It only takes a moment to pour down the Milky Way, and it only takes a moment to stir up the turbid waves in the sky.
There are more storms and dangers in the world, and it is said that the Yellow River is a dangerous road.
——"Crossing the Yellow River" by Song Wan (Qing Dynasty)
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Seeing that Bai Fu can understand the sword technique from the "Eight Methods of Yong Zi" shows that Bai Fu has mastered it.
Therefore, Yan Zhenqing started from Ouyang Xun's calligraphy treatises "Eight Secrets", "Teaching Secrets", "On Using the Brush", and "Thirty-six Methods", and continued to the "Twelve Strokes" passed down to him by Zhang Xu - " "Plain, straight, even, dense, front, force, turn, decide, make up for, damage, skillfully, say":
“First, horizontal, both vertical and horizontal must have images; second, straight, must be straight and not allow any distortion; third, even, must not allow light in between.
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11. Cleverness. When you want to write, you should anticipate the shape of the characters in advance to make them stable, or unexpectedly form them and make them have different trends. This is called cleverness; 12. Proportionation. Big characters make them smaller, and small characters expand to make them bigger and denser. That’s why it’s called.”
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Yan Zhenqing said: "The regular scripts of Doctor Ouyang Xun and Doctor Yu Shinan represent the law of Tang calligraphy.
The calligraphy of these two doctors was born out of Mr. Xizhi's calligraphy. Among them, Ouyang Xun gradually changed his style, while Yu Shinan adhered to Wang Xizhi's orthodoxy throughout his life.
Ouyang Xun's calligraphy is very strict. He starts and closes the pen, and the structure is meticulous. The edge of each stroke is not released outward, but always drawn inward. When you look closely, you can see that the strokes are all controlled, and it is as easy as Mr. Xizhi's. .
In Zhang Changshi's view, self-control has become the biggest obstacle to creation. Completely internalizing the rules of writing, forgetting the constraints of rules, and following Taoism should naturally be the pursuit of calligraphers.
If you want to challenge the limits of calligraphy, you must find a breakthrough from madness, intoxication, and accident. For all of this, you must first enter "Zhuangzi: The Great Master" and recover what Sheng Yan Hui said about "fallen limbs and dethronement." Smart, knowing without the form, is the same as Datong's state.
This state is also called ‘sitting and forgetfulness’. In addition to meditation, it can also be fueled by alcohol.
Drinking can add to the fun, help the drinker to break free from constraints, forget about rules, fall into a state of forgetfulness of things and self, and the unity of nature and man, call out the true temperament, and express oneself in writing. For Zhang Changshi, Li Taibai and other Eight Immortals of Drinking, drinking is It’s not necessarily a cup of tea, but a ‘convenient method’ for dialogue between humans and gods.”
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In the Q&A with Bai Fu, Yan Zhenqing explained Zhang Xu's essentials for learning calligraphy, the similarities and differences between ancient and modern methods of writing, as well as Yan Zhenqing's own experience, whether narrating, explaining, or using metaphors, all of which were insightful. The essentials of calligraphy.
Yan Zhenqing said: "Since then, I have learned the art of attacking ink. After seven years of doing this, I know that Zhencao can be done."
After Bai Fu heard this, he couldn't help but be fascinated. This final realization must be an epiphany. You can imagine Yan Zhenqing's mixed joy and sorrow when he became enlightened.
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Yan Zhenqing said to Bai Fu: "Young Master Bai, when all the methods are clear in your mind, you can further study the calligraphy and calligraphy of famous masters of the past dynasties. Then, completely forget these methods, see things, reflect on the emotions, and use them as you please, then you can travel around in calligraphy. "
Bai Fuqi said: "Shouldn't the true preaching method be remembered by heart? Why do you ask me to forget it?"
Yan Zhenqing smiled and said: "A child can be taught. No wonder General Pei will pass on his lifelong knowledge to you.
Whether it is Mr. Xizhi's "Eight Methods of Yongzi", Dr. Ouyang Xun's "Eight Jue" or "Thirty-Six Methods", these treatises are all writing rules created by calligraphy masters, and they are also the introductory skills of calligraphy. These skills You need to get started, practice hard, and lay a solid foundation.
This is the first hurdle in learning calligraphy, and this hurdle will eliminate many people who are not determined enough.
However, once the foundation is laid, it is necessary to completely internalize the writing rules, requiring the writer to forget these rules, not to be bound by these rules, or even to break through these rules. As the saying goes, 'externalize in practice, internalize in heart'.
Otherwise, you can only be the best inheritor of a certain school, rather than the creator of the established sect. This is the second hurdle in learning calligraphy, and it is also the most difficult one. Once you overcome it, you will jump over the dragon's gate.
It cannot be broken or established.
The second stage is a process of forgetting. Only by getting rid of the rules and forgetting the rules to the extreme can we create new ideas in the law and express wonderful principles in the bold and unrestrained way."
"Then how to set it up?" Bai Fu asked.
Yan Zhenqing smiled slightly and said: "Everyone is not a tree, but can become a sage. The original heart is the bridge that connects heaven and earth and obtains wisdom. My heart is the universe, and the mysteries of heaven and earth are all in my heart. There is no need to ask outside."
These words were so shocking that Bai Fu thought of what he had heard in the Shaolin Temple when Abbot Kong preached the Dharma "The words of the heart are cut off and the conduct of the mind is destroyed." This was also the meaning.
Shaolin eminent monks of all ages have been able to reach the Sea of Wisdom and Mount Sumeru from far or near through Zen practice and insight into their original minds. They can draw nutrients from the treasure house of Buddhism and water the Bodhi Tree bit by bit.
Only when you discover that the power that truly binds you is your inner desire can you truly understand the way of heaven or Buddhism.
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In the next few days, Bai Fu stayed at home and locked himself in the house to practice hard.
A few days later, Yan Zhenqing took a rubbing of the stone tablet. The writing on the rubbing was in small seal script, as strong as iron, clumsy on the outside but beautiful on the inside.
Yan Zhenqing said: "Young Master Bai, do you know whose handwriting this is?"
Bai Fu shook his head and smiled.
Yan Zhenqing said: "This is the stone carved by the First Emperor of Mount Yi, and the person who wrote this seal script was Li Si, the Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty."
Bai Fu took the calligraphy and looked at it carefully. These seal characters started with the pen hiding the front, moved the pen straight, and closed the pen back. The rules were very strict. The round and flexible curved pens and the straight and straight pens interacted with each other to control vertical and horizontal movements and hooks.
Huanpanyu.
The book is like iron and stone, and its power is like a powerful crossbow. Bai Fu felt that Li Si was sure in his heart that the strength contained in his wrist could be restored at any time through the rubbing in front of him.
Yan Zhenqing said: "These words were written by Li Si in response to the order of the First Emperor. He wanted to engrave the First Emperor's great achievements on the stone and pass them down forever."
That day of sword dancing, your last move should be the sword technique. Today we talk about tablet inscriptions and seal carvings.
Stele carving and seal carving originate from calligraphy, and are very different from calligraphy.
If a set of characters is used to engrave a stele, the calligrapher must think of the texture of the stone and the carving technique when writing. Not only must he think of the thickness of the pen and ink, but he must also think of the flying stone dust.
The engraver must also have a thorough understanding of the style and characteristics of the calligrapher.
This is another branch of Tang Dynasty calligraphy - the study of epigraphy.
We admire that a person's calligraphy has a sense of metal and stone, because we can see the strength of the knife carving from his strokes. The power of the pen edge can be transferred to the carving knife, and the strength of the carving knife can also imprint the pen edge.
If calligraphy gives words a soul, then hard carved stone gives words bones and muscles."
No matter how hard the stone is, it can't compare to the sharpness of the carving knife. The sharp attack of the knife breaks the stubborn defense of the stone.
What is sharper than the blade is the soft and smooth brush. The edge of the brush, the edge of the pen.
As the saying goes, the most soft in the world rides on the strongest in the world!"
Bai Fu's eyes lit up. Isn't this the skill he realized from Wu Daozi's paintings?