Night Talk in Zhuolu (Excerpt)
Li Ming
In the autumn of Bingxu, I took my studies and went north to study in Beijing. It had been several years before I knew it. Kyoto is a place where elites gather. There are endless art exhibitions and celebrities come and go, which are all unseen. I received the guidance from my mentors and friends, and I suddenly became enlightened and benefited a lot. I often get together with two or three close friends to talk about calligraphy and art, and I suddenly realize something in a moment. I am poor at writing and not crafty, and I am dull by nature, but I have an unwavering ambition. Although I am a stubborn stone, it is difficult to make a tool, but I only have a heart of self-discipline, so I am self-motivated by digging a house.
My nature is quiet and I love to be alone. Living in Beijing and leaving his hometown, his troubles gradually drifted away. When night falls, the cars and horses around me become quiet, and I am accompanied by a solitary lamp. Then I sip tea leisurely and read the ancient posters. I am thinking about the happy things in my life. I am in a trance between heaven and earth, but I am alone. Perhaps your mind is wandering in books, as if you are in contact with experts and elegant people. Whenever you encounter someone who touches your heart, you will remember two or three words. When I was tired and fell asleep, I didn't realize that the east was white.
When I was young, I often followed my father to watch the local sages and write books. When I saw the bright ink mark, I was very surprised to see each line line by line. Later, when he became old enough to learn to read, he loved to play with pipes and ink. Every time he looked for the light in the words, he felt happy and focused. I am no longer confused now. Looking back on the past, the light of ink has become the light of my heart. It is the place of hope. I may move forward in this light for the rest of my life!
Placing the stele and inscriptions on the case is like meeting an ancient person, picking up a pen and spreading the paper, and it gives a feeling of thinking for thousands of years. Whenever I encounter this moment, my mind suddenly becomes quiet, and the expressions of ancient men seem to be before my eyes. Therefore, the strokes and strokes seem to have a origin, as if the target is set, and the horse has a rein. Troubled worries disappear, and your mind and body relax.
I have been studying calligraphy for many years, but I have long failed to master it. Fortunately, I met my teacher, Mr. Yang Shilin, and started to get started. Master Yang has a high level of knowledge and a orchid-like nature, which is different from others. In recent years, he has lived in a corner of Beijing, focusing on the appraisal of antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and his favorite is ceramics, so he calls himself "Tao Yin". I wrote a poem by Tao Yin in the Cottage: The rhyme has been different for thousands of years. Kneading mud still depends on the ancient meritorious deeds. Now I have fulfilled my original wish. Tao Yin wanders without thinking. The words contain vicissitudes of life, but the meaning is desolate. When I was a student of Master Yang, my husband had written "You Xin Ji", and it suddenly occurred to me that I had been here for more than ten years!
Tian Jun Jiuting, a seal carver, learned from Huang Mufu. Imprinted like the person he is, fresh and stable, gentle and elegant. I was a classmate of Jiuting and had a very good personal relationship with him, and many of his publications were published in Yongyin. Yesterday I brought two more seals to me, with the words "Engraving seals for Li Ming is my biggest headache" and "Publishing this for the fourth time feels like a Guizhou donkey". Although it is a joke, it really shows Jiuting's cautious and humble nature. .
Looking at Dong Xuanzai's "Yuluan Ballad Album" today, it is refreshing and gentle, with a clear and elegant breath. In particular, the writing and ink are exquisite, and one can still see the ease and ease of his movements. This old style is like a clear spring in the mountains and a white crane in the clouds. It is extremely clear and high in the open space, and it is carefree and comfortable. However, the connection point of the thread is as thin as a hair, but it is full of charm and grace. There is a postscript by Yushan Qian Qianyi at the back of this volume: "Si Lao has a handsome demeanor and excellent talents. His calligraphy and painting are straight forward, without condensation of habits, like the Zen master's enlightenment, which is beyond the reach of others at that time. Xia I realized this when I was observing in the middle of the fifth month. "The Zen master's words of enlightenment are truly wonderful.
Jiang Fengyuan's "Cursive Script Travel Poems" written in the middle of the Ming Dynasty is collected by the Provincial Museum. I had no memory of it before, but this spring I found this post in a used bookstore at the Lucheng Antique Market. I regarded it as a rare find. This book by Jiang is in silk edition, and the strokes are powerful and vivid. The face is quite similar to that of Chen Jiru, the structure is stable, the brushwork is delicate, and there are traces of the seventeenth stroke method. Although his books are not comparable to those of Dong Siweng and Huang Daozhou, his writing and ink are typical of Ming Dynasties and have their own merits. However, it cannot achieve its own identity and is too focused, so it has not yet reached the highest level. It is a pity that history is ruthless and the yellow sand is long, and I don’t know how many talented people have been lost! Jiang still has this book alive in the world, how lucky he is! .
What is a classic? It has four characteristics: one is of exemplary significance, the other is of beautiful value, the third is that it can guide people to be righteous, and the fourth is that it can always exist. I once visited an exhibition by a contemporary famous artist. Its scale and momentum were rarely matched by others. His person, his books, and his name are all among the best of the contemporary era. I often admire him, and I go there with a feeling of apprehension. However, the works are more thoughtful than formal. The big ones are huge and majestic, while the small ones are dazzling. Watching and trying to figure it out will make people feel depressed. If we talk about it in terms of classics, none of them can be compared. Suddenly I recalled the words of the Western philosopher Hegel: It is like a temple with magnificent decorations but no holy spirit. Therefore, the master of Zhuolu said: The secret of writing lies within, and it does not matter if it moves people too much. If a classic is enough to be famous for a hundred generations, a little will be better than a lot of people!
Literati in the Ming and Qing dynasties only appreciated their own nature and admired the superiority of their spirit. Facing the scenery of the four seasons, he scanned the misty sky and empty valleys, touched the inscriptions and calligraphy with his hands, wandered in meditation and contemplated Taoism, avoided heavy burdens and gained lightness, and abandoned material obstacles to leave no traces. Therefore, many of his prose sketches have a leisurely and elegant taste.
I love it so much that I always have a selection of Ming and Qing essays on my desk. I feel fascinated by its innocence, freedom, and unique expression of my soul. Because I wrote a lot of books and copied them, and I also read the books. Isn’t that the best of both worlds?
I recently read "The Biography of Su Dongpo", written by Lin Yutang. Among the ancient scholars, I admire Su Zizhan the most, and in modern times I am particularly fond of Lin Zaiyu. There is a poem by Dongpo: Things are like a spring dream that has left no trace, and one word touches the past and present. Dongpo lay people have tasted all the flavors of life, understood the way of life, adapted themselves to the circumstances, have compassion for heaven and earth, have upright character and high artistic level, which makes people look up to them. Lin's biography also highlights the beauty of language. It is like a clear spring flowing out of a stream and white clouds rolling up, just like spring rain, moistening things silently.
Cursive script is more valuable than simple writing, because simplicity is not redundant. The ancients said that "the great road leads to simplicity". A gentleman hides his weapons and has nothing long in his body, which is why he has one principle. Simple and unsophisticated, it is important to stop at the point where you want it. You also need to be careful in addition to stippling. The key to this cannot be ignored.
Regular script is dignified and rigorous, and must have an upright atmosphere and the significance of being a model. However, it is easy to be stereotyped, and the most taboo is to be as dumb as a wooden chicken and look like a fortune teller. Dongpo said that "it is difficult for real books to fly".
Today's running script is mostly written in cursive script. The cursive script is mixed with cursive script, which is called "sleet" or "exhibition style". Nowadays, it is becoming easier for people to take refuge, such as Youjun's Orchid Pavilion, Yan Lugong's memorial to his nephew, Yang Shaoshi's leek flower poster, Su Dongpo's cold food poster, etc., they are as rigorous as regular script, with few connections, each word is independent but echoes the momentum and breath. The vivid ones are the most difficult.
The world's commentators on Zhao Wuxing mostly ridiculed his charm and blamed others for his literary talent! I think it's a big mistake. Zi'ang was a man of great talent and expertise, but he was not born in this world, so he fell into an embarrassing situation. If others are like this, what should they do? Escape is actually a struggle, and you have no choice but to face it. This is the move of a wise man. Zhao Wuxing turned the tide of the times and became a role model for hundreds of generations. He achieved great success despite adversity. This is really admirable! His books are plain and surprising, his stipples are thick and subtle, and they are wrapped in iron. They go straight into the Wei and Jin Dynasties. There is no one better than Po Xian.
Mi Fu’s most important technique is technique. In his early years, he collected ancient calligraphy, which was almost unreal, and won the essence of the two kings. Many of his descendants' calligraphy passed down from generation to generation were imitated by them. I love Mi Lao Hanzha, which is refreshing and has the style of Wei and Jin Dynasties, relaxed and contented. Reading his book, it does have the meaning of "standing with a sword in hand, looking around for it, and being full of ambition". Thanks to Quan Yang's experience and practice, he was able to master the art of unraveling the ox. There are so many of us in our generation, so we are so far apart!
Calligraphy is the art of writing the mind, the behavior of the thinker, so the book must contain my mind. The idea comes from oneself, not the same as others, and has its own character; blindly following the trend and following other people's plans will eventually lead to the same!
Contemporary calligraphy does not lack individuality. "Emphasis on self" and "expression of individuality" have become an annotation for the current hustle and bustle. Everyone has their own nature, and everything has its own owner. It cannot be imposed. I secretly believe that personality should be revealed through Tao. The deeper the Tao, the more revealed the nature. Leaving the Tao and tending to one's nature is like killing a chicken and taking the eggs. Books are the way to loneliness. All things are the same and return to their normal state. Chang is the foundation of Tao. Knowing this, it is self-evident for people to choose between gains and losses.
Each person has his or her own way of learning books, but one cannot put the fundamentals on its head. Today, there are those who interpret traditional calligraphy by borrowing Western schema. When writing calligraphy, emphasis is placed on vision, and the strokes are "dots, lines and surfaces", so pointillism is inevitably artificial. Every time I observe this kind of thing, it is often very good at first glance, but tasteless when savored carefully. After observing one thing, one can understand a hundred things. I call this "Guizhou donkey" who will eventually "run out of skills". Chinese calligraphy is related to the human soul. Human spirit and emotion are connected with the pen and ink. Because people change with time and circumstances, it is inexhaustible. It is important to write naturally because it comes from the original heart and is in line with the original purpose of calligraphy. If it is based on arrangement and design, it will definitely be deadlocked.
It is quite enlightening to read the postscript of Nantian’s paintings. Nantian is pure and simple, elegant and quiet, which makes me admire it. His argument said: "Not falling behind the border is called morale; not following the trend of the times is called idiosyncrasy." He also quoted Gu's essay "Unparalleled cleverness, stunning splendor and splendor. If you leave the pure and quiet words, you will fall into the short, long, vertical and horizontal." habit". "Yige" and "Jingjing" can also be used to talk about books. Books are neither new nor old, only high and low. How many people can achieve these two realms today?
When I read ancient and modern calligraphy, I only focus on calligraphers’ calligraphy. When calligraphers talk about books, their words are meaningful, concise and concise, which can make people think deeply and enlighten people's minds. The way of writing cannot be fully expressed in words, but it is conveyed in its meaning. The meaning of it for those who have not experienced it is like scratching the itch just a few steps away. Yu Yongxing's "Bi Mui Lun", Su Dongpo's "Lun Shu", Sun Guoting's "Shu Pu", Mi Yuanzhang's "Haiyue Famous Sayings" and other chapters can all be described as masters.
The most important thing in calligraphy is the use of the pen, and the most important thing in using the pen is the sharp edge. This is what the ancients said. I believe that when using a pen, you must pay attention to the process. Don't be hasty when writing. Don't be hasty when starting and finishing. Looking at ancient calligraphy, the strokes are meticulous and rigorous, not only true and practical, but the same is true for cursive writing. I have seen people writing books today, with strong winds and rain, messy stipples, and complacency.
However, the process of stippling is extremely hectic, the pen does not enter the paper, and the energy is forced, so the paper is filled with impetuousness, which is a warning! "It takes ten years to learn and one is slow", the profound meaning of this can be thought of.
The method of tying words must rely on accumulated efforts. When creating in close proximity to calligraphy, it is important to be able to change according to the words and develop according to the situation. The law has no fixed formula and should not be the same. The most avoidance is the same. The situation is more important than being balanced and complete, so there should be no gaps. Seek the right first, pursue danger first, and finally seek the right in the midst of danger. The goal is to find danger in the middle, and it is especially difficult to see the strange in the ordinary.
People today are less focused when studying books. Ancient and modern stele inscriptions are everywhere, but none of them are deep enough. From three to four, from Qin to Chu, I am at a loss as to what to do. The ancients held it in their hands and soaked it in it for many years, so they could come and go freely. Comparing ancient times with modern times, ancient people were more efficient. Once one post is entered, hundreds of posts will be connected. There is no other way to be single-minded, which is a shortcut. Today's advanced science and technology and sophisticated printing are advantages, but the confusion and confusion are disadvantages.
The winds are impetuous, the temptations are hard to resist, and most of the time it is a transfer of affection, with no real results in the end.
The strokes must have expressions and emotions to be interesting. However, don't be pretentious. I hate putting on airs and showing off. It is advisable to write cleanly, decisively and calmly, write naturally, and have both functional and functional qualities. Steady without losing agility, flying without losing calmness, I like Dongpo layman's sentence "Strong and graceful", which is just right.
My theory of calligraphy is that only when people and books are united and words and deeds are consistent can one enter the world. To learn calligraphy, one must first enter with skills. The combination of human and calligraphy leads to the true state, which is the truth of life and the truth of art. Only when your words come from your heart and your actions are put into practice can you establish yourself and convince others.