is used to introduce calligraphy.
Master Hongyi said in the 1933 "Stanzas on Calligraphy of Zhuyuan layman in his childhood": "The appearance of words cannot be obtained at all. How can we measure it with a discriminating mind. If the wind painting is empty, nothing can be done." If you understand this, you are a wise person. "The following title is "The layman of Zhuyuan is good at understanding Prajna, and I said that the same is true for calligraphy." In 1937, he gave a lecture on "The Method of Writing" at Nanputuo Buddhist Yangzhengyuan in Xiamen. "In terms of writing, you can write well only if you don't think about distinctions." "I think the best calligraphy or the best art comes from studying Buddhism. Only by studying Buddhism can you write well." Reaching the highest level." He also said, "If you study Buddhism deeply, your writing will also improve. If you can study Buddhism thoroughly, your writing will also improve a lot." "I thought about it again and again. I think that in order to write well, you need to practice more, read more steles, and read more posts, then you can naturally learn well." Obviously, the key to Buddhist prajna and non-thinking distinctions, practice of discussing things, reading monuments, and reading posts, lies in the word "enlightenment".
Taking truth as the basis, sincerity as the path, and enlightenment as the method, you may be able to achieve "freedom". In a letter to Xu Huilu in 1938, Master Hongyi said: "If you write casually with your hand, you will no longer be able to get it, and you would rather be clumsy in your work." In his letter to Ma Donghan, he also said, "... calligraphy, painting, brushwork, and writing strength... are all rejected. , never try to figure things out", showing the "free" state of not thinking about things carefully and not caring about clumsiness. "Life advances towards negation and the pain of negation. Only by eliminating opposition and contradiction can life become affirmative of itself." And "with freedom, all shortcomings and misfortunes are eliminated." The inner universe is also due to this. It's infinitely vast. Judging from the development process of "Promoting Oneness", it is through continuous negation and then continuous improvement.
On October 13, 1942, Master Hongyi passed away, "saved himself and saved others" and landed on the other side. The "Hongyiyi" he created and the majestic realm of transcendence revealed, the meaning of natural harmony contained in it, and the radiance of the great personality generated by him will be like the moon in the heart of heaven shining brightly in the sky, becoming an eternity for all sentient beings to reach the other shore. The "raft".