Zen Tradition Of Literati Painting

Zen Buddhism is the Chinese form of expression of Buddhism and it is the important part of our traditional culture. As a kind of thought phenomenon in Chinese cultural history, Zen Buddhism has brought deep impact on arts in the part of expression content and expression form, especially on scholar painting. It is shown in not only that the artists brought the Zen meditation and the Zen interest into their works, but also the spirit of Zen Buddhism, which changes the thinking mode of the artists and promoted the transition of the artists' aesthetic thought. Zen Buddhism has brought deep impact to scholar artists on their aesthetic temperament, thinking mode and the transmission of the implicitness. This paper will expound around these respects, with the aim and method of studying traditional painting spirit from the view of the impact of Zen Buddhism on painting, especially on scholar painting.The full text can be divided into the following parts :First, the forming and the characteristics of Zen Buddhism on scholar painting. Zen Buddhism is a kind of Chinese Buddhism developed from Indian Zen Buddhism, the Chinese Zhuangzi thoughts and Weijin metaphysics. Especially it emphasizes the decisive function of the individual's 'heart' on outside things. Through the individual's intuition and insight, the pursuit of a kind of definitely free life realm is reached. The rise of Zen Buddhism exerts a tremendous influence in the history of Chinese culture. It has tied an indissoluble bound with aesthetics and the development of the Chinese painting arts. The characteristics of Zen Buddhism includes a well-conceived world outlook theory of "I -unify -things"; second, there is a mukti manner of one's consciousness in it. To reach the realm of " I- unify -things ", sitting in meditation or heart insight is needed to seek one's born Buddha quality-original heart. Moreover, there is a set of "spread-heart- with- heart, no- word -is- given" method which is directly perceived.Second, the scholar painting influenced by Zen Buddhism: Zen Buddhism has great impact on traditional Chinese painting after it was formed. The impact of the Zen Buddhism to traditional Chinese drawing is mainly on scholar painting and their makers-literati. Creating artistic conception out of "heart" and expressing feelings through things, these two ways are highly developed by scholar artists. While the forming and development of this aesthetic temperament comes from that the Chinesescholars are deeply influenced by traditional Chinese Confucianism, Taoism, and aesthetics, especially Zen Buddhism. The influence of Zen Buddhism on scholar artists is mainly discussed through two sides: the mode of thinking and aesthetic temperament.The impact of Zen Buddhism to the scholar artists on their mode of thinking: Firstly, the scholars have used the mode of thinking of Zen Buddhism unconsciously in painting, forming gradually the working manner characterized by intuition and meditation; the appreciation manner emphasized on one's feelings and which tries to probe and comprehend the art philosophic theory; the artistic mode of thinking which combines naturalness, conciseness and implicitness into one; Secondly, the meditation ways of Zen Buddhism permeates the working manner of the scholar painting; Thirdly, Zen interest and the appreciation manners of ancient scholar painting are different in approach but equally satisfactory in result.The impact of Zen Buddhism to ancient scholar artists on aesthetic temperament: In the later years of Tang Dynasty, the literati and officialdom couldn't fit in with the great changes-from prosperity to decline. Disappointment, vain and the promotion of the life philosophy of Zen Buddhism made them accept Zen Buddhism gradually, and began to pursue a kind of deep aesthetic temperament.Third, artistic conception is the greatest part in Zen Buddhism which has influenced the scholars. For the Chinese traditional painting, the deepest and the most complicated problem may be the artistic conception. The impact of the artistic conception to sch...