Chinese name: Wang Xizhi
Alias: Wang Youjun, Wang Huiji
Nationality: Chinese
Ethnicity: Han Chinese
Birth date: 303 A.D., 321 A.D.
Death date: 361 A.D., 379 A.D.
Beliefs: Daoism
Primary achievements: Calligraphy, the world's first running script
Representative works: Huangtingjing, Leyi Lun, Cursive Seventeen Posts, Lanting Jiyu, Hatsumode Post
Era: Eastern Jin Dynasty
Title: The Sage of Calligraphy
Subsequent descendants: Wang Xianzhi, etc.
Catalog
Family background
Representative works and calligraphic styles
Biography
Calligraphic attainments
Gathering at the Lanting
Abstaining from illness
Marvelous Spring Couplets
Wang Xizhi and Taoism
Ancient masterpiece, "Preface to the Lanting", in its original language
translation
Circulation
Commentary by Dong Qichang
Cong Kui, a great admirer of the Song dynasty
Song Dynasty, was a great lover of calligraphy.
Facsimiles by celebrities
Martyrdom at the Zhaoling Mausoleum
Artistic Influence of Later Calligraphy by Later Successors of the Same Sect
Shuyuan
Climax of Learning
Wang Xizhi's Tomb
Historical Records, Biography, and Documents of the Aikikan Mountain
Preface to the Poem by Jingu
Wang Xizhi's "Discourse on the Calligraphy "Strokes trick"
On the Book
Fingerprints
Related allusions to bamboo fan inscriptions
Into the wood and three points
Shukatsu for a white goose
Tanbei East Bed
Characteristically mending the Spring Festival couplets
Xi Zhi's three eats
Wang Xizhi does not avoid the "
Wang Xizhi's Cursive Peaceful Post Modern Auction Matters
Wang Xizhi's Cursive Peaceful Post
Cursive Peaceful Post Auctioned at Sky-High Prices
About Wang Xizhi's Authentic Family Background
Presentation and Calligraphic Style
Biography Personal Profile
Calligraphic Attainment
Gathering at the Lanting Pavilion
Abstaining from illness
Marvelous Spring Couplets
Wang Xizhi and Taoism
The Lanting Preface, the original text
Translations
Circulation
Commentary by Dong Qichang
Jiang Kui's passion in Song Dynasty
Copies of celebrities
Burial in Zhaoling Mausoleum
Artistic Influence of Calligraphy in Later Generations Descendants of the Same Sect
Shu Yuan
Climax of Learning
Tomb of Wang Xizhi
History, Biography, and Literature Mt. Huijishan
Jingu Poetry Sequence
Wang Xizhi's "Discourse on the Script"
Brushwork Know-how Discourse on the Script The meaning of the reference related allusions
Bamboo fan inscriptions into the wood three points into the wood into the book for the white goose Tantui Dongbed Qiaojie Chunlian Wang Xizhi three eat Wang Xizhi does not avoid the "of" Wang Xizhi's "Cursive Pingan Post"
Modern auction matters Wang Xizhi's Cursive Pingan Post Cursive Pingan Post auction sky-high on the Wang Xizhi's authenticity of the unfolding
Overview
Overview
Overview
Overview
Overview
Wang Xizhi was born in a famous family Wang Xizhi sitting portrait
Wang Xizhi Wang's family (Langya Wang), from the great-grandfather Wang Lan and the "Twenty-four Filial Piety Pictures" of Wang Xiang for the same father, mother and brother, Wang Lan official to the Dazhongdafu, Wang Xiang official to the taihao. His uncle Wang Guan was a lieutenant, and his father Wang Kuang was a governor of Huainan.At the age of 14, the family helped the Jin family to go south to establish the Eastern Jin Dynasty in Jiankang (present-day Nanjing) in the south of the Yangtze River, which was a famous family in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, along with the Xie family of the Chen County, and the Tang Dynasty poem has the sentence "In the old days, Wang Xie's swallows in the front of the hall flew into the homes of ordinary people". When Xizhi was 16 years old, he was selected by Xi Jian, a lieutenant, as his "son-in-law in the east bed". At first he was a secretary, but later he was recommended by General Yu Liang, the general of the Western Expedition, to be the general of Ningyuan, the assassin of Jiangzhou, the general of the Right Army, and the internal historian of Huiji (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province). Because of the conflict with Wang Shu, the assassin of Yangzhou, he resigned from the post. When Wang Xizhi served as the assassin of Jiangzhou (345 AD - 347 AD), he set up a residence in Linchuan County on a high slope to the east of the city, called "Xincheng" (in Wenchang School, Linchuan District, Fuzhou City, Fuzhou City, today), and dug a well for living and an ink-washing pool for practicing calligraphy, which was written in the "Linchuan Records" by Xun Bozi, a famous literati and the inner historian of Linchuan in the Southern Dynasty's Liu and Song Dynasties, and "The Book of Linchuan" by Zeng Gong, a great literary figure of Song Dynasty, who wrote "The Record of Linchuan" in his book. The Ink Pond Records of Zeng Gong, a great literary figure of the Song Dynasty, are both described. Ink Pond Records" is a 285-word text that describes the origin of the ink pond and celebrates the spirit of Wang Xizhi's painstaking practice of calligraphy. "During the Cultural Revolution, the ink pool was destroyed, and in June 2002, the Fuzhou municipal government introduced foreign investment of 5 million yuan to rebuild the ink pool and restore the old appearance for tourists to enjoy. Wang Xizhi is good at calligraphy, less from Mrs. Wei (Fuse) learns calligraphy, after the cursive study Zhang Zhi, the book learns Zhong Yao, learns from all the long, study the body situation, change the wave since the Han and Wei Wei picks up the pen, creates the style of rounding and fluent, the official, the cursive, the positive, the line of each body is fine, is worshipped as the "saint of the book". There are no authentic copies of his works in existence, and those that have been handed down to the world are all copies. The most famous of his works are "Lanting Collection Preface" in running script, "Quickly Snowing Post" in cursive script, "Early Moon Post" in cursive script, "Huangting Jing" in regular script, and "Le Yi Theory" in regular script. In the Collection of Wang Xizhi, there is a Linchuan Post: "Not to be asked by Linchuan, the suspense is unspeakable. Zi Song's son to come, several have made, I hope because I have to ask to show." Expresses the attachment to Linchuan feelings. He was in Linchuan, "Mou Zhang Zhi, Lin Chi learning books, pool water as black as possible," the "ink pool" spirit, has been inspired by Linchuan students.
Edit this section of the family background
Jin room south of the north people moved south, in the south of Jiangnan fusion. Shandong Langya Wang's family, through the Wang Nian (206 years - 278 years), Wang Zheng to Wang Kuang (about 274 years - 328 years), the two Jin (266 years - 316 years), the "eight kings of the rebellion" (290 years - 306 years), lasted 16 years, the death of 300,000 people. Wang Kuang was good at judging the time and following the example of his ancestor Wang Nuan, he avoided the chaos and lived in the south for 30 years at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wang Kuang lived in the south for 30 years to avoid the turmoil. In the year of 299, the two Jin dynasties were divided and the north was in a great chaos. In order to avoid the war, Wang Kuang, with his family, came to Jiangnan in 300 years to settle in Wu Di, Jiangnan Luoshe countryside, and served as a government official in Jiangnan for many years as a governor of Danyang and a senator of the General of Andong (302-307 years). In 302 A.D., when Changsha King Sima killed Shandong Qi King Sima Jon, Wang Kuang's whole family had already avoided the chaos and moved to the south, moving to Shanyin (Shaoxing) and petitioned the court, suggesting that the Jin family move south. In 303 A.D., on the 11th day of the 7th month of the 2nd year of Tai'an of Emperor Hui of the Western Jin Dynasty, Wang Kuang's wife gave birth to her second son, named Xi Zhi (羲之), with the character Yi Shao (逸少), in her family home in Luoshe, Jiangnan. Wang Kuang's younger brother, Wang Jian, became his nephew Wang Xizhi's teacher. He was known as "the best calligrapher and painter across the river". During his childhood, Wang Xizhi often went with his mother from the countryside to Wuxi city to visit his cousin Wang Guan, and was favored by Wang Guan. 309, Wang Kuang led his army northward to support the state of Bingzhou, but his army was wiped out and he was captured by Liu Cong. Wang Xizhi studied his father's "Treatise on the Pen" at his home in Wuxi, and his calligraphy improved greatly. In 316, Wang Xizhi was a guest of Zhou Yi (269-322), the left servant of Shangshu, who presented him with a bull's heart at a banquet. 316, Sima Ye surrendered to the Xiong Nu, and the Western Jin dynasty died. 317, Liu Cong killed Sima Ye, and in 317, the king of Luanshya, Sima Rui, assumed the throne of the Jin dynasty in Jianye, and changed his title to Jianwu, which was known as the first year of the Jin dynasty (Eastern Jin dynasty), and called Wang Guan as the general of the right army and the assassin of Yangzhou. In 318, in the first year of Emperor Sima Rui's Daxing reign, he made Wang Guan the prime minister, and appointed him as a hussar general and a minister of the Three Ministers of the Imperial Household. Emperor Yuan reigned for six years, and in 322, he died of indignation at the age of 47. In this year, Wang Dun (another cousin of Wang Xizhi) attacked Jiankang and killed Zhou Yi. General Geng Liang, the general of the west, because he saw Wang Xizhi's "reply to the book of my brother", admiring, and with Xizhi's book: "...... Huan as God's light, and suddenly return to the old view," and please for the military, and gradually relocated to the long history. Bright before his departure, the court, said xi zhi noble have identification judgment. Soon Wang Xizhi relocated Ningyuan General, Jiangzhou assassin, unexpectedly, Wang Xizhi left his mother in Wuxi, went to Jiangxi on the way to the appointment, but by the original Jiangzhou assassin's pursuit. Can not be appointed, angry, after traveling to Mount Lu returned home, and resigned, this year, Wang Dun rebellion, attacked Jiankang, died after illness. A.D. 326, Wang Xizhi in the countryside home to live idly to learn the characters, persuaded by his mother to visit relatives in Jiankang, temporarily living in the Wuyi Lane, Wang Guan's home. Emperor Cheng became the first emperor, that is, in the first year of Chenghe, Wang Guan was appointed as the chief minister. Car riding general Xi Jian led Xuzhou assassin stationed in Jingkou (Zhenjiang), at this time just pacified Wang Dun's rebellion soon, for political reasons, and Wang Guan pulling relations, the implementation of the marriage of Wang Xi, sent a houseguest door to ask for a son-in-law, stepped into the East Chamber, the story of "Tanbao Dongbed" [1]
Edit this paragraph representative works and calligraphic style
Wang Xi Zhi's representative works are: regular script "Huangtingjing", "Leyi Theory, < /p>
Wang Xizhi Calligraphy (11) Cursive Script Seventeen Posts, Running Script Auntie's Post, Quickly Snowing Post, Mourning Post, Lanting Collection Preface, and First Moon Post. Among them, the Lanting Preface
Wang Xizhi's Lanting Preface (20 pictures) has been admired by calligraphers through the ages, and has been honored as "the world's first running script". Wang Xizhi is good at the official script, grass, regular script, and line script, and he studied the style, copied and traced the style, and collected a wide range of skills, and refined the style, smelting it in one furnace, and got rid of the style of the Han and Wei Dynasties, and formed his own style, which had a far-reaching influence. Its calligraphy is calm and natural, the penmanship is euphemistic and subtle, beautiful and healthy, the world commonly used in Cao Zhi's "Luoshen Fu": "Fluttering like a thrill, as graceful as a swimming dragon, Rongyao autumn chrysanthemums, Huamao spring pines. As if Ruoxi if the light clouds of the moon, floating in the air as if the flow of the wind back to the snow." A sentence to praise the beauty of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy. Legend has it that when Wang Xizhi was a child, he practiced calligraphy so hard that the pond water used to clean the brushes became the color of ink. The later commented: "floating like a swimming cloud, straight as a shocking dragon", "the dragon jumped to the gate of heaven, the tiger lying in the phoenix pavilion", "heavenly quality nature, the abundant God cover generation", by the later known as the "Sage of Calligraphy". There are idioms about him: into the wood three points, east bed fast son-in-law ...... Wang Xizhi's calligraphy style is the most obvious characteristics of the brush is delicate, structural variability. Wang Xizhi's calligraphy has influenced generations of calligraphers. Ouyang Xun, Yu Shinan, Zhu Suiliang, Xue Ji, and Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan in the Tang Dynasty, Yang Ningshi in the Five Dynasties, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Mi Fu, Cai Xiang in the Song Dynasty, Zhao Mengfu in the Yuan Dynasty, and Dong Qichang in the Ming Dynasty, all of these calligraphy masters of the past generations were pleased with Wang Xizhi, and held him in high esteem, which is why he has a "Sage of the Calligraphy" reputation. Mourning post
Quick snow when clear post
Seventeen post (partial)
Edit paragraph biography
Wang Xizhi in the Jin Dynasty, the "Sage of Calligraphy", his regular, line, cursive, official, eight points, flying white, chapter and grass into the realm of the subtle, and became the later generations of the worship of the masters and models for learning.
Biography
Wang Xizhi (303-361 or 321-379), with the character of Yishao, was a native of Shanyin, Huiji (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province), and died in Jinting, Huiji. His father, Wang Kuang, was a governor of Danyang, Huainan, and a historian of Huiji. His uncle, Wang Guan, served Emperor Yuan, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Cheng, and was a general and a prime minister. Xizhi was not good at speech when he was young, but when he grew up, he was an outstanding eloquent speaker and had a reputation for his straightforward character. He was chosen as a son-in-law by Xi Jian, a lieutenant of the Jin Dynasty, and the allusion to the "bare stomach and east bed" is attributed to Wang Xizhi (see Shishu Xinyi (New Words of the World) - Elegant Measure). The court officials emphasized Wang Xizhi's talent and repeatedly summoned him to become an official, but he refused. Later, he became a general of the Western Expedition and maltreated Liang's counselor, and then he was promoted to the position of chief historian, general of Ningyuan, and assassin of Jiangzhou, and then to general of the Right Army, and the internal historian of Huiji. He was known as "Wang Youjun" and "Wang Huiji". Later, he had a disagreement with Wang Shu of Taiyuan, claimed to be sick and left his post, and went back to Huiji, where he died of self-compassion.
Calligraphic attainments
Wang Xizhi loved calligraphy since childhood, and was enlightened by his father, Wang Kuang, and his uncle, Wang Zhen. At the age of seven, he was good at calligraphy, and at the age of twelve, he stole from his father's pillow and read the "Pen Theory" of the previous generation. Wang Kuang is good at line and clerical script; Wang Shi is good at calligraphy and painting, Wang Shengqi's "Discourse on Calligraphy" once commented, "Since crossing the Jiangdong, before Righteousness, only Shi is the most, painting for the master of Emperor Ming of Jin, and calligraphy for Righteousness' method." Since his childhood, Wang Xizhi has been nurtured by the profound calligraphy of the Wang family. In his early years, Wang Xizhi also learned calligraphy from Mrs. Wei. Wei Shuo, who studied under Zhong Jiao, passed down her method wonderfully. She taught Wang Xizhi the method of Zhong Cao, the method of Wei's calligraphy for several generations, as well as her own brewing style and method. The Tang Book Review says: "Mrs. Wei's books are like flower dancers, low and beautiful. And like a beautiful woman on the Xizhi love goose picture
[2] platform, fairy e shadow, red lotus reflecting the water, blue swamp floating Xia." Today's Shen Yinmo analyzed: "Xizhi from Mrs. Wei to learn the book, naturally by her influence, a comply with the law of the bell, the gesture of the habit of charming, also by which and become, and later exposition of the Qin and Han dynasty since the seal and official Chun ancient traces of the new style of the new style of the law of the bell passed on by Mrs. Wei, and thus for the teacher of the dissatisfaction, and the calligraphy of the future generations of the people from the post study to start with, and once you see the tablets and plates, the occurrence of the interest, they would like to change the study, which is the same understandable thing. This is equally understandable. It is possible to realize that Xizhi's style of gesture and charm and his endless changes of antiquity have deep roots." ("A Peek into the Calligraphy of the Two Kings") Wang Xizhi was good at learning from many masters, and when he broke away from the fence of Lady Wei's calligraphy, he was placed on a new level of history. He once described this historical turn: "Xizhi less learn Mrs. Wei book, will be called the great ability; and cross the river north tour of the famous mountains, than to see Li Si, Cao Xi and other books; and the Xu Shi, see Zhong Jue, Liang Guan book; and the Luo Shi, see Cai Yong "stone scripture" three books; and in the brother Qia, see Zhang Chang, "Huayue monument", and began to realize that the book of Mrs. Wei, in vain, the cost of the years and months ear. ...... then change the master, still in the many monuments to learn." From this passage can be seen Wang Xizhi constantly expanding horizons, extensive knowledge, explore the source of the experience and intention. Wang Xizhi had high aspirations and was rich in creativity. He learns from Zhong Yao, and is able to melt himself. Zhong's book is still turned over, but the real book also has its own points of potential, and the use of the pen is still outside the top, with the potential of birds soaring to the sky, the so-called Zhong family falcon's tail wave. Wang Xizhi's mind and hand are in pursuit, but it is easy to turn it into a curve, minus the momentum. Wang Xizhi's mind was inclined to follow the hand, but it was easy to turn it into a curved image, minus the divided potential. The use of the pen was still inwardly oriented, and the so-called Righteousness "搨瓘直下". His study of Zhang Zhi was also a self-explanatory one. Zhang Huaigeng of the Tang Dynasty pointed this out in his "Book Break": "Analyzing Zhang Gong's grass, and thick and thin and eclectic, is ashamed of its sophistication; the loss and gain of Zhong Jun's scribe, although the use of the increase in the Hua, and the ancient elegance is not caught up with the study of the body of the situation, is nothing but work." Wang Xizhi's "analysis" and "compromise" of Zhang Zhi's cursive script, and his "improvement" and "application" of Zhong Jun's clerical script, are both very important to him. These two masters of calligraphy were both able to "study and refine their style". Shen Yinmo praised: Wang Xizhi did not put mud under the feet of his predecessors and drew a gourd according to the pattern, but used his own heart and hands to make the ancients serve me, not muddy in the past and not backward to the present. He put all his life from the exposition of the Qin and Han seals and scribes of the various different strokes of the wonderful, all into the real rows and grasses in the body to go, so that the formation of the best body of his time, push the new, more future generations opened up a new world. This is the reason why Wang Xizhi "both summarize the law, ready to become a family" and therefore respected.
Gathering at the Lanting
The Eastern Jin Yonghe nine years (353 AD) on the third day of the third lunar month, Wang Xizhi with Xie An, Sun Chuo and other 41 people in the Lanting in Shaoxing, repairing the net (a kind of purification of disease and ominous activities), the people drinking and poetry, poetry into a set, Xizhi improvised writing a preface, which is the famous "Lanting Preface". This post is a draft, 28 lines, 324 characters. It describes the scene of the scholarly gathering at that time. The author was in high spirits, writing very pleased, it is said that later re-write has not been able to catch. There are more than twenty characters of "之", which are written in different ways. Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty called it "the first line of calligraphy in the world".
Said he was sick and abandoned his post
In March of the eleventh year of Yonghe's reign (355 A.D.), Wang said he was sick and abandoned his post, and with his son, Caozhi, he migrated from Wuxi to live in Jinting. He built a library, planted mulberry trees and fruits, taught his sons and daughters, wrote poems, made calligraphy and paintings, and entertained himself by fishing with geese. He also traveled with Xu Xun and Zhi Tan to visit the mountains and rivers of Hedi. Since Wang settled in Jinting, calligraphy has been on the rise. His descendants were good at calligraphy and painting, and their works were hung all over the hall and study, which was known as "Huayuan Painting Hall". The descendants of the village named "Huatang" "Xizhi love goose"
[3], along the name to this day. Wang Xizhi's relics are found all over the county. Duxiu Mountain in Shengxi is the study place of Wang Xizhi, and there is a plaque of "Righteousness of the old tour" hanging in Guanyin Hall on the mountain; the temple of Taoyuan Township is built at the foot of the mountain, and Wang Righteousness is worshiped as the township master. Xizhi Ping in Shengbei Hot Hill, Qingyin Temple in Shengdong, and Wang Hanling in Shengxin Junction were all places where Wang used to rest and recreation, and there are still remains to be found. In the fifth year of Shengping of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (361), Wang died and was buried in Jinting Waterfall Mountain (also known as Wisteria Mountain), and his fifth grandson, Heng, built his house as Jinting Guan, the ruins of which still exist. Liang Datong years (535-546 years), the heir grandson built the right army shrine in front of the tomb, and the view next to the building of the book building, ink pool, Tang Pei Tong wrote "Jinting Guan Jin right army book building ink pool record. Sui Daye seven years (611 years), its seventh grandson monk Zhiyong asked the disciples of Shang Gao (Wuxing Yongxin Temple, less door), dedicated to go to Jinting to clean up, and wrote "waterfalls Shanzhan Tomb Records," the monument in front of the tomb. Ming Yongle years, the Zhang magistrate monument right of the tomb. Hongzhi 15 years (1502 years), rebuilt "Jin Wang right military tomb" monument, still exists today. Qing Daoguang twenty-ninth year (1849) winter, Wang's grandson Xiuqing in Jinting Guan left to build "Jin Wang right military tomb Road" plaque, is still intact.
Marvelous Spring Couplet
Wang Xizhi, a calligrapher of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, moved to Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, from his hometown in Shandong Province one year, when the end of the year was approaching, so Wang Xizhi wrote a spring couplet for his family members to paste on both sides of the door. The couplet is: spring wind, spring rain, spring color, new year, new year, new scenery, but unexpectedly because of Wang Xizhi calligraphy, for the world's admiration, this couplet just posted, that is, people take advantage of the night to uncover away. After the family told Wang Xizhi, Wang Xizhi is not angry, and pen wrote a pair, let the family and then posted out. This is written: the warbler cries the northern star swallows speak the southern suburb Who knows daybreak to see, and was uncovered away. But this day is New Year's Eve, the next day is the first day of the Lunar New Year, see the neighboring houses are hanging on the Spring Festival couplets, only their own doorway empty, anxious Mrs. Wang urged her husband to think of a way. Wang Xizhi thought about it, a slight smile, and then put pen to paper to write a pair of, after writing, let the family will first cut off a couplet, the upper half of the first posted in the doorway: Fukuji unparalleled misfortune is not alone at night there are really people come to steal the reveal. But in the moonlight, see this couplet written not too auspicious. Although Wang Xizhi is a famous calligrapher, but also can not be full of dangerous prophecies of the couplet taken away to hang ah. To steal to reveal the person can only sigh, and slipped away in the night. The morning of the first day of dawn, Wang Xizhi that personally went out to cut yesterday's second half of the cut respectively pasted, at this time there have been a lot of people watching, we look at, the couplet becomes: blessed to this day to the disaster last night line. The people saw, applauded in unison, clapped and said wonderful.
Editing Wang Xizhi and Taoism
Wang Xizhi, a famous calligrapher of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, reached a high level of calligraphy. The cause of this has a lot to do with Wang Xizhi's belief in Taoism and the unity of calligraphy and Taoism. Native to Taoism, Taoist charms were produced very early. In the copying of the scriptures, must be skilled in the book art of the scripture student copying, and in the process of writing the scriptures unconsciously by the subtle influence of the Taoist culture. Historically, many Taoist scholars are famous painters and calligraphers, they cultivate their bodies and nourish their temperament, not only proficient in Taoism, but also able to wield the ink, pen into a body. Wang Xizhi is a typical representative in this regard, he will be the Taoist cultivation and the art of calligraphy with each other, complement each other, and thus produce a great artistic charm. Wang Xizhi's Taoist beliefs have a deep family background. Wang Xizhi's family was one of the most representative cultural clans in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. From top to bottom, they believed in the doctrine of Huang Lao. The Book of Jin - Volume 80 - Fiftieth Biography records that the Wang family "has been a member of the Zhang family's five-doumei Tao, and is also proficient in the Tao of calligraphy." The Taoist Scriptures record the story of Wang Xizhi's ancestor, Prince Jin, who aspired to the spiritual emptiness of the immortals and traveled to the 27th Cave Heaven (one of the 36 Cave Heavens of the Taoist realm) at Tongbai Mountain, Jinting, the northern gate of Tiantai (today's Jinting, Shengzhou). The Treatise of Qianfu recorded: "In the Wang clan, subsequent descendants, the world is fond of the arts of nourishing sex and immortality." It can be seen that both Wang Xizhi's ancestors and his descendants, relatives and friends were devout believers in Taoism. At the same time, Wang's family is also a prestigious family, has always attached importance to the cultivation of cultural literacy of family members. Wang Xizhi in the middle of it, learn from experience, nature is not an example.
Editing the ancient masterpiece "Lanting Preface"
Wang Xizhi's "Lanting Preface", also known as "Lanting Collection Preface", "Linhe Preface", "Purification Preface", "Purification Stickers", "Lanting Records".
Original text
Yonghe nine years , the year in the dibutyl sebacate, the beginning of the twilight of spring, will be at the Lanting of the mountain Yin in Guijie, the purification also. The group of sages, young and long Wang Xizhi full-body portrait
[4] Xianjie. This place has high mountains and steep ridges, lush forests and bamboos; there are clear streams and turbulence, reflecting the left and right, leading to the goblet of water, sitting in the second. Although there is no silk and bamboo orchestra of the Sheng, a goblet and a chant, but also enough to talk about your feelings. It is also the day, the sky is clear, the wind and smooth, look up to the universe of the great, down to observe the class of the sheng, so swim eyes and gallop, enough to extreme audio and visual entertainment, letter can also be happy. Mrs. with each other, look up a world, or take all the embrace, understand the language within a room; or because of the trust, outside of the shape of the waves. Although the interest of the house is different, static different, when it is pleased with the encounter, the temporary access to their own, and was not aware of the old will come. And its both tired, love with the change of events, feelings of the Department of carry on. To the happy, between the top and the bottom, has been a stereotype, but can not help but to the Xinghuai. The situation of repair and shortness of life, the end of the period in the end. Ancient saying: "death and life is also great." Is not painful! Every view of the former Xing sense of reason, such as a compact, I have not been in the text in contempt, can not be metaphorical in the bosom. I know that a death is absurd, Qi Peng Zhen for delusion. After the view of today, but also like today's view of the past. Sadness! Therefore, the list of people of the time, recorded its said, although the world is different things are different, so Xinghuai, the cause of a also. The latter will also have a feeling for the text.
Translation
The Preface to the Lanting Collection
[5] In the ninth year of the Yonghe reign, when the star of the year was in the year Kichou, on the third day of the third month, we met at the Lanting in the county of Shanyin, in the county of Huiji, and held the purification of the Purification of Ch'io (檩禊). Many notable persons came, young and old, and all gathered together. There were high mountains, lush woods, and slender bamboos. There were also clear rapids that surrounded the area and led to a stream that served as a goblet. We all sat down by the water's edge in turn, and although there was not the pomp and circumstance of playing the zither, serpent, xiao, or flute, there was enough to talk freely about their feelings while drinking wine and composing poems. On this day, the sky was clear, the air was fresh, and the breeze was warm. Looking up to see the vastness of the sky, looking down to see the multitude of all things, through which the eyes to see, open the chest, you can enjoy the pleasure of the ears and eyes, is indeed joyful. The time that people spend with each other is very short. Some pour out their ambitions and talk with their friends in a house; some, by virtue of their hobbies and interests, lead a life of indulgence. Though they differ greatly in what they seek and what they forsake, and in the quietness and fickleness of their characters, yet when they are pleased with what they touch, and have acquired it by themselves for the time being, they are complacent, and do not know that old age is coming on. When they have grown weary of the things they seek or acquire, their enjoyment changes with the things, and their sentiments are changed. The things they once enjoyed have become obsolete in a very short time, and they cannot help but feel sad about it. Not to mention the fact that life expectancy, following the changes in nature, will eventually come to an end. As the old saying goes, "Death and life are also a big deal." Isn't that sad? Whenever I read the reasons why people in the past felt sad, it was like a contract with us, and I never failed to sigh sadly at the writings of those who had gone before me, but in my heart I did not understand how it could be so. I knew that it was false to regard death and life as the same, and that it was absurd to regard long life and short life as the same. How sad it is that those who came after us look at the present as those who are now looking at the past! Therefore I have written down the participants one by one, and have transcribed the poems they wrote. Though the times are different, and the things are different, the reasons for people's feelings are the same. Those who read it in the future generations will also have feelings for these poems.
Passing on
Wang Xizhi regarded the Lanting Preface as a family heirloom and passed it on from generation to generation until it reached Zhiyong, the seventh grandson of the Wang family. However, Zhiyong somehow became a monk at Yunmen Temple in Shaoxing, and naturally had no heirs behind him, so he passed the ancestral authentic text to his disciple, the monk Discerning Cai. To the early years of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin a large number of collection of Wang Xizhi calligraphy treasures, often Lin Xi, on the "Lanting Preface" this authenticity is even more admiring, many times heavily rewarded for the request, but there has been no result. After the investigation of the "lanting sequence" in the real temple (i.e., now the cloud gate temple) a monk named discernment in the hands of the monk, from this led to a section of Tang Taizong cheated the "lanting sequence" of the legend, the original with the Tang Taizong buried with the story of zhaolin mausoleum. This story adds to the legendary color and mysterious atmosphere of the Lanting Preface.
Dong Qichang commented
Dong Qichang in the "Painting Zen Room Essays" wrote: "Righteousness 'Lanting Preface', chapter for the first in ancient and modern times, and its word 'Xizhi pasturing geese'
[6] are reflected and born, or small or large, with the hand, such as, are into the law, and so for the gods also." Later generations cherish the beauty of its cloth white, copying, although it is inevitable that the respective pen nature, but no one a little change in its chapters of cloth white. As xie jin said in the spring rain miscellany: "right army of the narrative lanting, the word both beautiful, especially good arrangement, the so-called increase one point is too long, loss one point is too short." The chapter of "lanting sequence", as if as a natural beauty, dancing, the beauty of its dance is unparalleled. Lanting cultivation of purification, so that wang xizhi touch the beauty of landscape, the universe of the mystery and the true meaning of life, in the realm of the two oblivion, a breath of fresh air, write down the ancient masterpieces of "lanting preface", because he is deep, so he can love to note the end of the millimeter and the sky interest in; also because he is strict penmanship, so he can make the bottom of the pen such as clouds and flowing water and the god of the form and both; more so, because he is ready for the beauty, so he can make the writing of this piece of writing ultimately reached the realm of the high China and roundness. The work of this perfect work of art has been a great success. In front of this perfect work, although later generations of famous artists try their best to imitate, but have not been able to get its full. Zhang Bo of the Southern Tang Dynasty said: "Those who are good at calligraphy have each obtained the one of Righteousness. If Yu Shinan get its beautiful rhyme and lost its handsome, Ouyang Xun get its power and lost its warmth, Chu Suiliang get its meaning and lost in the change, Xue Ji get its clear and lost in the embarrassment of constraints." Wang Xizhi himself only wrote this masterpiece, and then he wrote again "Lanting Preface", can not and the original work of God, Shen Yinmo said, "at that time, less than this day," praised the "Lanting Preface" of the outstanding has its unrepeatable chance, naturally, not others can reach.