Learning Chinese Calligraphy; Accomplishing Self-cultivation of Personality

The Fourth International Conference on East Asian Calligraphy Education

University of South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina USA

October 5-17, 2004

Ladies and Gentleman:

       Chinese calligraphy is an excellent traditional art of the Chinese nation, with a unique artistic quality and style.  Its artistic charisma and social function attract thousands of Chinese to strike after it diligently.  In the thousands of years of continuous evolution, revolution, practice and development, Chinese calligraphy not only has developed different styles but also given rise to the numerous generations of calligraphists, who inherit and develop the art into the different artistic styles and schools.  With Chinese characters as its embodiment, with its writing instrument’s complementary characteristics of both strength and softness, with the form structure of Chinese characters constituted by the different kinds of strokes – dot, horizontal, left-falling and right-falling strokes etc. – and with the many and various literary poetic writings of Chinese culture, such as poems and lyrics, Chinese calligraphy has demonstrated to Chinese and even the world its unique style and feature, which is popular among not only Chinese but also in South-east Asia and even around the world.

       Let me now talk about my views on the relationship between Chinese calligraphy and Chinese tradition, especially the relationship between Chinese calligraphy and Confucian culture.

       Chinese calligraphy is not merely a beautification of written words.  It has incorporated the traditional Chinese culture, especially the essence of Confucian culture, so it embodies the internal consolidatory force unique to the traditional Chinese culture.  That’s what makes generations of scholars and literary men be absorbed, intoxicated or even attached to it.  It embodies the amazing impact of Chinese culture in the various aspects of aesthetics, art and humanities and hence, it also possesses a charisma that transcends time, nations, national boundaries and various religious cultures.

       As Chinese calligraphy has incorporated the traditional Chinese culture, especially the essence of Confucian culture, it has a function of cultivating noble personality and therefore, enabling us to enrich our cultural life, to enjoy art while being educated in humanities.  It can also enhance the establishment of spiritual civilization of the Chinese nation.

       Besides, in the process of admiration and creation of Chinese calligraphy, people can attain self-cultivation in practising calligraphy, which is highly advantageous to their physical and mental health.  This is exactly what makes calligraphy a better embodiment of the spiritual essence of the Chinese nation, and hence, an ever-lasting cultural feature.

       A doctrine of Confucianism is “cultivating oneself, harmonizing one’s family, governing the country well, bringing peace to the world” with “cultivating oneself” as its foundation.  The Great Learning says: “From the emperor to common people, cultivating oneself is the foundation.”  It is to say whoever one is, a ruler or a civilian, one must start with “cultivating oneself” if he wants to perfect his career for life.  That is: “If one intends to promote virtue worldwide, one should first govern the country well; if one intends to govern the country well, one should first harmonize one’s family; if one intends to harmonize one’s family, one should first cultivate oneself.”  Cultivating oneself bears a very important significance in a Confucianist’s life.

       We know that there is a very close relationship between the inheritance and creation process of Chinese calligraphy and “cultivating oneself.”  The Chinese calligraphy’s cultivation of personality and nourishment of noble personality are linked to Confucianism’s “cultivating oneself.”  Many Confucianists are also celebrated calligraphists.  They take calligraphy, painting, poetry and playing the qin (a kind of musical instrument) as their compulsory subjects for upgrading their self-cultivation and moulding their temperament.  They devote their energies all their lifetime to copying models of calligraphy and never get bored with it; they enjoy all their life the endless pleasure from Chinese calligraphy.  Aoyang Xiu said, “ Several things have been my favourites since my childhood; since my middle age, I have given up some of them, or become too bored with some and won’t try it anymore; or some are still my favourities … but it is only calligraphy that remains my favourite, with my attachment to and interest in which grow as time goes on.  While practising calligraphy, I will not easily get tired and it is a good way to “while away a day.”  Then I come to realize that the virtuous in the past were also aware of it and did not practise calligraphy unintentionally.

       The ancient calligraphy of Chinese, despite the scrubbing of ever-flowing powerful current of history, has never been eliminated but instead, with the persistent effort of the calligraphists and calligraphy–lovers, has inherited the tradition; Chinese calligraphy has been given a new life in accordance with the characteristics and demands of new eras.

       Today, calligraphists and calligraphy educationists from around the world have gathered at the University of South Carolina to discuss the art of Chinese calligraphy and its education, each giving their own valuable views.  Such an unprecedented event really moves me.

       I hope that all Chinese calligraphists, calligraphy-lovers and the educationists all over the world can work hand in hand to enable a free development of different forms and styles in the calligraphy art, learning from others’ strong points to offset one’s weakness and promoting Chinese calligraphy with the wonderful writing brushes handed down from our ancestors.  I also hope that it can also encourage the younger generation to attach much importance to self-cultivation, nourish a noble personality, promote Confucian ethics and morality and push one step forward the spiritual civilization of all mankind. 

       Thank you very much.