Buddhism originated in India in the sixth century BC and was introduced to China during the Ming Dynasty of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The White Horse Temple in Luoyang was the first Buddhist temple in China. Because Buddhism has strict doctrines, precepts, rituals and organizations, and can adapt to the spiritual needs and ideological sustenance of all social strata, it has blossomed everywhere and produced numerous fruits during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. During the Indian period, Buddhism had a deep connection with sculptures and portraiture arts. In particular, the Gandhara-style Buddhist sculpture art in northern India was influenced by Greek art and was the crystallization of Eastern and Western art. After Buddhism was introduced to China, it was quickly combined with the traditional art of calligraphy and painting. Calligraphy was used for writing sutras, and painting was used for Buddhist paintings. In the process, he absorbed Indian painting techniques, which not only promoted the development of Buddhism, but also enhanced the artistic connotation of calligraphy and painting, achieving the best of both worlds. The evolution of Buddhist calligraphy and painting will be explained below in the following periods.
1. The beginning of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. The Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were a period of great social turmoil in our country. The rapid changes in social relations caused great changes in the field of superstructure. The emergence of metaphysics in the Wei and Jin Dynasties is an example. In particular, the Buddhist thought of reincarnation and the Taoist thought of tranquility and inaction combined with the metaphysics of the Wei and Jin Dynasties have been accepted by many strata of society. The same goes for the artistic creations of calligraphers and painters. Paintings that mainly depict characters and stories are greatly influenced by Buddhism in content and techniques. Buddhist painting became an important part of painting during this period. For example, the famous Buddhist painting master Cao Buxing wrote based on the Buddhist painting ritual model brought by Kang Senghui, and his disciple Wei Xie painted the Seven Buddhas; Gu Kaizhi was especially good at Buddhist painting. It is said that when he was young, the image of Vimalakīrti painted at Waguan Temple in Jiangning (now Nanjing, Jiangsu Province) was so lifelike that people offered 100,000 yuan to be the first to see it. In terms of technique, Zhang Sengyao was the first to adopt the expression method of Indian Buddhist painting. Use different colors to paint at the same time to express the concave and convex three-dimensional effect, and integrate this method into traditional Chinese techniques to create a new expression method, which the world calls "Zhang Family Style"; Painted by Cao Zhongda (Northern Dynasties) The clothes of the Buddha are almost in the style of the Gupta Dynasty in India. These painting styles directly influenced Buddhist painters in the Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties and Song Dynasty, such as Wu Daozi and Zhou Fang in the Tang Dynasty, Gao Yi in the Song Dynasty and other Buddhist painting masters. However, these Buddhist painters were mostly inspired by Buddhism for the subject matter of their paintings, and did not implement the insights inspired by Buddhism into specific creative practices.
Contrary to painting, in the history of Chinese calligraphy and painting art, the awakening of self-awareness in calligraphy preceded painting. It should be said that the calligraphy style pioneered by the Wei and Jin generations reached its peak in the history of Chinese calligraphy. Later generations used "Jin calligraphy", "Tang poetry", "Song poetry", "Yuan opera" and "Ming and Qing novels" to illustrate the history of Chinese calligraphy. The cultural and artistic characteristics represented by each era. The reason why the Wei and Jin Dynasties had such high achievements in the art of calligraphy was closely related to the metaphysical trend of thought at that time. For example, the family of Wang Xizhi (307-365), a calligrapher at that time, had a close relationship with Buddhism. Wang Xizhi once built the Guizong Temple for the residence of the Indian Buddhist monk Damotarasa who came to China. He also had close contacts with Zhidun (317-366), a representative figure of the "Jise Sect" of Buddhism at that time, and was deeply influenced by him. In addition, Wang Xizhi's scholar Sun Zhiyong (a monk from the Chen Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty) was an eminent monk who practiced Zen and studied Buddhism. Later generations respectfully called him "Zen Master Yong". There is a saying in calligraphy that "withdrawing a pen and turning it into a tomb". His "The Thousand-Character Essay on Zhencao" is a must-have for those who have studied calligraphy throughout the ages. Therefore, although the metaphysical trend of thought at that time had a great influence on the creation of calligraphy art, there is no doubt that the impression of Buddhism was also there. Second, in theory, we began to pay attention to using Buddhist principles to explain the art of calligraphy and painting. During this period, works such as Wang Xizhi's "Calligraphy Theory", Wang Sengqian's (419-503) "Bi Yi Pian", and Qu Jianwu's "Shu Pin" appeared in calligraphy theory. The common feature of these theories is that expressing the inner spiritual temperament of the calligrapher's subject is the highest criterion for calligraphy creation. This point, together with the two concepts of "expressing spirit" and "imagining wonderful things" in the three earliest painting articles proposed by Gu Kaizhi in painting theory, has already noticed the importance of the painter's subjective spirit to the success or failure of painting creation. These two concepts are closely related to Buddhist thought. After that, Zong Bing (375-443) proposed "Cheng Huai Guan Tao" in "Preface to Painting Landscapes", which for the first time in the history of painting gave some explanations from a theoretical perspective on how the subject can appreciate the beauty of landscapes. Traces of Buddhism can be found in his way of thinking.
During this period, many monks, calligraphers and painters also appeared.
Among them, the most influential ones include Shi Zhidun (418-366), Shi Kang Dazhi (date of birth and death unknown), Shi Anhui (date of birth and death unknown), Shi Baozhi (418-514), and Shi Hongyan (504-504). 564) etc. Therefore, the calligraphy and painting of this period have a certain inherent fit with Buddhism.
2. The development period of Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties. The Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties were a period when Buddhist sects were most numerous and widely popular. Calligraphers and painters began to try to implement Zen concepts into the creation of landscape paintings. The first person to try it was Wang Wei (701-761), who was revered by later generations as the originator of "literati painting". Wang Wei was good at poetry and painting, and was particularly devoted to Buddhism. He was the first to use the Sudden Enlightenment Zen method of Hui Neng (638-713). One of the enlightened scholars. This created favorable conditions for him to combine poetry with painting and Zen. The objects he describes in his poems are just like landscape paintings, and the landscape images described in his poems have a kind of Zen state. He fully embodied the transcendent realm of Zen Buddhism in his landscape paintings. The snow scenes, plank roads, fishing, village ruins and other scenes he painted are full of lofty and subtle Zen. In addition, the ink painting experiments he conducted when he lived in seclusion in Wangchuan in his later years all show that Wang Wei has consciously incorporated the "Zen" into his paintings. , "Zen interest" is integrated into the creation of landscape paintings. As a result, a group of painters appeared who pursued lofty and indifferent ideas and expressed the subject's interests. Wang Wei introduced "Zen meditation" and "Zen interest" into the art of painting for the first time, which played a positive role in the development of Chinese painting, and played an extremely important role in the development of the relationship between Chinese painting and Buddhism after the Tang Dynasty.
The calligraphy and painting of the Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties was the highest period of "advocating law". A large number of famous calligraphers have deep relationships with Buddhist monks. For example, Yan Zhenqing (709-785) and Huai Su (725-785) are representative figures. Yan Zhenqing has a close relationship with Buddhism. His interactions with Buddhist monks, seeking Buddhist teachings, writing scriptures to worship Buddha, and meditating on Zen enlightenment have deeply influenced his calligraphy creation and theory. This can be confirmed by the calligraphy style shown in his calligraphy work "Magu Xiantan Lun", which does not care about workmanship and follows the situation, as well as the calligraphy style in "Manuscripts for Memorials to My Nephew", which does not care about rules and focuses on expressing one's own feelings. Similarly, we can also experience the transcendent spiritual pursuit of Zen Buddhism from Huaisu's famous "Autobiography". In addition, Yu Shinan's "Bi Xu Lun", Zhang Huaiguan's "Shuguan" and Zhang Hong's theory of "external master's creation, Zhongde Xinyuan" proposed by Zhang Hong in the Tang Dynasty. Judging from their contents, the influence of Buddhism exists. In addition, this A large number of Zen calligraphers and painters also appeared during this period, including Ru Huai Zha, Qi Ji, Daya, Gao Xian, Ya Qi, Guan Xiu, Jing Yun, Ben Guang, Chu Gui, Wen Chu, etc., especially Gao Xian, Ya Qi, Guan and so on. Xiu and Bianguang are the most representative. In theory and creative practice, they can organically combine the art of calligraphy and painting with Zen enlightenment, creating a good opportunity for the deep integration of calligraphy and painting art and Buddhism in the Northern Song Dynasty.
The Northern Song Dynasty is a turning point in the history of Chinese calligraphy and painting art for the expressive function of calligraphy and painting. It can be said that the development of practice and theory of calligraphy and painting creation from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties to the present has been deeply influenced by the Northern Song Dynasty, which is different from the Northern Song Dynasty. Buddhism has penetrated into various fields of Chinese culture, especially Zen Buddhism and the study of Buddhism by scholar-bureaucrats, starting from Su Shi, and represented by Huang Tingjian, Wen Tong, and Mi Fu, who not only maintained close ties with Buddhist monks. He also participated in Buddhism and Zen activities as a "lay Buddhist", hoping to gain insights from Zen meditation and Zen interest. For example, Huang Tingjian directly equated the highest artistic conception of calligraphy with the idleness, purity and emptiness of Zen Buddhism. He pointed out that those who practice Zen can understand the artistic conception of calligraphy. Mi Fu regarded the expression of the calligrapher's main "interest" as the highest requirement for superior works. This view is intrinsically similar to the Zen theory of "mind". In addition, the calligraphy of the Song Dynasty is called the "Shangyi" period in the history of Chinese calligraphy by later generations, which refers to the calligraphy styles of "short, simple and distant", "empty" and "elegant", which are intrinsically consistent with the indifferent and lofty style pursued by Zen Buddhism. There is an extremely close connection with Zen.
A group of famous Zen monks, calligraphers and painters also appeared during this period, such as Ju Ran, who is known as one of the representatives of the "Southern Landscape Painting School". A very important painter in the history of Chinese painting, and also an outstanding art master in the history of Chinese Buddhism. Another example is Bu Huichong, a famous poet and painter in the early Song Dynasty, who was good at Xiaojing landscape painting, and his paintings were praised by Su Shi and Keqin. (1063-1135), Zonggao (1089-1163) is the most famous Zen monk calligrapher in the Song Dynasty after Zhiyong, Huaisu and Gao Xian in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
In addition, Monk Nan of the Huanglong Sect and his direct descendant Zen Master Zhenjing are famous in the Zen forest for their deep and steady brushwork. Therefore, in the history of the development of Chinese calligraphy and painting, the Northern Song Dynasty was an extremely important and critical era. As far as calligraphy is concerned, calligraphy style is prevalent, emphasizing "knowledge" and advocating "interest". The emergence of this style of calligraphy is closely related to the emperor's emphasis on calligraphy at that time. For example, Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty sent envoys to search for the ink writings of famous emperors and ministers of the past dynasties, and ordered his servants to copy the writings on jujube boards and give them to ministers. Because it was completed in the third year of Chunhua (992), it was called "Chunhua Pavilion Tie". Later, Wei Zong re-imitated the stone in the third year of Daguan (1109). Since then, it has become a common practice for both official and private officials to engrave calligraphy, forming a kind of "calligraphy school" that advocates the calligraphy style of the "two kings" and mainly copies rulers and letters. This calligraphy style plays a positive role in preserving the handwriting of celebrities and promoting the development of calligraphy. For example, later calligraphy in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties formed a specialized school of calligraphy. At the same time, and more importantly, the form of expression of calligraphy has also changed, from the past tablets and epitaphs to the emphasis on scrolls, rulers, letters, and inscriptions. These unconscious works were done by hand, and they were done as they pleased, with a lively and unrestrained writing style. This can be confirmed by some of the works of Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu and Cai Feng, who were known as the "Four Masters of Song Dynasty" at that time. For example, Su Shi's "Huangzhou Cold Food Poems" is written in the form of handkerchiefs, with a romantic and uninhibited style. , express emotions and show interest to win. In addition, since the Tang Dynasty established "calligraphy" as a specialized discipline, in addition to its function as "skill", calligraphy has also become a ladder for intellectuals to enter official careers. This has fundamentally changed the status of calligraphy. change. Entering the Song Dynasty, people also had a new understanding of calligraphy, and there was an aesthetic trend that shifted from the emphasis on "law" in the Tang Dynasty to "upholding meaning", emphasizing the importance of the writer's "knowledge". That is the "bookishness" embodied in calligraphy. This means that the quality of calligraphy works can not only be examined from the "technique" of calligraphy. What's more important is that the author's academic accomplishment and the interest of the work should be regarded as important criteria for appreciating calligraphy works. For example, Huang Tingjian regards the "morality" in the writer's mind as an important criterion for the "nobility" of calligraphy. Su Shi covered many topics in his writings. Due to the emphasis on the calligrapher's academic accomplishment, the "Shangyi" calligraphy style, which mainly expresses the subject's taste, has been formed. Since the calligraphy of the Yuan and Ming dynasties was directly influenced by the Song Dynasty, most of the calligraphy of the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties were bookish and philosophical.
In terms of painting, the "Hanlin Painting Academy" was established in the court in the early Northern Song Dynasty. By the time of Huizong, it was increasingly complete and "painting" was officially included in the imperial examination. After passing the examination, you will have a certain professional title, you can wear the same clothes as the court officials (that is, embroidered with "Crimson Purple" and "Purple Fish"), and you can withdraw money and food. This move not only promoted the development of painting, but also improved the status of painters. The difference between "palace painting" and previous paintings is that the purpose of creation has fundamentally changed from the traditional "teaching assistant and adult ethics" to the understanding of painting. At the same time, due to the universalization of Buddhism, the concept that "all living beings have Buddha nature" has penetrated into all walks of life. As a result, Buddhist paintings lost their original sacred solemnity and became further secularized. Figure painting also developed in the Northern Song Dynasty. There were a number of famous portrait artists in the palace painting academy. The "Miao Shan" in Su Shi's "Present to Master Miao Shan" was a portrait master who painted "Royal Face" for Emperor Renzong. In addition, from the late Northern Song Dynasty to the early Southern Song Dynasty, genre paintings with the theme of depicting the daily life of the middle and lower classes of society appeared. This type of painting is somewhere between figure paintings and landscape paintings, but the themes expressed are human activities rather than landscapes. This is a new phenomenon in figure painting in the Song Dynasty, such as "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" by Zhang Zerui (Song Dynasty, year of birth and death unknown). In addition, most of the expressions are scroll paintings, which are flexible and light. It was more in line with the taste of the literati and officials at that time who regarded painting as a pastime. The development of literati painting is another important feature of Northern Song Dynasty painting. Represented by Su Shi, Wen Tong, Huang Tingjian, Li Gonglin and Mi Fu, they took "Scholar Painting" as the name of their painting school. He also believed that "scholar paintings" were superior to the creations of painters from the academy. It emphasizes that painting should have a poetic flavor, that is, the so-called "poetry in painting, and painting in poetry", advocates improvisation, and takes whatever one's mood brings, focusing on "expressiveness" rather than the external depiction of objects, and expressing The subject's interest is the highest criterion for painting. He likes to use simple and light ink colors, and the trend of literati painting emerged in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty, which had a profound impact on the development of Chinese painting. The concepts of "advocating meaning", "expressing spirit" and "interest" in the Northern Song Dynasty are exactly the interpretation and portrayal of Zen thought in calligraphy and painting works.
3. The transcendence period of the Yuan Dynasty. The Mongolian steppe empire that emerged in Eurasia in the 13th century has outstanding significance in Chinese history. The rulers of the Yuan Dynasty implemented a dual political system of Mongolia and Han, and the ideology of the supreme ruler was still based on primitive shamanic beliefs. Therefore, rulers of all ethnic groups needed to make various efforts to narrow this cultural gap, resulting in many unexpected problems. As a result, this cultural conflict manifests itself in the visual arts in two main ways. First, the superiority of literati guaranteed by the social and political system of the Song Dynasty was expressed in new forms, and a highly personalized literati painting art that was independent of the control of the rulers was developed. Second, the multicultural policy implemented by the rulers of Mongolia and the Western Regions allowed different artistic styles to develop freely in the Yuan Dynasty. Among them, the art of Lamaism was unique and became a special achievement that competed with Han culture. Zhao Mengfu was the leader of the painting revolution in the Yuan Dynasty. He claimed to be a "disciple of the three religions". In his artistic creation, he used the ideas of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism to penetrate into his brushwork, especially in the spiritual outlook of figure paintings. and made in-depth excavations on the allegorical aspects. The images he writes are full of artistic appeal. The protagonist of "The Picture of the Monk from the Western Regions in Red" painted by Zhao Mengfu in 1304 is Lama Dengba, a monk from the Western Regions. Huang Gongwang (1269-1354), one of the "Four Yuan Schools", used the special spirit of folk religion to embody the essence of traditional culture such as Buddhism and Taoism in visual art. In his "Secrets of Writing Landscapes", he specifically talked about the four taboos of landscape painting: "The four main taboos in painting are to avoid evil, sweetness, vulgarity and laziness". He lived a monk-like life and was compatible with various elements of society, which greatly enriched his spiritual experience. The painting creation maintains the noble spiritual concept and shines with dazzling light. His "Tianchi Stone Wall Picture" and "Danya Jade Tree Picture", which express the scenery of Suzhou, use simple outlines to create the artistic effect of "scenery with complicated brushwork". The mixture of dark green and dark green is used to dye it, forming a void and agile artistic effect in the richness. Created a new style of literati landscape. Wu Zhen, another of the "Four Families of the Yuan Dynasty", is called Meihua Taoist, and he is also Meisha Mi or Meihua monk. The painting "Ink Bamboo Book" is an attempt to integrate Buddhist and Taoist thoughts into the practice of painting. It expresses the painter's words and deeds to his son in the form of ink bamboo, which is full of Zen. Among the four painters at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the one with the most outstanding personal appearance was Ni Zan, who emphasized the opposition between "Qing" and "Vulgar" in painting. "Vulgarity" is a taboo in painting. He has a noble nature and has lived a wandering and secluded life in Taihu Lake all his life. Going to and from temples. He lived a life similar to that of a monk, keeping himself clean and self-preserving. His extraordinary attitude towards things outside his body ensured his great success in art. The emergence of Ni Zan gave a new model to the painter's character issue, which is the most important issue in Chinese literati painting. He linked the painting quality and character and emphasized that the painting is passed down from person to person. This is why Yuan painting became the successor to Song Dynasty painting. Another peak of ideological foundation. In the landscape painting "Six Gentlemen" painted by Ni Zan, the issues of "landscape without people" and "land with me" are addressed. Great performance. Six trees of different species form the main body of the painting, separated by the empty mine river, and echoing the distant mountains above the painting. This is Ni Zan's most typical composition. It embodies the characteristics of "broadness and distance". Using pine, cypress, cypress, etc. to symbolize the character of the literati is more expressive than adding characters.
4. The peak period of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Ming and Qing paintings are basically the aftereffects of Yuan Dynasty paintings. In other words, Yuan Dynasty paintings are the objects that Ming and Qing painters constantly strive to surpass. The cultural conflicts experienced by the Yuan people and their solutions to resolve the conflicts had the most profound impact on subsequent artists.
In 1368, the Ming Dynasty established by Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and restored the political rule of the Han nationality. It became an important stage in the development of China's later feudal social economy and culture. The painting of the Ming Dynasty was a period of diverse schools. All style creations have previous generations of styles for reference. The Zhejiang School painters, with Dai Jin of Qiantang as their originator, absorbed various elements from the painters of the Southern Song Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty in terms of the reproduction ability of painting. reached a high level of achievement. The artistic practice of the Wu School of painting by scholar-bureaucrats led by Shen Zhou and Wen Zhengming inherited the literati painting ideas of the late Yuan Dynasty. Especially the Songjiang School of Painting, which had the greatest influence in the late Ming Dynasty. As a variant of the Wumen School, Dong Qichang, Chen Jiru and others launched a cultural movement of unprecedented scale in both theory and practice. This is the idea of ??re-planning the history of art based on the "North and South School of Landscape", and pushing the unique pen and ink form in Wen Weiren's paintings to a new level. It became the dominant thought in the art world for the next three hundred years.
The history of the "Zhejiang School" and the court painting of the Ming Dynasty was a glorious period when professional painters regrouped and showed off their talents.
It followed the leading style of the Southern Song Dynasty Painting Academy and mastered basic artistic modeling skills. These painters were talented and good at expressing various themes. Dai Jin, Wu Wei, Zhang Lu and others were all good at figure painting, which was beyond the reach of most literati painters in the Wu family. Dai Jin, Wu Wei and others also mastered the ability of murals from folk painting schools such as Wu Daozi, such as Dai's painting of Bao'en Temple and Wu's painting of Nanjing Changhua Temple. The themes include Five Hundred Arhats, and their images are varied and amazing. Xu Qin lamented in "Records of Ming Dynasty Paintings": "In recent times, the masters are not good at it, but they are just disdainful. The monks, monasteries, and verandas are all filthy and vulgar, and they are no longer worthy of appreciation."
Dong Qichang and Chen Jiru took the Zen Buddhism from Nan to Dun to the North as the division of painting schools. They believed that the paintings of the Southern Song Dynasty were paintings of scholars, which originated from enlightenment, with a high and elegant style, leisurely and elegant; the paintings of the Northern Song Dynasty were paintings of connoisseurs. . It only emphasizes hard work, full of craftsmanship, and is boring and complicated. This sectarian theory made ink landscape painting the mainstay of the painting world. Using Zen's sudden enlightenment in the Southern Song Dynasty and gradual enlightenment in the Northern Song Dynasty as metaphors, it profoundly reveals the basic rules in artistic creation. The realm of art is sublimated by the blending of gradual enlightenment and sudden enlightenment. This kind of sublimation is reflected in the art of calligraphy and painting, which is to remove the vulgarity, dust and turbidity, and gain elegance, clarity and spirit. Just as Qin Zu's "Tongyin Theory of Painting" said that Dong Qichang's freehand ink landscapes "have a free and unrestrained spirit as soon as he writes, with extraordinary wind and spirit, beautiful bones and pure charm." Chen Jiru, a famous painter of Songjiang School, is everywhere in figure landscape paintings. It embodies the Zen unity, which is what Shen Hao, one of the Wumen painters, said in his painting theory: "similar but not similar, not similar but similar". This is Zen in painting.
The "Four Kings of Wu Hun" (Wang Shimin, Wang Jian, Wang Hui, Wang Yuanqi, Wu Li, and Yun Ge) who appeared in the early Qing Dynasty, and the "Four Monks" (Hongren, Kuncan, Bada, and Shi Tao) The completely different artistic styles, in terms of the traditions they inherit, are directly related to Dong Qichang's artistic epistemology. "Four Kings Wu Hun" focuses on the abstraction of the formal structure of pen and ink, while "Four Monks" is superior in the ideological realm of creation. They developed the essence of the "Northern and Southern Sects" respectively, making pen and ink and understanding the basic characteristics of ancient literati paintings.
As one of the leaders of the "orthodox school" in the early Qing Dynasty, Wang Shimin (1592-1685) was known for his landscape brushwork and ink painting, which were ethereal and spiritual. Wang Hui (1632-1717). "Using human pen and ink to transport the people of the Song Dynasty to the hills and valleys, and using the spirit and rhyme of the Tang Dynasty to paint is a great achievement." Wang Yuanqi (1642-1720) advocated that painting should be between "raw and mature", and "reason, Qi, and interest" should be combined Yun Ge (1633-1690) believed that the realm of painting "is as far-reaching in meaning as it is profound in its realm." The "far meaning" lies in "everyone can see it, but no one can see it"; the "profound realm" lies in "not seeking similarity at all" and "independently participating in the power of creation". Only in this way can we create a wonderful world of art. Therefore, "far" and "deep" are actually the Zen of landscape painting. Hongren (1610-1664), one of the "Four Monks" in the early Qing Dynasty, advocated that painters should follow the creation of heaven and earth and learn from natural landscapes, emphasizing the expression of individuality and unrestrained emotions in brushwork. The painting "Huangshan Shixin Peak" reflects the artist's original cold and tranquil artistic conception; the rock lines are straight and steep, and the many and empty spaces are outlined without rendering. Only a few clusters of trees are highlighted, which creates a strange change in density. . The paintings are mostly composed of geometric blocks, and their proud attitude gives people an extraordinary and otherworldly beauty. Kun Can (1612-1673) often meditated in seclusion, his house and courtyard were quiet, and he did not hear the sound of carriages and horses. He studied ancient calligraphy and paintings, and his dreams also had the same meaning. His paintings are "spicy and quaint, almost close to the ancient style." Zhu Da (1626-1705), known as Bada Shanren, became a monk after the fall of the Ming Dynasty. He often conveyed the pain of the country's subjugation through paintings, which have profound meanings. The painting style is concise and majestic, with a cool and arrogant tone. In terms of understanding the painstaking efforts of Dong Qichang in admiring Dong Yuan, Bada Shanren's level was far higher than that of the "Four Kings". In a sense, it was not the "Four Kings" but the "Four Kings" who truly reached the realm of enlightenment in the Southern Song Dynasty in terms of creative height. Bada Shanren, his freehand painting method had a profound influence on later generations of famous painters. Shi Tao (1643-1707) was a descendant of the Ming Dynasty royal family and became a monk after entering the Qing Dynasty. The landscapes painted by Shi Tao are surrounded by green mountains, green waters, and white clouds. They are all expressed in dense compositions. Use the painter's spiritual space to integrate the natural space. Understand the images and rich connotations of natural things. All things in the mountains and rivers will eventually come to an end. The tangible traces of the work are used to contain the thread of life that runs through the universe.
Through the above brief description of the evolution of Buddhist calligraphy and painting art, many outstanding calligraphers and painters from the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties all understood the Zen spirit of Buddhism and penetrated this understanding into their pen and ink to form It understands the profound Buddhist cultural connotations of emptiness, emptiness, tranquility, distance and roundness.
I think contemporary calligraphers and painters can be refined from three aspects: creative mentality, creative methods, and creative conception.
A calligraphy and painting work that is fully Zen-like is always wonderful and profound in meaning. The Zen-like state comes from the calligrapher’s and painter’s own understanding. How to realize it lies in cultivating the mind. Cultivate a quiet mind, cultivate a pure heart. To get rid of distracting thoughts and desires, that is to say, to get rid of the benefits of name and form. Enter the wonder of Zen. In the calligraphy and painting schools that have evolved over a long period of time, although the styles are very different and each has its own merits, its original intention is to understand the heart and see the nature. A good calligraphy and painting work has the same inner connotation, but it is just the way of expression and expression. The forms are just different. Zen practice and enlightenment have non-duality at the same time. The southern and northern schools of Zen are not opposites, but unified. The method of Zen starts from Bodhidharma to the fifth ancestor Hongren, and actually to the fourth ancestor Tao Xinshou. There has already been a change. You see, when Bodhidharma taught the Dharma, he first respected the Lankavatara Sutra, talked about "wall viewing", "two entrances to the four elements", theory and practice. After Hongren, he focused on the Diamond Sutra. Zen has changed. Before Hong Ren, it was mainly a gradual approach. After the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, it became a sudden enlightenment, so it was divided into north and south. Monk Shitou saw this problem and said, "The human heart is sharp and blunt, and the Tao has no ancestors." It should not be divided into north and south. Later they were divided into north and south, of course there were secular reasons. Shenhui, a disciple of Huineng (Southern Sect), and Puji, a disciple of Shenxiu (Northern Sect), had a great debate in Xi'an. Nowadays, we always think that the southern sect of Huineng is higher and the northern sect of Shenxiu is lower. This is a complete cognitive shortcoming for Zen practitioners. The gradual progress of the Northern Song Dynasty was the foundation of the pagoda, and Hui Neng’s attainment was the pinnacle of the pagoda. Without the foundation of the magic in the front, there would be no pinnacle of Hui Neng in the back. Without a foundation, the best will fall away. Therefore, meditation is the sudden enlightenment within the gradual enlightenment, the gradual enlightenment within the sudden enlightenment, and the sudden enlightenment can only be relative. This means that the state of meditation and painting achieved by calligraphy and painting artists is not achieved overnight, but is a sudden enlightenment in the process of gradual enlightenment. Individuals of various schools of calligraphy and painting should be accommodating, not exclusive, and should absorb each other's strengths. Therefore, the creative aspirations of calligraphers and painters should be a "comprehensive phase" that is accommodating and unobstructed. If you are concerned about something and deliberately seek the best, you will not be able to create excellent works with this kind of "seeking". Only when you have no intention of "seeking" can you be "seeking"; only if you have no intention of "becoming good" can you be "good"; only when you reach your true heart inadvertently can the "natural" Zen state flow out. That is to say, we need to get rid of the "appearance" and "mystery" of understanding the two phases (desire) and go straight to the "true phase" of one phase (no desire). The "true phase" of no desire is the pure mind of calligraphers and painters. If the mind is clear and the mind is calm, the art will be clear. "Qing" means the "empty phase" of the art of calligraphy and painting. Therefore, "qing" means "qi" is generated, and "qi" is generated means "moving". "Moving" means "living", and "living" means "living". " is "true", and a turbid mind is not calm, that is, "confusion", "confusion" is "confusion", "confusion" is "chaos", and "confusion" is "false", so practicing Zen and enlightenment is to cultivate the "cause" "If you repair the "cause", the virus will be hard to invade and you will be able to achieve positive results. Only by being free from greed and desire can we produce "excellent works" and avoid the "obsession" of creating for the sake of creation. This is what I want to say about the creative mentality of cultivating a "quiet mind" without desire or gain.
What kind of creative method should be followed? This is the method for calligraphers and painters to enter the realm of creation. This method is to enter the method first, then break the method, and be liberated and comfortable in the method. What is "method", "method" "It is "reason". I have mentioned before that individuals in the art of calligraphy and painting should be "accommodating and unimpeded". They cannot be excluded or separated, and there should be no distinction. Everything exists based on "reason". "Li" "prosper" and "li" live by "Li", that is, everything contains "Li", and the inclusion of "Li" makes the artistic style of each individual body of calligraphy exist, just like the seal script contains He writes official script, which also includes seal script, official script and cursive script, cursive script and running script, official script and regular script, etc. They are all inclusive and each has its own style. Therefore, it is said that the method of artistic creation should be to trace the source (enter the method). However, the creative concept of integrating ancient innovation (breaking the law) means that calligraphy and painting are inherently impossible, and even if there is a law, it is illegal. There is no law in the first place, so how can we be trapped by the law. If calligraphers and painters are trapped by the law, their art will lose its individuality and spirituality, and they will become craftsmen. If you lose your true self, you will fall into the quagmire of fraud. Therefore, it is said that the Dharma exists when it is broken, the Dharma is unimpeded, the Dharma has no artificiality, and the Dharma has no "ego". That is to say, we must establish "big laws" and destroy "small laws." The law is in all things, and only by observing the transformation of things can we get the wonderful method of calligraphy and painting. This is to learn from nature, pay attention to things without leaving them behind. This reveals the nature of the law. The essence of Dharma is that it cannot be learned and is not fixed. This is the "non-duality" of Mahayana Buddhism's "Non-duality" thought.
Calligraphers and painters must first empty their minds and remove their turbidity when creating ideas. The "empty" heart means "empty", the "empty" means "broad", and the "broad" means that all things are born, that is, the heart Without a heart, a pen without a pen, ignorance without thoughts. "Ignorance" is the "no thought" of Zen Buddhism. "Ignorance" means no thoughts, no emptiness, emptiness and tranquility; "no thoughts" means no thoughts of attachment (likes and dislikes). This is the "empty phase" that achieves the goal of not being attached to things. "Empty phase" means "being separated from the phase" and "not being mindful". This is "Prajna Wisdom", which means reaching without a mind, gaining without a mind, being accommodating without a mind, and being round without a mind. That is to say, when the mind is calm, things are still, and when the mind is moving, things are moving. In other words, the creative conception is the original intention. The free expression and the natural flow of true temperament. Do what you want, get what you want, let go of what you want. It is particularly important to point out here that taking advantage of the excitement of drinking and smoking is by no means the expression of the artist's original intention, but a kind of false self-gratification and deception. The natural beauty of art is the true meaning of art. This truth is "Tao", this "Tao" is "reason", and this "reason" is the integration and interaction of heaven, earth and all things. Only such integration and interaction can truly express human beings. Beautiful thoughts, beautiful emotions, beautiful heaven and earth. The interaction of these three beauties is a kind of great love and great beauty. This great love and great beauty also express the beauty of society, nature and humanity. Great beauty leads to great harmony, the harmony between man and heaven and earth arises and develops harmoniously, which embodies the harmonious beauty of the art of calligraphy and painting. This is really intentional or unintentional, and it is endlessly interesting. This is "conception" that is not "conception"
From the above discussion, we can understand that with the introduction of Buddhism, especially after the integration of Chinese local culture, Zen thought has penetrated into the creation of calligraphy and painting art. , which makes the creative subject matter, creative techniques, creative mentality, creative expression, creative ideas, and creative connotations more vivid and rich, and has had a huge impact on the development of calligraphy and painting art in my country