Imperial Edition of the Complete Library in Four Sections

Xuanhe Painting Manual, Volume I

To aspire to the Way, ground oneself in virtue, adhere to benevolence, and immerse oneself in the arts; while these are things that even those who aspire to the Way cannot forget, they are merely for one to "immerse" in. Painting is also an art. When one advances to the level of the sublime, one ceases to distinguish whether the art is the Way or the Way is the art. In ancient times, people found significance in the story of Zi Qing carving a bell stand and Lun Bian hewing a wheel References to Taoist parables concerning the intuitive mastery of skills beyond mere technique.. Thus, when painting images of Daoist and Buddhist figures or the graceful manners of Confucian scholars, they cause the viewer to gaze upon them and look up to them with reverence. Can it be said that their role in helping one to realize the truth through form is merely a minor contribution? Therefore, the chapter on Daoist and Buddhist paintings includes these three teachings.