Sacred Calligraphy of the East

Author: John Stevens
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781626549944
Category : Art and religion
Languages : en
Pages : 218

Book Description
Throughout the East, writing is held to be a gift from the gods, and the divinely inspired letters and characters are objects of the highest veneration. The religious significance of calligraphy has thus led to a unique development of the art of brush and ink in Japan, China, India, and Tibet. This beautifully illustrated book covers such topics as the history and spirit of Eastern calligraphy, the art of copying religious texts, the biographies of important Zen calligraphers, and practical instructions on materials and techniques for the contemporary student. No knowledge of the languages discussed is required for the reader to appreciate the study of this ancient practice. John Stevens lived in Japan for thirty-five years, where he was a professor of Buddhist studies at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai. Stevens is a widely respected translator, an ordained Buddhist priest, a curator of several major exhibitions of Zen art, and an aikido instructor. He has authored over thirty books and is one of the foremost Western experts on Aikido, holding a ranking of 7th dan Aikikai. Stevens has also studied calligraphy for decades, authoring this classic Sacred Calligraphy of the East. Other John Stevens titles that are likely to be of interest include The Philosophy of Aikido, Extraordinary Zen Masters, and The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei. Readers interested in related titles from John Stevens will also want to see: Abundant Peace (ISBN: 9781626543232), Aikido: The Way of Harmony (ISBN: 9781626543270), Secrets of Aikido (ISBN: 9781626543256), The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei (ISBN: 9781626549951), The Philosophy of Aikido (ISBN: 9781626549937), Extraordinary Zen Masters (ISBN: 9781626549920).

Shodo

Author: Shozo Sato
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462911889
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 185

Book Description
In this beautiful and extraordinary zen calligraphy book, Shozo Sato, an internationally recognized master of traditional Zen arts, teaches the art of Japanese calligraphy through the power and wisdom of Zen poetry. Single-line Zen Buddhist koan aphorisms, or zengo, are one of the most common subjects for the traditional Japanese brush calligraphy known as shodo. Regarded as one of the key disciplines in fostering the focused, meditative state of mind so essential to Zen, shodo calligraphy is practiced regularly by all students of Zen Buddhism in Japan. After providing a brief history of Japanese calligraphy and its close relationship with the teachings of Zen Buddhism, Sato explains the basic supplies and fundamental brushstroke skills that you'll need. He goes on to present thirty zengo, each featuring: An example by a skilled Zen monk or master calligrapher An explanation of the individual characters and the Zen koan as a whole Step-by-step instructions on how to paint the phrase in a number of styles (Kaisho, Gyosho, Sosho) A stunning volume on the intersection of Japanese aesthetics and Zen Buddhist thought, Shodo: The Quiet Art of Japanese Zen Calligraphy guides beginning and advanced students alike to a deeper understanding of the unique brush painting art form of shodo calligraphy. Shodo calligraphy topics include: The Art of Kanji The Four Treasures of Shodo Ideogram Zengo Students of Shodo

Sacred Kōyasan

Author: Philip L. Nicoloff
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 0791479293
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 432

Book Description
Takes the reader on a pilgrimage to Mount Kōya, the holy Buddhist mountain in Japan.

Zen and the Art of Calligraphy

Author:
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9780710092847
Category : Calligraphy, Japanese
Languages : en
Pages : 115

Book Description

Sacred Script

Author: Nassar Mansour
Publisher: I.B. Tauris
ISBN: 9781848854390
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Arabic calligraphy is at once an expression of piety, aesthetic sensibility and artistic discipline. 'Muhaqqaq' was an early term which captured care, clarity and meticulousness in calligraphy. It was associated with the making of manuscripts of the Qur'an - a sacred task and one which helped to give the new Islamic order both identity and coherence. 'Muhaqqaq' energed in the eleventh century as the name for one of six classical scripts. This is the first book devoted entirely to 'muhaqqaq' tradition. Nassar Mansour, himself a highly respected calligrapher, here traces the development of 'muhaqqaq'. His book also presents examples of his own work in muhaqqaq whish demonstrate the enduring value of this script for today. This is an invaluable and beautifully executed reference work on Islamic calligraphy, which will attract art historians and practitioners alike.

Zen Brushwork

Author: Katsujō Terayama
Publisher: Kodansha
ISBN: 9784770029447
Category : Calligraphy, Japanese
Languages : en
Pages : 334

Book Description
With its bold strokes and mystic aura, Zen calligraphy has intrigued many Westerners, but has remained a little-understood art form. Master calligrapher and swordmaster Tanchu Terayama offers detailed lessons in Japanese brush techniques, as well as an appreciation of calligraphy's subtle elements. With its bold strokes and mystic aura, Zen calligraphy has intrigued many Westerners since the 19060s, but has remained a little-understood art form. Here, master calligrapher and swordmaster Tanchu Terayama offers detailed lessons in Japanese

Zen Masters

Author: John Stevens
Publisher: Kodansha Amer Incorporated
ISBN: 9784770023858
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 161

Book Description
Recounts the life stories of three of the greatest Zen masters in history--Ikkyu, Hakuin, and Ryokan

Three Zen Masters

Author: John Stevens
Publisher: Kodansha
ISBN:
Category : Arte japonés
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Book Description

Secrets of Aikido

Author: John Stevens
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781570622359
Category : Aikido
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Aikido harmonizes the body and spirit with natural forces and universal laws, this work explores the hidden secrets and spiritual aspects of Aikido. It also covers the Tantric dimension of Aikido, the Aikido science of sound, and the six spiritual pillars of Aikido.

The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei

Author: John Stevens
Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media, LLC
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Book Description
The greatest athletes in the world today are not the Olympic champions or the stars of professional sports, but the "marathon monks" of Japan's sacred Mount Hiei. Over a seven-year training period, these "running buddhas" figuratively circle the globe on foot. During one incredible 100-day stretch, they cover 52.5 miles daily—twice the length of an Olympic marathon. And the prize they seek to capture is the greatest thing a human being can achieve: enlightenment in the here and now. This book is about these amazing men, the magic mountain on which they train, and the philosophy of Tendai Buddhism, which inspires them in their quest for the supreme. The reader will learn about the monks' death-defying fasts, their vegetarian training diet, their handmade straw running shoes, and feats of endurance such as their ceremonial leap into a waterfall. Illustrated with superb photographs, the book also contains the first full-length study in English of Mount Hiei and Tendai Buddhism.