僧侶的書跡——星雲大師一筆字的筆墨情

Notes on Master Hsing Yun's One-Stroke Calligraphy

僧侶的書跡在書法史上佔了重要的一席之地，佛經在中國漢字翻譯後，又在隋唐朝時透過經書傳抄、語錄傳遞，也開啟了日本的文字史與書道史。歷來中日之間有許多僧人的書法作品在後世留下經典，將其內心的體悟透過文字傳達表現出佛學的精神內涵，如王羲之的七世孫智永和尚、有醉僧之稱的懷素、書畫雙絕的石濤，而黃庭堅、蘇東坡等文人也受禪學影響，有日本書聖之稱的弘法大師、狂顛的一休宗純、曹洞宗禪師良寬等，也皆在自在的體悟中不受限於筆法的自由揮灑，達到超脫的境界。 臺灣佛光山的星雲大師其書法淵源始於圓滿大眾的願想，透過書法書寫佛語勉勵信徒而使心靈有依靠遵循處，其書風與天地自然學習，自成一家，書寫時強調心的重要，專注於每個字的書寫與佛接心，彰顯人間佛教的落實，以書法與佛法的結合跟世界各地的信徒結緣。晚年由於眼疾的因素，在自省中悟到「一筆字」的書寫方式，一蘸墨就一揮而就，跳脫肉體的限制，達到超脫的精神，呈現字裡行間的流行氣脈，因而更具生命感，成就不少佳作。 一筆連貫書寫似於草書的方法，中國如王獻之、張芝、王鐸皆有佳作，而日本方面虎關師鍊、一休宗純、山岡鐵舟亦有經典，另外日本假名書法的欣賞亦有連綿的美學。一筆書偶有不連也血脈不斷，星雲大師一筆字的書寫特色傳承此連貫的精神，書寫的畫面已全然在心，跳脫自我，成就藝術最高精神。各家書寫各有其展現的境界，本文也試論一筆字其與人結善的歡喜緣，看濡墨與運筆間，在書寫與忘我間所達到的精神，以此作為賞析。

Monks' calligraphy has occupied an important place in the history of calligraphy. The history of Japanese calligraphy started from the amanuensis of Buddhist Scriptures in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, following the Chinese translation of the Buddhist sutras from Sanskrit. Many Chinese and Japanese monks' calligraphies have become classical legacies through which their inner understandings of Buddhism are conveyed. In monks' calligraphies, there is freedom of brushwork, wherein spiritual transcendence is manifested. Prominent examples of this art are the handwriting masterpieces by Master Zhiyong, Monk Huaisu, landscape painter Shitao, Huang Tingjian, Su Dongpo, Kobo Daishi, Monk Ikkyu, and Zen Master Ryokan. The spirit of Master Hsing Yun's calligraphy comes from his wish to complete the well-being of the masses. By virtue of his calligraphy of Buddhist aphorism, the Master educates the believers that their mind can be settled. His calligraphy manifests mindfulness, and his handwriting style exhibits a sense of harmony with Nature. This connection of art with the Human world is the Master's practice of humanistic Buddhism. By inscribing Buddhism in his art as a way of teaching, the Master relates himself with followers all over the world. In his old age, due to his visual impairment, the Master develops his unique style—one-stroke calligraphy—whose tenet is that spiritual transcendence is beyond corporeality. This beyondness informs the Master's brushwork wherein the written characters exemplifies fluidity and vividness of life—all of these make his art works great. Master Hsing Yun's one-stroke calligraphy is in a cursive style, an art form practiced by the noted Chinese calligraphers, like Wang Xianzhi, Zhang Zhi, and Wang Duo. In Japan, there are also masterpieces of cursive scripture by Kokan Shiren, Ikkyu Sojun, and Yamaoka Tesshu. In addition, Japanese kana calligraphy also features“cursiveness,”meaning the continuation of stroke movement. Master Hsing Yun's one-stroke calligraphy embodies this concept of continuity. In his brushwork, the idea of continuity leads the stroke movement, a movement that conveys the flight from the self, thus reaching the highest level of art. In this paper, I will point out that the Master's one-stroke calligraphy is an art of humanistic Buddhism that forms affinity with people.