Calligraphy Meets Philosophy - Talk 1

(I)



Content is the soul of an artwork.



Thus, catching the soul of Chinese calligraphy requires understanding the literary contents. To facilitate this, the Calligraphy Meets Philosophy series presents traditional Chinese calligraphy alongside line-by-line translated texts with remarks and footnotes.





(II)



Traditional Chinese calligraphy is not just about physical aesthetics. The art is also a reflection of one's temperament, charisma, refinement, and philosophies(1). Literary contents scribed by calligraphers thus play a significant role in the art and should never be overlooked. Indeed, Lanting Xu (《 蘭亭序 》), the most renowned piece of calligraphy in Chinese history, is not only praised for its aesthetics but also for its literary content(2).



(III)



Calligraphy Meets Philosophy - Talk 1 (《 尚語∙第一話 》) includes three calligraphic works and their translations: Heart Sutra (《般若波羅蜜多心經》), Great Learning (《大學》), and Zhuangzi - The Secret of Caring for Life (《莊子∙養生主》). It also includes Revisions to "An English Translation and the Correct Interpretation of Laozi's Tao Te Ching".







(IV)



This book could not have been published without the help of my father, Dr Kwok Kin POON (潘國鍵博士). I sincerely thank his priceless advice in my translations throughout the series. His unwavering support and tutelage have always been the chief drivers of my passion for learning and transmitting traditional Chinese calligraphy and culture.







Knowledge is never pursued alone.







KS Vincent Poon



August 2022, Toronto







Table of Contents







Introduction 5







Heart Sutra (《般若波羅蜜多心經》)







Calligraphy 8



Translation 10



Remarks 13



Footnotes 14







Great Learning (《大學》)  







Calligraphy 18



Translation 23



Remarks 38



Footnotes 39







Revisions to "An English Translation



and the Correct Interpretation of Laozi's Tao Te Ching" 45







Zhuangzi -The Secret of Caring for Life (《莊子∙養生主》)







Calligraphy 52



Translation 54



Remarks 55



Footnotes 60





Kwan Sheung Vincent POON (潘君尚, 1979-)

KS Vincent POON, of Nanhai descent, was born in British Hong Kong and emigrated to Canada with his family at age eight. He completed his BSc with high distinction in Biochemistry and Physics, MSc and BEd degrees, as well as a Certificate of Management at the University of Toronto. At a very young age, Vincent studied and practised traditional Chinese calligraphy and Chinese culture under the careful tutelage of his father, Dr Kwok Kin POON (潘國鍵博士). Not only has he mastered scribing the clerical, cursive, semi-cursive and standard scripts, but he is also adept at translating Chinese to English. He authored various books with his father, which include A Narrative on Calligraphy by Sun Guoting (《 英譯書譜 》), English Translation of Classical Chinese Calligraphy Masterpieces (《 英譯法書 》), as well as An English Translation and the Correct Interpretation of Laozi's Tao Te Ching (《 英譯並正解老子道德經 》). Independently, he authors the Calligraphy Meets Philosophy (《尚語》) series.



潘君尚,原籍南海。生於英治香港,八歲隨父母移民加拿大。畢業多倫多大學 ( University of Toronto ),獲生化系一級榮譽理學士、教育學士、理學碩士、商業管理文憑。自幼跟隨父親潘國鍵博士研習中國書法及中國文化,深得父親所傳。隸、草、行、楷四體兼善之外,亦擅長中英翻譯。已出版著述,計有與父親合譯之 An English Translation and the Correct Interpretation of Laozi's Tao Te Ching (《英譯並正解老子道德經》)、A Narrative on Calligraphy by Sun Guoting (《英譯書譜》)、English Translation of Classical Chinese Calligraphy Masterpieces (《英譯法書》) ,及個人專著 Calligraphy Meets Philosophy (《尚語》)系列。