Calligraphy Meets Philosophy - Talk 3: 尚語 第三話

Calligraphy Meets Philosophy - Talk 3

The Calligraphy Meets Philosophy series aims to foster a correct and deeper understanding of traditional Chinese calligraphy and philosophy. It does so by having calligraphies of selected classical texts accompanied by line-by-line translations and annotated remarks.

Talk 3 focuses on outlining some important traditional Chinese concepts like ＂Filial Piety (孝)＂, ＂Wisdom (智)＂, ＂Tacit Deeds of Grace (陰德)＂, and ＂Cultivating One’s Foundations (務本)＂, etc... Selected texts include those by Bai Juyi (白居易, 772-846 AD), Liu Yuxi (劉禹錫, 772-842 AD), Li Qingzhao (李清照, 1084-1151 AD), Sima Guang (司馬光, 1019-1086 AD), Sun Guoting (孫過庭, 648-703 AD), and Sun Yat-Sen (孫逸仙, 1866-1925); as well, phrases from the canonical Analects (《論語》), Book of Rites (《禮記》), and Platform Sutra (《六祖壇經》) are also included. The book concludes with KS Vincent Poon’s modelling and remarks on the Chinese calligraphy masterpiece Yi Ying Stele (《乙瑛碑》).

Here, I would like to thank my father, Dr Kwok Kin POON (潘國鍵博士), for his enduring assistance. His invaluable insight on correctly interpreting various old texts has contributed significantly to my translations. Further, his continuing encouragement has always been the source of my passion. Perhaps this is a prime example of ＂passing on (傳承) the family’s profession and reputation (家業)＂, a custom that the Japanese hold so dearly. And that is exactly why Japan can still retain its traditional culture and values.

KS Vincent Poon

August 2024, Toronto