Calligraphy by Master Hong Yi: Collection of Auspicious Sayings as Couplets

Author: Hongyi Shiyi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-02
Features: Hongyi Master, born as Li Shucun in a wealthy official merchant family in Tianjin on the 20th day of the 9th lunar month in the 6th year of the Guangxu reign (1880), passed away in Quanzhou in 1942. He was a legendary figure, and in many literary works, we can sense his. He was a pioneer of the New Culture Movement in China, an outstanding artist, educator, thinker, and reformer. He was an excellent representative of the integration of traditional Chinese culture and Buddhist culture, one of the most distinguished monks in the modern history of Chinese Buddhism, and also an internationally renowned figure. He made creative contributions in music, fine arts, poetry, seal carving, stone and metal engraving, calligraphy, education, philosophy, law, Chinese characterology, sociology, advertising, publishing, environmental and wildlife conservation, and human fasting experiments. No one in the cultural and religious circles is unfamiliar with Hongyi Master. His musical and calligraphic works, like his snow-white and pure character, have long been household names. Traditional Chinese cultural theory emphasizes "using literature to convey the Dao," "the writing reflects the person," and "calligraphy reflects the person," advocating the unity of character and artistic works. It holds that "if a person's character is high, the artistic works they create will also embody a lofty realm." The purity, uniqueness, antiquity, and strangeness of a person's character will naturally manifest in their works, forming distinct styles. When comparing Hongyi Master's calligraphic works with established styles in history, it is not difficult to notice that his works lack "fire" or the of tools, with characters that truly reflect his person—neither showing off nor revealing anything, blending into the monastic community as a "commoner" or "peasant." This book collects Hongyi Master's calligraphic works—Jingwen Collection and Couplets—his works embody profound principles and the power of character, and without careful appreciation, it is truly difficult to grasp their unique charm.