Lecture Notes at Huiqing Temple

CHINA; Yuan dynasty

This manuscript, consisting of 81 pages, is a compilation of notes for Dharma sermons scripted by Tianru Weize, a monk of Huiqing Temple. The transcripts carried numerous examples where Chan masters admonished pupils in order to guide them toward sudden realization. This pedagogy dispels the use of logic and tests the students’ level of understanding, reprimanding them should they dwell on linguistics.
The squarely written characters contain a variety of stroke techniques, exhibiting obvious influence from the calligraphy of Zhao Mengfu. Similarities with Zhao’s works are also found in the composition of each character. Although Tianru was not as skillfully accomplished in technique or inventively diverse in style as Zhao, his straightforward approach is a refreshing quality that makes this an appealing work of calligraphy.
Tianru Weize was an eminent monk of the Linji school of Chan Buddhism during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) who received tutelage from the Chan Master Zhongfeng Mingben.