We are practitioners of calligraphy, which is an art form. The very essence lies in infusing it with transcendental elements, making our practice deeply meaningful. Here we discuss divination and art—what do both divination practices employ? Metaphors, symbols, and analogies.
When we read Zhuangzi today, we find a specific chapter in its Outer Chapters titled “Yu Yan” (On Parables). Within this chapter, three types of discourse are presented: allegories (yuyan), weighty words (chongyan), and goblet words (zhiyan). What is an allegory? It is telling a story. The entirety of Zhuangzi—Inner Chapters, Outer Chapters, and Miscellaneous Chapters, all 33 sections—is woven with allegorical tales. Through allegory, principles, concepts, emotions, and experiences are embedded within stories. Isn’t calligraphy the same? We transfer our emotions into our brushwork. Those who can read your calligraphy will feel those emotions; your sentiments and the artist’s resonate through the artwork. This is where true aesthetic appreciation begins—unlike those who are aesthetically illiterate.
In contemporary China, traditional illiteracy has decreased, but aesthetic illiteracy not only persists—it grows. To be aesthetically illiterate is to have a hardened, dormant inner self. That is why I teach this course: to explore the beauty of the I Ching and the beauty of calligraphy. My purpose is to awaken everyone here—including myself as I stand before you—to awaken our eyes, our ears, our sense of smell, our taste, our touch, and our long-slumbering hearts. This awakening will transform your future calligraphy practice, granting you an elevated, almost transcendent experience. I can assure you, this is no empty talk. If you dare to explore your writing in this way, miracles will unfold in your lived experience.
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