A Collection of Classical Chinese Literary Studies (3 Volumes)

Author: Hu Jingzhi (Compiler) / Country:
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-07-01
Features:
"(Qing) Song Cong's Mantang Shuo Shi, quoted from the Shanghai edition of Qing Shi Hua (Two Souths)." Beautiful writing is the transformation of Wang Zhi, yet it does not mention the words "laziness" or "civilizing governance." It is serene, pleasant, and spontaneous, with knowledge like a woman and ignorance like an object. Sharing the same realm of great harmony, they forget their very existence. This is the spirit of Wang Feng's bright and open atmosphere.
"(Qing) Shen's Shuo Shi Wei Yu (Volume 1), quoted from the People's Literature Publishing House edition. The musicality of poetry is not beyond the two extremes of sorrow and joy. Joy is determinedly peaceful, while sorrow is determinedly moving. It further distinguishes between trivial and significant matters, classifying them as high or low, thick or thin, so that the inspiration aligns naturally with the divine principle, all converging into one. Joy makes people dance, while sorrow makes people weep—this is what is called "when the meaning is pleasing, it moves."
"(Qing) Li's Zhen Yi Zhai Shi Shuo · Shi Tan Za Lu, quoted from the Shanghai edition of Qing Shi Hua. When the heart is free of desire, the Dao arises. Like dreams or immortals, lines are written spontaneously. The natural voice resounds with natural charm; good poetry is merely close to human emotions.
"(Qing) Zhang Wen Tao's Twelve Quatrain Discussions on Poetry (Chuan Shan Shi Zhang Volume 11), quoted from the Jiaqing Yi Hai edition. Where does emotion and writing arise from? It relies on the spirit's assistance. When a striking line suddenly appears, it moves the soul—it's like a general descending from the heavens.
"(Qing) Zhang Wen Tao's Chuan Shan Shi Cao (Volume 11) Twelve Quatrain Discussions on Poetry, quoted from the Jiaqing Yi Hai edition. Collecting the magistrate of Zhuji, Yuan Ju, boasts, "Poetry has vitality; you must grasp it, or it will fly away." This saying is quite profound! Su Dongpo once said, "Write poetry urgently to chase the lost and the evasive." It seems derived from this.
"(Qing) He Wen Huan's Collected Studies on Poetic Discourses Through Dynasties (Collected Poetic Discourses Through Dynasties Volume 2), quoted from the Zhonghua Book Company edition. The spring grass in the pond is hard to find; the mud falls from the empty beam, showing painstaking effort. Compared to the great river flowing day and night, the sorrow of a bamboo in the hands of a discerning person is but a tiny fraction.
"(Qing) Song Xiang's Eight Poems on Poetry (Hong Xing Shan Fang Shi Chao · Dian Ti Ji Volume 1), quoted from the Jiaqing edition. If the realm is intricate and the ingenuity is possible, the brushwork may be adoptable. Yet, when the scene and emotion reach perfection, it must wait for the arrival of the divine touch. But this divine touch arises from within, not from the outside. It must wait for the heart to be joyful and the spirit to be serene, entering the room and reclining, only then can it be attained. Hanging silk and paper on the wall, grasp its essence, and silently contemplate it. Contemplate it, and contemplate it again—until the spirits connect. The peaks and mountains rotate, the clouds and shadows fly, and then the divine touch arrives. When the divine touch arrives, the brushwork becomes ethereal, with meaning beyond the brush and ink beyond the ink. Taking it as one wishes, nothing is out of place—this is what is called "natural." The painting that is naturally formed is as different from the one formed by human effort as heaven is from earth. Later, you will verify that my words are not in vain.
"(Qing) Bu Yan Tu's Heart Method of Painting Studies (Collected Chinese Painting Theory), quoted from the Chinese Painting Theory Compendium. When the rules are exhausted, transformation arises. When the moment of inspiration meets, it reveals itself in the fullness of ink and brush—without it, it cannot be obtained; past it, it cannot be repeated. The meeting of the moment is a miracle for all ages. Wu Da Zi painted the Transformation of Hell, also because he had no idea to start, so he borrowed Pei General's dance-sword to touch the spark. This is perhaps something that can be met by the spirit but not sought by the mind. When the spirit arrives, there is no hesitation or delay, as it arises from the heavens. Its unstoppable nature is like an arrow leaving the bow. Its unpredictability is like thunder emerging from the earth. Before it, it is unknowable where it came from; after it, it is unknowable where it ended. Neither before nor after, it arrives at the perfect moment—when inspiration and opportunity meet, a masterpiece that can be met but not sought is created. Even if one tries to pursue it with double the effort later, the further one goes, the farther away it becomes. Who knows that later pursuit is already human-made, not heavenly? Only those with a vast and boundless heart often encounter such moments, able to transcend human effort, lie down freely, and gaze across the ages—where heaven and man unite, and what is needed is obtained effortlessly, without planning, yet beyond planning's reach.
Someone might ask, "The wonder of the spirit is entirely heavenly and beyond human attainment—is it not already so? Now, if I wish to do so, is it not still human?" The answer is, "There is a way—what heaven is, is also man's heaven. If man cannot leave heaven, then heaven will not leave man. When thinking and writing, one feels the connection between the heart and the hand—
"(Qing) Shen Zong Qian speaks of lifelong nurturing and momentary nurturing. In youth, one absorbs everything, taking all that can be used, fearing delay and fearing insufficiency. If one hesitates, it is inevitable to regret missing the opportunity. When the resources are abundant and the selection is refined, one should calm the mind and suppress talent, seeking how the ancients nurtured their temperament to form their own style—not through intense refinement. This is lifelong nurturing. When touched by something, inspired, and moved, one acts like a rabbit starting to pounce or a hawk taking flight—unable to stop, one must act swiftly, fearing it will never happen again. If the outline is formed and the landscape is complete, one should then calmly review its shortcomings and refine its excesses, consolidating it to make it firm, melting it to make it fluid, refining it to make it pure, and deepening it to make it profound, striving for a rich and enduring meaning—this is momentary nurturing.
"(Qing) Shen Zong Qian's Mixed Origin of Things flows without stopping. It welcomes what is yet to come and grasps what has already passed. Poetry is like the great work of nature, taking shape from the scene. The passing is like this—there is nothing new or old. Shaping according to the object, changing steps with the shadow. Those who are rigid will recognize the morning but not the evening.
"(Qing) Cao E's Continuation of Poetic Principles · Scenery (Xiao Cang Shan Wu Ji Volume 20), quoted from the Four Treasures of the Study edition. Changing poetry is harder than writing it. Why? Writing poetry, when inspired, is easy to complete; changing poetry, when inspiration fades and the is set, even if one word feels uneasy, it is impossible to change with all effort, sometimes taking months to find it unintentionally. Liu Yanhe said, "Rich in ten thousand poems, scarce in one word"—truly the words of sweetness and bitterness. The Xunzi says, "A person lost a needle and could not find it, but suddenly found it—this was not because their eyes were brighter but because they glanced at it." The "glance" here means a casual look. Tang poetry says, "All day searching, sometimes it comes back on its own." This is the meaning of "glancing and finding." To write poetry as this poem requires one to be a true poet. This saying comes from Su Dongpo, meaning to take the spirit beyond the literal—like a gazelle sleeping with its horns hidden, or a heavenly horse galloping without dust. In reality, the argument is too high for later learners to follow.
Poetry and literature follow the times, always seeking novelty. Ancient works become dense later, and those that do not fit the times are outdated. For example, driving a carriage to cross to Qin, the scenery of Ba and Hu, what has to do with the spring of West Lake? a painter, depicting the beauty of Zhaojun but not the beauty of the Pipa, the face of spring, what has to do with the frown of Zhuolu? Thus, even with extraordinary inspiration, it is also important to be close to the essence. I will rephrase it: flipping through old worn-out wheels, writing poetry as this poem—this is what a true poet is.
"(Qing) Zhao Yi's Yan Canglang's Poetic Principles uses Zen to explain poetry, emphasizing interest and achieving enlightenment. His words are enough for the superficial to use as an excuse. The ancients read ten thousand books and wrote with divine inspiration, calling it "having a separate gut for poetry, not about learning." If one holds a brush and ink, imagining the clouds and thoughts, highlighting the spirit, appealing to the divine, then there seems to be enlightenment. Yet, what enables this enlightenment is also the taste of books, deeply rooted in the chest. Suddenly, when holding a brush, it flows forth powerfully and uncontrollably, whether in poetry, literature, calligraphy, or painting—its handwriting is known as that of a scholar. If one lacks a foundation but only imitates the appearance, even with enlightenment, it is still not true enlightenment.
"(Qing) Da Sheng Shi's Xi Shan Wo You Lu, quoted from the Unwavering Spirit edition. Without seeking inspiration, it is only a trace; with rules, it is within reach. There are times before and after that cannot be mastered, but there are moments of perfection in an instant—this instant is not something one can necessarily hope for, yet those who master it do not know how. The void has no beginning or end; Liezi has the wind of waiting, ascending into the sky, flowing clouds, and covering ten thousand miles—what traces remain?
"(Qing) Song Da Zhen's Wen Fu by Lu Ji says, "It cannot be stopped when it comes, nor can it be stopped when it leaves"—this is what Su Dongpo said, "Act where it is necessary to act, stop where it is necessary to stop." It also says, "Thoughts rise from the chest, words flow from the lips"—this is what Su Dongpo said, "Like ten thousand of water gushing out from the ground." Not only Su Dongpo, but even Yanhe's (Qing) Deng Yi, quoted from the Wen Fu edition