Letting go, a small grass, Thousand Characters Classic

Author: Compiled by the Press
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-12-01
Features: Generally, once a calligrapher's dominant style is formed, it tends to remain relatively stable. However, this stability is not unchanging. On one hand, as time passes, the style developed by the calligrapher becomes increasingly mature and perfect. On the other hand, with age, the calligrapher's passion diminishes, gradually shifting from yang to yin, leading to works that become more tranquil and simple. As Su Dongpo said, "As one grows older and becomes more skilled, one achieves simplicity." In other words, this is an artist's process of elevating from nature through deliberate effort to a higher level of naturalness, a "harmony between the person and the calligraphy," transcending worldly concerns and reaching the realm of "acting freely without transgressing boundaries." Huaisu, a renowned calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, is a representative figure well-studied. Huaisu, styled Zangzhen, was a commoner surnamed Qian and the nephew of the famous Tang poet Qian Qi. His birth year is uncertain, but according to the postscript of "A Thousand Characters in Small Grass," he was sixty-three years old in the 15th year of the Zhenyuan era (799 AD), suggesting he was born in the 25th year of the Kaiguan era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (737 AD). However, based on the postscript of the "Pure and Quiet Sutra," he was likely born in the 13th year of the Kaiguan era (725 AD). His exact age at death is unknown, but he lived to be at least sixty-three years old.
Huaisu entered the Buddhist monastic order in his youth and, while practicing Buddhism, developed a fondness for calligraphy. Due to his poverty, he had no money to buy paper, so he planted over ten thousand banana trees to provide materials for his brushwork and named his hermitage "Green Heaven." His personality was unrestrained and unconcerned with trivial matters. He was also fond of wine, often drinking nine times a day. When drunk, he would write on temple walls, courtyards, clothing, and utensils. He once described himself as follows: "When drunk, I write a few lines at random; when sober, I cannot write even a single stroke." He also said, "Everyone asks about the secret of my calligraphy, but Huaisu himself admits he does not know." Thus, people called his calligraphy "the drunken monk's script."
Huaisu was extremely diligent in practicing calligraphy. He once wrote on a plate until it wore through, and on a square board until it also wore through. Discarded brushes piled up like baskets, which he buried in the mountains and called the "Brush Mound." Whenever he saw the subtle traces of ancient calligraphers, he would imitate them tirelessly. One night, observing summer clouds changing with the wind, he realized the principle of generating form through momentum in cursive script and claimed to have grasped the essence of the "sage of cursive script." He truly embodied the saying, "When one's focus is undivided, the spirit becomes concentrated." After arriving in Chang'an, he gained fame by showcasing his calligraphy to officials and scholars, earning praise from thirty-nine renowned scholars. He also received a preface for his cursive script by Yan Zhenqing, titled "Preface to the Cursive Script of Huaisu." Thus, he became famous for his cursive script.
Huaisu himself claimed that his regular script was influenced by Zhong Yao, while his cursive script drew inspiration from Zhang Zhi, Zhang Xu, and the Two Wangs (Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi). He also benefited from his older brother Wu Tong, absorbing the essence of calligraphy from ancient and modern masters to create his own unique style. From the surviving calligraphic works of Huaisu, his works from his middle to late years are vigorous, expressive, lively, and full of dynamism, as if "snakes and dragons dash forward, like rain gathering and wind swirling." They are imbued with passion and a romantic spirit. When writing, he reached a state of transcending rules, where his mind and hand were one. Yet, because his calligraphy stemmed from rigorous training, it remained coherent and measured, ever-changing yet never deviating from the principles of calligraphy. This was Huaisu's brilliance—where the mind and hand work together, the momentum shifts, and "strange forms and shapes blend harmoniously." Under the guidance of brushstroke dynamics, he acted freely, generating forms as the situation demanded, creating works that flowed with a unified spirit and a sense of artistic unity.
Another representative work is his "A Thousand Characters in Small Grass," written when he was sixty-three years old. This piece, on silk, has eight hundred and eighty lines, with each line containing eleven to fifteen characters. It was collected by Yao Gongshou of Jiaxing in the Ming Dynasty and later entered the imperial collection in the Qing Dynasty. It is now preserved in the Palace Museum in Taipei. Due to its value, it was once said to be worth "a gold coin per character," earning it the nickname "Thousand Gold Scroll."
In terms of style, this scroll differs greatly from his "Autobiographical Scroll." The small grass in this scroll is calm, gentle, elegant, and full of tranquility. The passionate, unrestrained spirit of his youth, as seen in the "Clothed and Unbound" style, has softened with time, becoming more natural and simple. As Wen Jia wrote in his postscript: "Now, observing this scroll, the brushwork is meticulous, each character carefully crafted, shedding the habit of wildness and exaggeration, focusing instead on simplicity and antiquity." This transformation is closely related to his age and aesthetic philosophy, as well as his life experiences. This scroll is marked by refined brushwork, warm and smooth strokes, concise structure, and a tranquil atmosphere, making it deeply thought-provoking. As an authentic manuscript of "A Thousand Characters in Small Grass," it is undoubtedly the best model for learning cursive script. It is now published in its original form to delight and benefit all calligraphy enthusiasts.