news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

Huang Tingjian was a "ruthless man", and this "ruthlessness" was towards himself.

Men, especially men who engage in art, sometimes have to be a little bit "hard" on themselves in order to achieve something.

When Huang Tingjian was nearly 40 years old, he passed by the Sengjia Pagoda in Sizhou, Jiangsu Province. He was inspired by this and made a great vow to the Buddha, that from now on he would abstain from alcohol, sex and meat, but only eat porridge for breakfast and lunch, follow the Buddha's teachings, and enter into all wisdom. He then wrote this "Vow". Let's enjoy it:

The "Vow" is written with the tip of the brush going straight down, entering from the back and exiting horizontally, with no obvious lifting or pressing movements. Only a few long horizontal strokes have a clear contrast in lifting and pressing, showing the characteristics of the brushwork being clear and vigorous, learning from Yan but being close to Liu.

There is no specific year for this "Vow" to be verified, and it should be Huang Tingjian's early work. The habit of over-emphasizing the lifting and pressing of the pen after Huang Tingjian's mature calligraphy style is basically not seen in the "Vow". Despite this, the strokes still show the ambition of the young Huang Tingjian.

The structure is even, the center is open and clear, and each character is independent, making the whole work look very simple and unsophisticated. There is no date and time for writing the "Vow", but Ren Yuan's "Chronicle of Huang Shangu" contains the "Vow". It was probably written in March of the seventh year when he passed by the Sengjia Pagoda in Zhuzhou.

"Biography of Mr. Yuzhang" records: "He was very devoted to Buddhism. When he passed by the Sengjia Pagoda in Sizhou, he composed the "Pledge", strictly abstaining from alcohol, sex and meat, and only ate porridge in the morning and lunch, just like the Buddhist practice. It was March of the seventh year of Yuanfeng." "Notes on Shan Gu Wai Ji Poems" by Shi Rong records: "Shan Gu was in the third year of Taihe, and in the seventh year of Yuanfeng, he was transferred to Deping Town, Dezhou. In March of that year, he passed by the Sengjia Pagoda in Sizhou. He composed the "Pledge"." Judging from the brushwork technique, it should also be dated to the seventh year of Yuanfeng (1084).

Huang Tingjian's "Pledge" shows his determination. He made a "heroic oath" in the text: I wish that from today to the end of my life, I will not have sexual desires; I wish that from today to the end of my life, I will not drink alcohol; I wish that from today to the end of my life, I will not eat meat. If I have sexual desires again, I will fall into hell and live in a pit of fire!