Taishan Jingshiyu Diamond Sutra (Part 2)

Author: Editorial Group of "Selected Calligraphic Works from Ancient Inscriptions"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: March 1, 1998
Features: "The Diamond Sutra from Taishan Jingshi Valley," also known as "The Diamond Sutra of Buddha Taishan," is a cliffside inscription carved on granite in the Jingxiu Valley of Taishan, Tai'an, Shandong. The characters are large, with a diameter of about one foot, and the script is bold and vigorous, primarily in clerical script with occasional elements of seal script, regular script, and cursive script. The size of the characters varies, with most being about 35 cm tall vertically and 40 to 60 cm wide horizontally. According to early Republic of China rubbings, over 960 characters remain. Yang Shoujing once remarked in "Notes on Learning Calligraphy": "For large-scale characters, this is the ultimate example." The "Taishan Jingshi Valley Diamond Sutra" does not bear the name of the calligrapher. However, due to its brushwork being similar to the inscription of "Tang Yongming's Name" on the Jianshan Cliff in Zou County, Shandong, some later scholars believed it was written by Tang Yongming. It is also similar to the "Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra from Culuai Mountain," which bears the inscription "Zhiwuiping Year 1 of Qi Dynasty, Wang Zichun constructed." As a result, some later scholars speculated it was written by Wang Zichun. In "Shan Zhou Jin Shi Zhi" by Ruan Yuan of the Qing Dynasty, it is attributed to someone from the Northern Qi period (550–559 AD). The "Taishan Jingshi Valley Diamond Sutra" contains some uncommon vernacular characters, including the characters "wan" () and "wu" (), which are even identical to the current simplified forms. This holds significant value for studying the historical evolution of Chinese calligraphic scripts and the achievements of calligraphic art. Based on old commercial prints, it has been reprinted with appropriate technical processing for the benefit of calligraphy enthusiasts for study and appreciation.