Zen Brushwork

Zen Brushwork PDF Author: Katsujō Terayama
Publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9784770029447
Category : Calligraphy, Japanese
Languages : en
Pages : 334

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Book Description
With its bold strokes and mystic aura, Zen calligraphy has intrigued many Westerners, but has remained a little-understood art form. Master calligrapher and swordmaster Tanchu Terayama offers detailed lessons in Japanese brush techniques, as well as an appreciation of calligraphy's subtle elements. With its bold strokes and mystic aura, Zen calligraphy has intrigued many Westerners since the 19060s, but has remained a little-understood art form. Here, master calligrapher and swordmaster Tanchu Terayama offers detailed lessons in Japanese

Zen Brushwork

Zen Brushwork PDF Author: Katsujō Terayama
Publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9784770029447
Category : Calligraphy, Japanese
Languages : en
Pages : 334

Get Book

Book Description
With its bold strokes and mystic aura, Zen calligraphy has intrigued many Westerners, but has remained a little-understood art form. Master calligrapher and swordmaster Tanchu Terayama offers detailed lessons in Japanese brush techniques, as well as an appreciation of calligraphy's subtle elements. With its bold strokes and mystic aura, Zen calligraphy has intrigued many Westerners since the 19060s, but has remained a little-understood art form. Here, master calligrapher and swordmaster Tanchu Terayama offers detailed lessons in Japanese

Zen Brushwork

Zen Brushwork PDF Author: Tanchu Terayama
Publisher: Vertical Inc
ISBN: 1568365780
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
With its bold strokes and mystic aura, Zen calligraphy has fascinated Westerners for decades, yet it remains an abstract, rarely practiced form of expression outside of Asia. Now, master calligrapher Tanchu Terayama explains the techniques behind this subtle art and offers step-by-step instructions for practicing it on a professional level. After introducing the basics, Terayama presents a unique meditative warm-up to establish the proper mental attitude needed to release one's creative energies. Next, the power of the brushed line is explained and demonstrated. What makes a good line or a bad one, an expressive effort or an unfocused one? Lessons on brushing symbolic Japanese characters follow, including those for "emptiness," "nothingness," and "flower." The painting section shows readers how to draw the spare yet elegant pictorial themes of this classic art: bamboo, plum blossoms, Mount Fuji, and the inspirational Zen priest Daruma. If the exercises are the heart of the book, the Appreciation section is the soul. This chapter introduces classic works from renowned priests and other historical figures, including Miyamoto Musashi (the celebrated swordsman and author of The Book of Five Rings), Morihei Ueshiba (the founder of aikido), Jigoro Kano (the father of judo), and Zen priest Hakuin. Each masterpiece is accompanied by penetrating commentary on the strengths and salient features of the work. Rarely has Zen calligraphy been demonstrated and discussed with such candor and insight. Illuminating yet another side of Zen, Zen Brushwork will be an invaluable source to those interested in meditation, Zen, Buddhism, the martial arts, and Oriental traditions in general. CONTENTS Introduction Part I Background What is Zen Calligraphy? The Evolution of Kanji The Fundamentals of Calligraphy The Four Treasures of Calligraphy Hitsuzendo Part II Preparation-Warming Up and Developing Ki The Zen Line Yoki-ho: A Method of Developing Ki and Warming-Up warm-up exercise 1: Yoki-ho: The Long Version warm-up exercise 2: The Short Form of Yoki-ho: A Five-Minute Exercise warm-up exercise 3: Kusho: Writing in the Air Part III Zen Calligraphy and Painting Basic Practice The Zen Line and Its Applications exercise 1: Mujibo (The Zen Line) exercise 2: Enso (The Zen Circle) exercise 3: Horizontal and Vertical Lines exercise 4: Fine Lines Tensho (Seal Script) exercise 5: So (Grass) and a Practice Line Kaisho (Standard Script) exercise 6: Sho (Calligraphy) and Practice Lines Further Practice Sosho (Grass Script) exercise 7: Mu (Nothing) exercise 8: Hana (Flower) exercise 9: Ku (Emptiness) exercise 10: Mu Ichi Motsu (Owning No-thing) exercise 11: Ichigyo Zanmai (Be in the Moment) Writing Western Script exercise 12: Writing Western Script: ABC exercise 13: Shodo (Calligraphy) Painting exercise 14: Orchid exercise 15: Bamboo exercise 16: Plum Blossoms (with inscription) exercise 17: Mount Fuji exercise 18: Daruma exercise 19: Wall-Gazing Daruma exercise 20: "One-Stroke" Daruma exercise 21: Ji-Wa-Choku (Compassion, Harmony, Honesty) Part IV Appreciation Works by Old Masters Works by Terayama Tanchu Glossary What is Zen Calligraphy? Calligraphy (sho) is a formative art based on writing. It includes not only writing that is beautiful, but phrases that are novel and interesting. According to the Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro (1870-1945; see figure 1), true creativity is not the product of a conscious effort but rather the "phenomenon of life itself." True creation must arise from mu-shin, or the state of "no-mind," a state beyond thought, emotions, and expectations. Work that is produced through conscious effort is ultimately devoid of life. Zen calligraphy in particular must spring from shonen sozoku, a Buddhist term equivalent to "true thought." Shonen is a state of full concentration that is devoid of thoughts and ideas, while sozoku here means "free-flowing continuity." Greatness in brushwork cannot be achieved through conscious effort; it is only achieved through the states of mu-shin and shonen sozuku, or "no-mind" and a continuous state free of the thoughts and ideas that distract the mind. Zen calligraphy differs from other calligraphic disciplines as it is focused on the realization of "no-mind." Furthermore, in contrast tosho, which uses Chinese characters as a basis, it is the expression of Zen through a brush, whether the result is a single stroke, a Zen circle, or an ink painting. While sho is restricted to brushed writing, Zen calligraphy extends to other forms of brushwork. Nearly all calligraphy today is born of conscious attention to an aesthetic concept, but we rarely find lines that are truly alive. In contrast, the calligraphy of Zen masters such as Daito Kokushi (1282-1337; founder of Daitokuji temple in Kyoto) or Ikkyu Sojun (1394-1481) resonates with the energy of "no-mind" achieved through complete concentration. In these works, the lines are filled with vitality and the shapes are fresh and original. Sen no Rikyu (1522-91), who established many of the basic precepts of the tea ceremony, held that nothing surpassed Zen calligraphy as a subject for display in the alcove of the tea room. He undoubtedly felt that only art works that reflect the eternal vitality of Zen writings could encourage the mind toward enlightenment. Rikyu recognized that calligraphy necessarily demands the highest level of spirituality. A line that manifests clarity cannot be drawn if the heart is clouded by worldly concerns; a stroke cannot be brushed with resolution if the heart is agitated; and calligraphy that reveals depth cannot be produced if cultivation and experience are shallow. To write kanji characters that resonate and demonstrate their deeper meaning, one's own mind must achieve unity with the meaning of the words-a requirement that calls for a higher level of spirituality. The calligrapher, therefore, must strive for the state of "no-mind" through meditation and contemplation.

The Zen Art Book

The Zen Art Book PDF Author: Stephen Addiss
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 159030747X
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 111

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Book Description
"When a Zen master puts brush to paper, the resulting image is an expression of the quality of his or her mind. It is thus a teaching, intended to compassionately stop us in our tracks and to compel us to consider ultimate truth. Here, forty masterpieces of painting and calligraphy by renowned masters such as Hakuin Ekaku (1685–1768) and Gibon Sengai (1750–1837) are reproduced along with commentary that illuminates both the art and its teaching. The authors’ essays provide an excellent introduction to both the aesthetic and didactic aspects of this art that can be profound, perplexing, serious, humorous, and breathtakingly beautiful—often all within the same simple piece."--Publisher description.

Zen Shorts (A Stillwater and Friends Book)

Zen Shorts (A Stillwater and Friends Book) PDF Author: Jon J Muth
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 0545825741
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 50

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Book Description
Stillwater, the beloved Zen panda, now in his own Apple TV+ original series! This Caldecott Honor Book presents wondrous Zen tales to light up your life.... When a giant panda named Stillwater moves into Michael, Addy, and Karl's neighborhood, he tells them the most amazing stories! To Addy, he tells a tale of a poor man who gives gifts to a robber. To Michael, he tells of a farmer who learns not to judge luck. And to Karl, he tells the tale of a monk who continues to carry the weight of a burden long past.With vibrant watercolors and elegant ink drawings, Jon J Muth--and Stillwater the bear--imaginatively present three classic Zen stories that abound with enlightenment and love.

Brush Mind

Brush Mind PDF Author: Kazuaki Tanahashi
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781439254905
Category : Aesthetics
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"A humorous book on Zen brushwork and calligraphy. Brush Mind provides insights into the philosophy of art with a collection of writings with only a few simple words. Every other page in the main section of this book shows an imaginative one-stroke painting created in monochrome."--Amazon.com

Ensō

Ensō PDF Author: Audrey Yoshiko Seo
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834805758
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
The enso, or "Zen circle", is one of the most prevalent images of Zen art, and has become a symbol of the clean and strong Zen aesthetic. This books containts examples of traditional enso art from the seventeenth century to the present.

Ken Zen Sho - The Zen Calligraphy and Painting of Yamaoka Tesshu

Ken Zen Sho - The Zen Calligraphy and Painting of Yamaoka Tesshu PDF Author: Sarah Moate
Publisher:
ISBN: 9784907009083
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 102

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Book Description
Yamaoka Tesshu (1836-1888) was a Japanese master of the sword, Zen and calligraphy. A full-color book on the Zen art of Tesshu features his calligraphic pieces, essays about the relationship between swordsmanship, Zen, and calligraphy. Works are translated and significance explained in detailed captions. Calligraphy by Tesshu's contemporaries Katsu Kaishu, Takahashi Deishu, and modern master Terayama Tanchu included.

The Language of Zen

The Language of Zen PDF Author: Richard Burnett Carter
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN: 9781402747014
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
Examines the complexity of language in Zen Buddhism and explains how to understand meaning of words in the way the original Zen writers intended.

Zen and the Brain: The James H. Austin Omnibus Edition (Meditating Selflessly, Zen-Brain Horizons, and Living Zen Remindfully)

Zen and the Brain: The James H. Austin Omnibus Edition (Meditating Selflessly, Zen-Brain Horizons, and Living Zen Remindfully) PDF Author: James H. Austin
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262352486
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 905

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Book Description
Three books on Zen and the brain by the celebrated Zen practitioner-neurologist James Austin. This compilation in digital form of three books by the celebrated Zen practitioner-neurologist James Austin offers concrete advice about various methods of meditation, provides timeless wisdom of Zen masters, integrates classical Buddhist literature with modern brain research, and explores mindfulness (and remindfulness) training. In these books, Austin clarifies the benefits of meditative training, guiding readers toward that open awareness awaiting them on the cushion and in the natural world. He discusses different types of meditation, meditation and problem-solving, and the meaning of enlightenment; addresses egocentrism (self-centeredness) and allocentrism (other-centeredness) and the blending of focal and global attention; and considers the illuminating confluence of Zen, clinical neurology, and neuroscience. He describes an everyday life of “living Zen” while drawing on the poetry of Basho, the seventeenth-century haiku master, and illuminates the world of authentic Zen training—the commitment to a process of regular, ongoing daily life practice that trains and enables us to unlearn unfruitful habits, develop more wholesome ones, and lead a more genuinely creative life.

The Art of Budo

The Art of Budo PDF Author: John Stevens
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834844605
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
Explore this stunning collection of spiritual calligraphy by Japan’s greatest martial arts masters—with commentary from Zen art authority and aikido master John Stevens. Beginning with the legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi, nearly all of the great martial arts masters left a legacy of calligraphy and painting. Their artwork—Zenga and Zensho (“Zen pictures” and “Zen calligraphy”)—was not only an extension of their Zen practice but also reflected their deep spiritual commitment to the budo ethos, the perfection of self through martial arts training. This book presents a concise history of this tradition, with works from such samurai as Musashi, Takuan, Yagyu, Motusgai, Rengetsu, Tesshu Deishu, Kano, Morihei, and others. Aikido master John Stevens is an expert on Zen and budo art, and he provides a fascinating introduction to the tradition and biographical details on each of the warrior artists, and brief, illuminating commentary on each piece.