Confucius made a very clear statement in the Analects: “How resplendent was its culture! I follow the Zhou.” Confucius had a distinct characteristic: he especially wished his words to blaze with the fire of civilization. This is why, within the I Ching, specifically in the Ten Wings (commentaries), there is a unique commentary dedicated to the Qian (Heaven) and Kun (Earth) hexagrams, known as the Wenyan Zhuan (Commentary on the Words of the Text).
Today, we often say that learning ancient texts means learning “classical Chinese” (wenyanwen). This statement isn’t entirely accurate. Confucius, in this Wenyan Zhuan, aimed to enhance the literary refinement (wencai) of the Qian and Kun hexagrams. This commentary was added specifically to these two hexagrams – the only ones to have it – precisely to make Heaven and Earth overflow with… wencai.
Are there not the Three Powers (Sancai) in this world? The Power of Heaven (Tiancai), the Power of Earth (Dicai), and the Power of Humanity (Rencai). “How resplendent (yuyu) was its culture!” – that word yuyu, like in “lush and verdant,” signifies that the wencai was abundant, the light soft and brilliant. “I follow the Zhou” indicates that the Western Zhou period placed special emphasis on wencai.
Confucius’ characteristic, much like mine here today, was “transmitting without creating” (shu er bu zuo). What does “transmitting without creating” mean? It means teaching orally without writing formal treatises. He had a “love for the ancients” (xing er haogu); his very nature cherished things the older they were. Like some people today love antiques and collecting, but Confucius wasn’t merely collecting objects – he was collecting civilization. For Confucius had his own view on wencai： “When refinement (wen) exceeds substance (zhi), it becomes ornate (shi); when substance exceeds refinement, it becomes coarse (ye). Only when refinement and substance are perfectly blended (wen zhi bin bin) do you have the gentleman (junzi).” See? The gentleman’s expression is full of what? Color (refinement).
Zhi (substance) refers to the inner life, desires, impulses. Wen (refinement) is decoration, see? If decoration is excessive, doesn’t it become stiff? Right? But without adornment, without decoration… specifically in the Wenyan Zhuan, he discusses “establishing sincerity through the cultivation of language” (xiu ci li qi cheng). The act of refining our language (xiu ci) is itself meant to make our inner selves transparent, lucid, and clean. Don’t you have the concept of “clearing the mind to observe phenomena” (cheng huai guan xiang)? Or “clearing the mind to savor phenomena” (cheng huai wei xiang)? “Embracing the Way to illuminate things, clearing the mind to savor phenomena” (Han dao ying wu, cheng huai wei xiang). Such expressions all point to wencai.
So, let’s discuss the wencai within our calligraphy. This wencai, of course, is the “savoring of phenomena” (weixiang) within our own lives. Therefore, when calligraphy reaches a certain stage, you will feel the lines like lightning – unconstrained, suddenly shattering all conventions. That is the power of your lines piercing through everything.
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