Friday, April 28, 2017

Wang Tiemin Calligraphy Poems Snuff Bottle

This is my first ever commissioned snuff bottle.  Painted by Wang Tiemin, a young artist who has spent the past few years perfecting calligraphy..

This first poem I picked is by T'ang Dynasty poet, Chang Feng called, "Written on My Wang River Retreat after a Steady Rain"

Late summer on the river the sun and wind are mild
the little birds below the eaves are grown
sun drenched butterflies dance among the flowers
newly spun spider webs brighten every room
threadbare curtains invite the moon's reflection
a pillow made of clay echoes with the current
my long graying temples recall the frost and snow
let me pass this life chopping wood and fishing

The retreat Wang Wei ( 701-761 ) bought on the Wang River was sixty kilometers southeast of Chang-an and once belonged to the poet Sung Chihwen. Although Wang rose to the post of deputy prime minister, he was a lifelong Buddhist and a vegetarian, and toward the end of his life he spent more time meditating at his retreat and hiking around the mountains than working in the capital. Hibiscus glowers only last a day, or two at most, and mallow leaves a best picked after the dew dries. Hence, Wang Wei is to hungry to wait. In Chuangtzu: 27 the arrogant Yang tzu Yu returns to his inn after receiving instruction from the Lao Tzu. But where he was once waited on hand and foot, he now has to fight for a place for his mat. "Seats" here also refer to positions of authority, concerning which poet no longer has any interest. In Liehtzu: 2.11 the author recounts ho seagulls flock around a man, until he conceives of a plan to catch them.

This second poem picked is by T'ang Dynasty poet, Ch'eng Hao called "Summer Day"

When I'm at peace I let everything go
I wake by the east window long after sunrise
viewed without passion everything is fine
seasonal glories hold true for man
the Tao fills the world the formed and the formless
out thoughts are in the ever changing wind and clouds
not troubled by wealth content in poverty
the person who reaches this is truly noble

Ch'eng Hao ( 1032-1085 ) taught thousands of students at his home in Loyang and served briefly in the nearby capital of Kaifeng. But due to his opposition to the policies of Wang An-shih, he was banished to South China and died before he could return. Still, with his younger brother, Ch'eng Yi, he was among the leading lights of neo Confucianism. This poem reflects his philosophy whereby all things are seen as part of the Tao and also as part of the mind. Thus, man shares the same nature as Heaven and Earth and all creation. The harmony of this nature is easily upset by desire and ignorance, but it can be restored through the cultivation of such virtues as kindness and equanimity. The last two lines paraphrase Mencius: 3b/2.3.









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