Huai Ren Collection: Wang Xizhi's Holy Teaching Preface

Author: Ji Lin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Wang Pingxi (330–361 AD), styled Yishao, was a native of Langya, Shandong (now Linyi), and later resided in Shanyin (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang). He held positions such as Librarian of the Imperial Secretariat and Right General of the Imperial Army, and was known as "Wang Right Military General." Wang Xizhi was a renowned calligrapher in ancient China and was revered by later generations as the "Sage of Calligraphy." The Great Tang Tripitaka was written by Emperor Taizong of Tang to commend the monk Xuanzang for his journey to various countries in the Western Regions to seek Buddhist scriptures, and for his subsequent translation of the Tripitaka classics upon his return. Crown Prince Li Zhi (Emperor Gaozong) also wrote an attached preface. Huairen was a monk at Hongfu Temple in Chang'an, skilled in literature and calligraphy. Commissioned by various temples, he painstakingly collected and copied Wang Xizhi's calligraphic works over a period of twenty-four years to create this stele. It was erected in the twelfth month of the third year of the Xianheng era (AD 672). The stele is written in running script, with thirty lines, each containing between eighty-three and eighty-eight characters. According to Shishu Ci Bian, the stele is 9 feet 4.6 inches tall and 4 feet 2.4 inches wide, with a total of thirty lines. It is now preserved in the Xi'an Stele Forest. Most of Wang Xizhi's calligraphic works have been passed down through this stele, making it highly valued by calligraphers throughout the ages. This volume is one of the selected masterpieces of Chinese calligraphic steles. It includes the full text of the Great Tang Tripitaka by the calligraphic sage Wang Xizhi, along with detailed analyses of writing techniques to help readers better grasp the characteristics of Wang's running script, including its structure and composition. The book is printed with high quality, accurately reproducing the appearance of the original stele. The key point analyses are clear, concise, and easy to understand, making it a practical and effective model for practicing calligraphy.